From 55 to 65 homes a day: How factory robots are boosting housing production in the US

America's housing industry is turning to robotics and automation as homebuilders face a growing shortage of skilled workers and pressure to increase housing supply. But the biggest gains so far are not coming from humanoid robots replacing workers on construction sites.Instead, the most measurable improvements are coming from narrower applications, including machines that reduce mistakes, coordinate different trades and automate repetitive tasks. Factory-based construction, which moves more of the building process into controlled environments, is also showing significant potential, according to industry experts cited by CNBC.The US is short roughly 1.2 million homes, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Nearly 300,000 construction jobs remained open at the end of 2025, while the industry needs to attract about 740,000 workers each year to account for growth, retirements and workers leaving the field.The labour shortage is adding to a long-standing productivity problem.