Which exterior wall materials do new houses use, and what does that choice change in the budget?
Published
Summary
Four materials, vinyl, stucco, fiber cement and brick, were the principal exterior wall on about nine in ten single-family homes started in 2024, and the mix changes sharply by region. In NAHB's 2024 construction cost survey, exterior wall finish averaged 5.7% of construction cost, one part of an exterior finishes stage of 13.4% that also covers roofing and windows. Framing, at 16.6%, is the larger line. How much your own choice moves the budget depends on the quote that the builder writes for your house.
What new homes are clad in
NAHB's Eye on Housing analysis of single-family homes started in 2024 gives each home's principal exterior wall material. Vinyl, which in this count includes "vinyl-covered aluminium," led narrowly:
| Principal exterior wall material | Share of single-family homes started in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | 26% |
| Stucco | 25% |
| Fiber cement | 23% |
| Brick or brick veneer | 16% |
| Wood or wood products | 6% |
| Stone, rock or other stone materials | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
| Cement blocks | 0.2% |
The four leading materials add up to 26 + 25 + 23 + 16 = 90 percent of starts. Each house is counted once, under its principal material, so the shares don't show how often a front and the other sides are clad differently.
The order has changed over time. NAHB reports that vinyl fell by more than 10 percentage points between 2010 and 2015 and has stayed around 26% since then. Stucco rose from 17% in 2010 to a peak of 28% in 2021 before slipping. Brick went from almost a quarter of homes in 2012 to 16% in 2024. Fiber cement gained 5.5 points over ten years.
How the mix differs by region
The material you see most often on new houses depends heavily on location. In 2024, NAHB counted vinyl on 73% of new homes in New England, 69% in the East North Central division and 68% in the Middle Atlantic. In the West North Central division, vinyl's share was 49%.
Stucco leads in the West. NAHB put its 2024 share at 64% in the Pacific division and 48% in the Mountain division, and it reached 33% in the South Atlantic. Brick is strongest in the south-central states, with 39% in the East South Central division and 48% in the West South Central. The West South Central division also stands out for wood, at 27%.
The regional shares describe what was built, rather than why it was chosen. They do not establish which material costs less or which crews are available for your lot. If you want a material that differs from the builder's standard, ask who would install it and whether the change affects the price or schedule. A familiar appearance in the neighborhood is useful context, but the contract still needs a specific product and scope.
Where siding sits in the cost of a house
NAHB's 2024 survey breaks construction cost into eight stages. The exterior finishes stage averaged 13.4% of construction cost, and within it exterior wall finish was 5.7% ($24,450 of an average $428,215), roofing 3.9% and windows and doors, including the garage door, 3.7%. Framing, including roof framing, trusses, sheathing and structural steel, took 16.6% ($70,982), and the foundation stage 10.5%. Framing plus wall finish and roofing comes to 16.6 + 5.7 + 3.9 = 26.2 percent of construction cost.
NAHB reports that framing's share fell from 20.5% in 2022 to 16.6% in 2024, the lowest since tracking began in 2013. That change describes the survey results; it does not promise a smaller framing bill on your project.
These are national averages from a subset of NAHB builders, not an estimate for a particular house. NAHB cautions against treating changes between survey years as a comparison of identical homes or builders. The 5.7% line covers exterior wall finish as a whole. It is not the amount saved by removing cladding or the premium for choosing another material. The other stages remain separate, although an alternative design may also change work in those stages.
If you are comparing two cladding quotes, ask each builder to show the upgrade against its own wall finish line and to say whether anything else in the quote moves with it.
Questions to put to the builder
For a material change, ask for an alternative quote on the same house rather than applying a national percentage to the total budget. If the base specification uses vinyl and you are considering fiber cement, request a fiber-cement cladding option with its product, coverage and installed price identified. The 26% vinyl and 23% fiber-cement shares describe prevalence, not the price difference or a performance ranking. The builder's written alternative is what you can use to decide whether the change fits the budget. Ask each builder:
- Which material is standard in the base price, and is it the principal material on all four sides or only the front?
- What does an upgrade to another material cost as a stated amount, and does that amount include trim, corners and the water-resistive barrier behind the cladding?
- Does the alternative change any other stage, such as foundation details, framing or the schedule?
- Who installs the cladding, the builder's own crew or a subcontractor, and is that work inside the contract price?
- What maintenance does the builder expect for the material in your climate, and what paperwork comes with it at closing?
Record the chosen product and the extent of the cladding in the builder brief tool. A quote that covers the front only should not be compared directly with one that covers every elevation. The house exterior styles page and the modern farmhouse exterior page can help you describe the appearance you want before requesting the alternative price.