Apartment Construction Timelines Improve Slightly in 2025 but Remain Above Historical Averages
In 2025, the average time to complete multifamily apartment buildings from permit authorization to completion was 18.9 months—slightly faster than the previous year’s 19.6 months—but still significantly longer compared to historical benchmarks like 2009 and 2013. The construction duration has increased over the long term, with a notable rise in start-to-completion time from 13.4 months in 2009 to 16.5 months in 2025. This is attributed partly to an increasing share of larger multifamily properties that take longer to build. Regional disparities remain pronounced: the Northeast had the longest average timeline at 21.9 months, while the Midwest was shortest at 16.6 months. Despite a modest improvement in some categories, five-to-nine-unit buildings saw increased construction times compared to 2024.
Topics: commercial real estate housing supply chain multifamily construction