Build times improve, but remain below pre-pandemic levels
The duration required to complete new homes in Australia has shortened, according to Master Builders Australia.
Recent analysis from the industry association based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures indicates that detached houses, townhouses and apartments all experienced reduced construction periods from approval to completion.
“Townhouses typically took 14.8 months to complete (down five weeks) while apartments had a 32.9 month build time during 2024-25,” said Shane Garrett (pictured top left), chief economist at Master Builders Australia. “For detached houses, there was an 11.5-month gap between approval and completion. This is due to the continued easing of supply chain pressures and a soft easing of labour shortages.
“However, there’s still a long way to go with build times much slower than they were pre-pandemic. Building a new detached house is now 35.8% slower than it was a decade ago. Delays on the higher density side are even worse: it takes 54.1% longer to build a new apartment with a 27.6% deterioration in the speed of delivering new townhouses.”
Denita Wawn (pictured top right), chief executive of Master Builders Australia, described the findings as a positive development, but noted that further action is necessary to address ongoing issues in the sector.
“We acknowledge the ongoing efforts of government to fix Australia’s housing crisis through planning reforms, investment and workforce initiatives, but more work is needed to sustain this momentum and deliver the homes our communities need,” she said. “These positive developments are overshadowed by the revelation this week that Australia is 60,971 short of new houses during the first year of the National Housing Accord.
“With build times heading in the right direction and supply chains continuing to ease since COVID, we need to address other challenges to deliver more homes including increasing skilled labour through more apprentices, encouraging more women to enter the industry, and tweaking migration settings targeting key skill shortages. Homes won’t get off the ground without the people to build them and the rolling out of regulatory and planning reforms to lift productivity.”
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