Democracy Dies in Darkness

Home builders are cheering Trump’s return to the White House

Companies are eager for lighter regulations. But they also could see their industry strained by tariffs and immigration changes.

7 min
A finished home is seen between two homes under construction in Sumter, South Carolina, in 2021. Home builders are hoping for a boom under President-elect Donald Trump — even though some of his policies could increase costs for them. (Micah Green/Bloomberg)
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Home builders have big plans for the next few years — and they’re crediting Donald Trump.

After years of tumult in the housing market, builders across the country are betting that looser regulations and what they hope will be an economic boom will make it easier to build and sell. They’re also hoping those tailwinds more than offset possible hazards of Trump’s agenda, including ramped-up tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China that could push up costs for materials, and aggressive immigration policies that could mean the deportations of construction workers.