Key findings
Across the nation, there has been a slowdown in housing construction. Between 2020 and 2025, the number of months it takes to build a house increased by 34 per cent across Australia, while building material costs increased by 35 per cent – partly due to increased demand.
The time it takes to build a house, on average across Australia, increased from about eight months and a half to about a year. Between 2020 and 2025, the average time required to build a house has increased by:
- 71 per cent in Western Australia (with material costs 37 per cent more expensive);
- 34 per cent in South Australia (with material costs 35 per cent more expensive);
- 34 per cent in Queensland (with material costs 37 per cent more expensive);
- 31 per cent in New South Wales (with material costs 32 per cent more expensive);
- 16 per cent in Victoria (with material costs 36 per cent more expensive); and
- 15 per cent in Tasmania (with material costs 37 per cent more expensive).
Chart 1: Annualised housing construction input cost and house construction time indices from FY2020 to FY2025
