This study systematically analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and regional differences of carbon emissions and ecological carbon footprints in the construction industry based on carbon emissions data from 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2021. Using decoupling models, Theil index decomposition, and spatial autocorrelation methods, the study reveals the dynamic trend of carbon emissions in the construction industry shifting from the eastern to the central and western regions. The results show that the national carbon emissions have an overall fluctuating upward trend, with the eastern region gradually achieving "strong decoupling", while the central and western regions primarily exhibit "weak decoupling" or "expansive negative decoupling", highlighting significant regional differences in green development capacity. The ecological carbon footprint analysis shows a notable increase in carbon footprints in the central and western regions, with regional disparities being the main source of overall differences. Spatial autocorrelation analysis indicates that high-high agglomeration areas have gradually shifted from the east to the central and western regions, and the long-term presence of low-high and high-low patterns reveals the reality of unbalanced regional development. The study suggests promoting green building technologies and optimizing the energy structure in the central and western regions, advancing regional collaborative emission reduction mechanisms, and improving the low-carbon development assessment system to achieve the construction industry’s green transformation and carbon neutrality goals.