Key facts
- 96% of 47 construction occupations have low or moderate AI exposure, per NAHB.
- Construction managers and building inspectors have high AI exposure.
- Solar photovoltaic installers, with moderate AI exposure, are projected for 37% job growth.
- AI is expected to augment, not replace, most construction roles in the near term.
- Builders report using AI primarily for advertising, project planning, and design.
- Office-based functions like estimating and scheduling face greater immediate AI change than field trades.
Most construction jobs face relatively low near-term job-loss exposure to artificial intelligence, according to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The study, released October 1, utilized data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to assess AI exposure across 47 construction-related occupations.
The NAHB found that approximately 96% of these occupations fall into the BLS categories of "low" or "moderate" relative exposure to AI. Only construction managers and construction and building inspectors were classified as having "high" exposure, with no construction occupation rated as "very high" exposure.
This suggests that AI is more likely to alter how construction work is planned, documented, and managed rather than directly replace hands-on trade tasks in the immediate future. The BLS framework also compares AI exposure with projected employment growth from 2025 to 2035. Construction managers, despite high AI exposure, are projected to see about 9% employment growth, while construction and building inspectors, also in the high-exposure category, are expected to have essentially flat employment growth.
Solar photovoltaic installers, categorized under "moderate" AI exposure, are projected to experience the fastest employment growth at approximately 37%. The NAHB noted that occupations with low AI exposure, such as carpenters, construction laborers, and roofers, rely heavily on physical execution, mobility, and adaptation to changing site conditions, which are less susceptible to current software-based AI tools.
Builders surveyed by NAHB reported using AI primarily for information-intensive functions like advertising, marketing, project planning, and design. This indicates that initial AI opportunities are likely to be in office-based roles such as estimating, procurement, and preconstruction planning, rather than in field operations. Real estate brokerages and sales operations are also deploying AI for lead generation, marketing, and transaction workflows.
The NAHB cautioned that low current exposure does not mean construction is immune to AI-driven changes. Instead, AI is expected to augment existing roles by improving speed, consistency, and information access in areas like estimating, document management, safety analysis, and progress monitoring. Changes in field operations are anticipated to be more gradual, driven by AI integration into equipment and robotics.
The BLS measure of AI exposure is designed to indicate the potential for AI to assist or complete tasks within a job, but it does not predict job losses, automation rates, productivity gains, or wage effects. The analysis also excluded extraction occupations and did not cover all roles within construction firms, such as architects and engineers, whose AI exposure profiles might differ.