After a difficult April, housing starts rebounded in May, with overall starts up 3.6% and single-family starts up 4.2%.

Spurred by a home entertainment demand surge during the pandemic, the average integrator installed 5 dedicated cinema rooms at $28,227 apiece, and 6 multipurpose home theater areas at $17,312 each over the past 12 months.

Due in part to recent Canadian lumber tariffs and general scarcity of building materials have caused new home sales to dip in April.

As construction costs rise due to the price of lumber, homebuilders have slowed construction of new homes, leading to a seasonal dip in housing starts.

While single-family housing starts ended 2020 on a high note, increases in lumber prices have added $24,000 to the cost of building the average home in 2021.

Technical issues lead co-located NKBA Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and NAHB International Builders’ Show to postpone virtual exhibit booths of Feb. 9-12 events, while sessions and other programs remain accessible to attendees.