The place are Porches Most Widespread for Newly-Constructed Houses? – Eye On Housing

Though the share of latest properties with porches edged down in 2024, porches proceed to rank as the most typical out of doors function on new properties, in accordance with NAHB tabulation of the most recent knowledge from the Survey of Development (SOC, carried out by the U.S. Census Bureau with partial funding from HUD). Of the roughly 1.0 million single-family properties began in 2024, the SOC knowledge present that 67.2% had been constructed with porches. That is down, however solely barely, from the all-time peak of 67.7% reported a yr earlier. Porches additionally proceed to be extra widespread on new properties than the opposite out of doors options lined within the SOC: patios and, particularly, decks.  

Historically, porches on new properties have been most typical within the 4 states that make up the East South Central Census division. That was true once more in 2024, though solely by a slim margin. In 2024, 81% of latest properties within the East South Central had porches, however this share was properly over 70% in three different divisions: the Pacific (78%), Mountain (77%), and South Atlantic (74%) divisions.

In comparison with the 2023 numbers reported in final yr’s put up, the porch percentages had been up by two factors within the East and West South Central divisions, unchanged within the Mountain and South Atlantic divisions, and down not less than barely within the different 5 divisions.

Element in regards to the traits of porches on new properties is on the market from the Builder Practices Survey (BPS), carried out yearly by House Innovation Analysis Labs. Amongst different issues, the 2025 BPS report (primarily based on properties in-built 2024) reveals that porches proceed to be much more widespread on the entrance of latest single-family properties than on the aspect or rear. When on the entrance, porches common roughly 100 sq. ft of flooring space. The opposite classes of porches distinguished within the SOC, though comparatively uncommon, are typically noticeably bigger: 140 sq. ft for a aspect or rear porch, and simply over 200 sq. ft for a screened-in porch.

On a sq. foot foundation, builders proceed to make use of concrete greater than some other materials to construct new-home porches. Just one division stays a transparent outlier on this regard. In New England, builders seldom use concrete in new-home porches, as a substitute most frequently constructing them out of composite (a mix of often recycled wooden fibers and plastic). In that division, in addition they use handled wooden, PVC or different plastics, cedar, and pure stone extra typically than concrete.