The number of new homes started with decks increased in 2016 to 23.7 percent from 23.3 percent in 2015, continuing the trend of upward growth since 2009.
According to the National Association of Home Builders' tabulated data, the areas where decks on new homes are most and least common are in the South. In 2016, the share of new homes with decks ranged from a low of only 4 percent in the West South Central Division (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana) to a high of 53 percent in the East South Central (Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky).
The most common materials builders use for decks are treated wood (many types of wood used in construction do not withstand outdoor use unless treated with preservative chemicals) and composite (a mixture of wood fibers and plastic). Across the Census divisions, the greatest difference is in the Pacific, where cedar and redwood (types of wood that don’t need to be treated) tend to be used more often.
