When you were a child, did you ever want to build your own house with LEGOs or building blocks? How about other breathtaking structures, like Windsor Castle or the Golden Gate Bridge? For many of us, that desire to create matures as we get older. So, have you thought about what you might want to build lately?

BigRentz, a construction equipment rental company, took a look into what Americans are building to get an idea of what it is people are interested in creating. To gather our insights, we leveraged search data from Google searches, like “how to build a greenhouse”, and analyzed those results with SEMrush and Google Trends to see what DIY projects interest each state the most. From backyard decks to firepits and igloos, the results were interesting, to say the least.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Decks are the most popular home improvement project
• Backyard projects are the most popular by state
• Texas and New York express the most interest in DIY projects

Of course, not all Americans are interested in building a pergola for their backyard. We found that some searchers are looking into constructing their own robots, trebuchets, and even solar panels, too. So, the question remains: What are you interested in building?

We first looked at “how to build” searches on the web with the highest search volume. When it comes to building their own things, Americans search most for outdoor and backyard projects. Deck building, in particular, easily outnumbers the other outdoor “how to build” Google searches. Indoor projects like shelves and fireplaces are searched less than outdoor projects.

We also ran the most searched projects through Google Trends to where they were most popular. Of the 50 building projects we looked at, 19 of them (including greenhouse and barn door) were searched in Texas — the most in comparison to the other states. New York is the next state, with more interest relative to the others states in 12 of the searches.

Favorite Home Improvement Projects By State

We then looked at the trending “how to build” searches in every state. Also among the most popular topics was “how to build a deck,” where residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, New Hampshire, Nebraska, and Louisiana had interest in building on their own. Interestingly, a fair number of states were interested in chicken coops. Although these searches were concentrated in more Southern states, the interest also went as far west as Washington.

The Most Interesting “How to Build” Searches

We were also curious what other things Americans were interested in building that were not related to home improvement. Computers, muscle, resumes, and Minecraft houses were the most popular, but our search also turned up interesting questions like “how to build a catapult” and “how to build a robot”.

By looking at “how to build” searches, we get a closer look into what Americans are interested in constructing on their own. In particular, Americans are searching for instructions for their backyards with projects like sheds, decks, and even fire pits. This suggests that larger building projects are the types of things that we are looking to build, perhaps driven by our long human inclination to create things.