Overview

Housing Structure Types

Housing structure types are classified based on the Building Standards Act according to the materials and structural methods of the main structural parts. In Japan, wooden construction is the most common, accounting for 87.9% of housing. Other types include steel construction (light and heavy), reinforced concrete construction (RC), and steel reinforced concrete construction (SRC). Each structure has distinct characteristics, differing in construction cost, construction period, seismic resistance, fire resistance, and sound insulation.

housing construction structure Building Standards Act wooden construction steel construction RC construction SRC construction seismic resistance fire resistance

code	slug	name	description	constructionMethods	costPerTsubo	marketShare	statutoryUsefulLife	steelThickness	abbreviation
W	wooden-construction	Wooden Construction	A residential structure where main structural parts such as columns, walls, beams, floors, and roofs are built with wood.	["Traditional method (post-and-beam)","2×4 method (frame wall construction)"]	68	87.9%	22
S-L	lightweight-steel-construction	Lightweight Steel Construction	A residential structure using steel materials (steel frames) less than 6mm thick for main structural parts.		97		19-22	6mm未満
S-H	heavyweight-steel-construction	Heavyweight Steel Construction	A residential structure using steel materials (steel frames) 6mm or thicker for main structural parts.		97		31-34	6mm以上
RC	reinforced-concrete-construction	Reinforced Concrete Construction	A residential structure built by pouring concrete into a framework of reinforcing bars.		100		47		RC造
SRC	steel-reinforced-concrete-construction	Steel Reinforced Concrete Construction	A residential structure where reinforcing bars are assembled around a steel frame and concrete is poured.		110		47		SRC造

Major classifications of residential structures in Japan based on the Building Standards Act.