In 2024, 17.5% of all new single-family homes started were custom homes. This share decreased from 18.8% in 2023 and from 20.4% in 2022, according to data tabulated from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The custom home market consists of contractor-built and owner-built homes—homes built for owner occupancy on the owner’s land, with either the owner or a builder acting as a general contractor. The alternatives are homes built-for-sale (on the builder’s land, often in subdivisions, with the intention of selling the house and land in one transaction) and homes built-for-rent.

In 2024, 73.1% of the single-family homes started were built-for-sale and 9.3% were built-for-rent. At a 17.5% share, the number of custom homes started in 2024 was 176,932, falling from 177,850 in 2023.   

Quarterly statistics published by the Census Bureau for the second quarter of 2025 show year-over-year growth for custom home building amid broader single-family home building weakness. Although the quarterly statistics are timelier, they are often revised and lack the geographic detail available in the annual data set.  When analyzed across the nine census divisions, the annual data show that the highest custom home share in 2024 was 41.2% in the New England division. The lowest share was in the West South-Central division at just 10.7%.