Data Show Builders Gravitate Toward Stucco Over Other Exterior Materials

While building designs vary and often call for different materials, recent data show stucco remains the most popular choice among home builders. According to the National Association of Home Builders’ Eye On Housing blog, stucco was the most common siding material for new single-family homes started in 2023. Of all the home starts in 2023, 26.8% were with stucco, followed by vinyl siding at 25.6%, fiber cement siding at 21.7%, and brick or brick veneer at 18.5%. Additionally, only a small fraction of builders (5.1%) used wood or wood products as the main exterior wall material, and just 1.2% used stone or rock.

Stucco was the most used primary exterior wall material in the Pacific, Mountain and South Atlantic divisions in 2023 at 62.0%, 52.7% and 39.4%, respectively, of the new single-family homes started in those areas. Brick or brick veneer was the most common exterior siding material in the East and West South Central divisions. In the West South Central, 57.8% of the new single-family homes started in 2023 used brick or brick veneer as the primary exterior material, compared to 44.6% in the East South Central.

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