Patios Outnumbered Decks on New Homes

While the percentage of new houses with patios is increasing, the percentage with decks has remained at a historic low of less than 18%, according to NAHB analysis of data from the HUD/Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC).

From the SOC’s redesign in 2005 to 2018, more than 22% of single-family homes began to feature decks.

After thereafter, the share fell dramatically, reaching a low of 17.5% in 2021. Since then, the proportion has maintained close to that low, with 17.7% in 2022 and 17.6% in 2023.

Furthermore, this occurred at the same time that the proportion of new residences with patios increased to a record high of 67.7%.

Indeed, the trend of deck and patio percentages moving in opposite directions is obvious throughout the 2005-2023 timeframe.

The connection between the percentages over that time period is -0.84, indicating that patios on new homes have been used as a replacement for decks.

When more new homes have patios, there are fewer decks.

New homes with both a deck and a patio are quite uncommon. Less than 6% of single-family houses built in 2023 had both a deck and a patio.

Decks have become more popular not only when patios are less widespread, but also when they are more prevalent.

Patios, for example, were the least prevalent (found in only 17% of single-family homes built in 2023) in the New England Census Division, where decks were found in 76% of the residences. In contrast, 81% of new homes in the West South Central had patios in 2023, while only 3% had decks.

In 2023, there was a negative association between the percentages of new residences with decks and patios throughout all nine divisions.

Nonetheless, decks are still common on new homes in various areas of the country.

In 2023, 42% of new homes in both the Middle Atlantic and West North Central divisions included decks, below only New England’s 76%.

More detail on new home deck construction is available from the Annual Builder Practices Survey (BPS) conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs.

Nationally, according to the 2024 BPS report (based on homes built in 2023), the average size of a deck on a new single-family home is 284 square feet.

The typical size varies by Census division, ranging from 230 square feet in New England to 382 square feet in the nearby Middle Atlantic.

On a square foot level, the BPS reveals a developing geographic difference in the materials most commonly used in deck construction.

In the West North Central, South Atlantic, East South Central, and West South Central divisions, treated wood remains the preferred material.

In the New England, Middle Atlantic, East North Central, and Mountain divisions, composite material has surpassed treated wood; in the Pacific Division, concrete has surpassed composite.

In addition, redwood (a species that may be used outdoors without special pressure treatment) is relatively widespread in new home deck construction in the Pacific region.

A recent piece discussed the characteristics of patios in single-family homes built in 2023.

[Read more about this topic on Eyeonhousing.org]