Framing is the skeleton of the house: floors, walls and roof structure, tied together and sheathed so the building can stand up to wind, weight and time. It is also one of the biggest stages of the budget. In the NAHB 2024 survey, framing averaged $70,982, or 16.6% of construction cost.[1]
That share has dropped. Framing was 20.5% of construction cost in the 2022 survey, when lumber prices were high, and 16.6% in 2024 is the lowest since NAHB began measuring the stage in 2013.[1] Lumber and panel prices still swing, though, and the design of the house has as much effect on the framing bill as the price of wood. This guide explains what framing includes, why almost every new house is wood-framed, and what you can do to keep framing costs in check.
Key takeaways
- Framing averaged $70,982, or 16.6% of construction cost, in NAHB 2024, down from 20.5% in 2022.
- In 2025, 94% of new single-family homes completed were wood-framed, 5% concrete-framed and about 0.5% steel-framed.
- Design complexity, wall height, openings and engineering requirements move the framing price as much as lumber prices.
- Material prices can swing quickly; ask whether your framing quote is fixed or can change with lumber prices.
What the framing stage includes
| NAHB 2024 framing item | Average cost | Share of construction cost |
|---|---|---|
| Framing (including roof) | $49,763 | 11.6% |
| Trusses (if not included above) | $12,903 | 3.0% |
| Sheathing (if not included above) | $6,513 | 1.5% |
| General metal, steel | $1,718 | 0.4% |
| Framing stage total | $70,982 | 16.6% |
The main framing line covers the lumber and labor for floors, walls and the roof structure where it is site-built. Trusses and sheathing appear separately when builders priced them separately. The steel line covers items such as beams, columns, hangers and connectors.
Framing including the roof is the single biggest item in the whole survey at 11.6% of construction cost, followed by excavation, foundation, concrete, retaining walls and backfill at 10.0%. Together the two account for 21.7% of construction cost, down from 25.6% in 2022.[1]
Wood, concrete or steel?
Wood is by far the most common way to frame a house in the US. NAHB analysis of Census data for 2025 found 94% of completed single-family homes were wood-framed, about 947,000 homes. Concrete framing accounted for 5%, around 53,000 homes, and steel framing about half a percent, around 5,000 homes, a 25% increase on the year before.[2]
| Framing method (homes completed in 2025) | Share | Approximate homes |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | 94% | 947,000 |
| Concrete | 5% | 53,000 |
| Steel | About 0.5% | 5,000 |
Non-wood framing is concentrated in the South, partly because of residential resiliency requirements in hurricane-prone areas. In 2025, concrete-framed homes made up 9% of completions in the South, and about 60% of steel-framed homes were built there.[2] Owner-builders follow the same pattern: 96% of owner-built homes completed in 2025 had wood framing and 2% concrete framing.[3]
When the alternatives make sense
Concrete block or insulated concrete forms (ICFs) can suit areas with high wind, termite pressure or a local tradition of masonry construction. Steel framing resists rot and termites and is dimensionally stable, but it needs crews experienced with it and careful detailing to avoid heat loss through the metal. In most of the country, wood framing is the default because the crews, suppliers, inspectors and designs are all set up for it, which keeps costs down.
Lumber and panel prices
Framing materials are traded commodities, and their prices can move sharply within a year. NAHB reported in early 2026 that softwood lumber prices were below the previous year's levels.[4] By September 2026, NAHB's analysis of the Producer Price Index showed softwood veneer and plywood prices up 15.9% from a year earlier, and the price of goods used in new residential construction up 9.7%.[5]
Those swings are why the NAHB 2024 figures are a planning baseline, not a quote. Ask your builder or framer how long their price is valid and whether the contract allows them to pass on lumber price changes. In a volatile market, some owners agree to a lumber allowance or lock in the framing package early.
Check the escalation clause
A fixed-price contract can still include an escalation clause for materials. Read it before you sign. Our guide to cost-plus vs fixed-price contracts explains the options.
How framing is priced and who does it
On most new houses, framing is done by a framing subcontractor. The builder usually buys the lumber package from a supplier, and the framer charges for labor, often by the square foot of floor area or as a lump sum for the house. Trusses are designed and built in a factory by a truss supplier from your plans, then delivered and set on the walls, sometimes with a crane.
That split matters when you compare quotes. A low framing price may be labor only, with materials elsewhere in the bid. A framing package from a lumber yard may exclude hardware, beams or trusses. Ask each builder to show framing labor, framing materials, trusses, sheathing and structural steel as separate lines so you can compare them with the NAHB figures above and with each other.
Waste is part of the price too. Simple, repetitive designs with standard lengths waste less lumber and go up faster. Unusual dimensions, many angles and late changes produce offcuts and extra trips to the supplier. Pre-cut packages and wall panels built off site can reduce waste and time on site, though they need the design to be fixed earlier.
Sheathing, wraps and hardware
Once the walls and roof are framed, they are covered with sheathing panels that stiffen the structure and give the siding and roofing something to attach to. Some builders use panels with an integrated water-resistive barrier; others add a separate house wrap. Either way, the details at windows, doors and the roof edge decide whether water stays out of the walls.
Metal connectors, hold-downs, straps and hurricane ties tie the frame together and to the foundation. In high-wind and seismic areas, code requires more of them, and inspectors check them before the walls are covered. They are a small share of the budget, but leaving them out is one of the costliest mistakes a framer can make, so ask how your framer handles the structural inspection.
Design choices that drive framing cost
- Footprint shape. Every corner, jog and bump-out adds studs, headers and labor.
- Wall height. Nine- and ten-foot walls use longer, more expensive studs and more sheathing, and two-story spaces need extra bracing.
- Roof design. Complex roofs with valleys, dormers and changes of pitch add framing time and materials. See roofing costs.
- Openings. Large windows and wide doors need bigger headers, sometimes engineered beams or steel.
- Open floor plans. Long spans without walls need engineered joists, beams or posts.
- Engineering requirements. High-wind, seismic and heavy-snow areas need more hardware, shear walls and inspection.
- Stories. A second floor adds floor framing and stairs, but shares a foundation and roof with the first.
Designers sometimes use "advanced framing" methods, such as spacing studs further apart where code allows and aligning floors, walls and roof so loads stack. They can reduce lumber and leave more room for insulation, but they need a framer who knows them and an inspector who accepts them.
Quality checks at the framing stage
Framing mistakes are cheap to fix before drywall and expensive after. Walk the frame with the plans before rough-ins start and check:
- Room sizes, window and door locations and ceiling heights match the plans.
- Stairs meet the plan and feel right; changing them later is very hard.
- Blocking is in place for grab bars, TVs, heavy shelving and cabinet runs.
- Space is left for ducts, plumbing drains and vents where the designers intended.
- The framing inspection is booked and passed before insulation, and you have a copy of the result.
- Any damaged or wet lumber has been replaced or allowed to dry before it is enclosed.
This walk-through is also your last cheap chance to change window sizes or move an interior door. Our guide to change orders explains why timing matters.
Budgeting framing in the calculator
The calculator's Framing stage uses the four NAHB lines above. Once you have a framing quote, enter it as a lump sum on the stage, or price trusses separately if your truss supplier quotes them directly. If your design is complex or in a high-wind area, expect framing to take a bigger share of the total than the national 16.6%.
Framing interacts with the foundation and roof, so look at them together. See slab, crawl space or basement and house size and cost per square foot.
Plug your house size, land price and quotes into the free calculator. It uses the same NAHB 2024 averages as this guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does framing cost for a new house?
In the NAHB 2024 survey the framing stage averaged $70,982, or 16.6% of construction cost, including framing, trusses, sheathing and structural steel.
What percentage of new homes are wood-framed?
About 94% of single-family homes completed in 2025 were wood-framed, according to NAHB analysis of Census data. Concrete framing was 5% and steel about 0.5%.
Is steel framing cheaper than wood for a house?
Usually not in most US markets, because crews, suppliers and designs are set up for wood. Steel can make sense where termites, rot or specific local requirements are a concern.
Do lumber prices affect the cost of building a house?
Yes. Framing materials can swing in price within a year. Ask whether your quote is fixed or includes a clause allowing material price changes.
Sources
- NAHB: Cost of Constructing a Home 2024 Verified
- NAHB Eye on Housing: Wood Framing Continues to Dominate Single-Family Construction (Sept 21, 2026) Verified (third-party copy)
- US Census Bureau: Highlights of 2025 Characteristics of New Housing Verified
- NAHB: Building Material Price Growth Remains Elevated (January 2026) Verified
- NAHB Eye on Housing: Building Material Price Inflation Nears Four Year High (October 2026) Verified (third-party copy)
Figures last checked October 18, 2026. National averages are a planning guide, not a quote. See our editorial policy and data sources.
