Regulation Adds $132K to New Homes

A builder group's estimate said government rules added ~$132K to the avg. new US home, making regulation a major cost component before buyers move in.
Key cost drivers included code updates, permits, inspections, impact charges, utility hookups, land set-asides, and delays that stretched project timelines before site work began.
The builder group said code changes alone added ~$40K per home, while energy provisions contributed roughly $9.6K-$21.4K and could take decades to recover.
It also said >90% of developers faced delays averaging ~7 mo, with >1 yr between zoning applications and the first day of work.
The broader takeaway: higher rule-related costs can limit how far builders cut prices, complicating efforts to add supply in a nation short ~1.2M homes.