A surge of megaproject groundbreakings jolted construction kickoffs into higher gear in October, as 10 projects valued at $1 billion or more got underway, according to Dodge Construction Network.
Total construction starts jumped 21.1% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.53 trillion, according to Dodge. The spike, fueled by those billion-dollar manufacturing and data center projects, tacks onto groundbreaking growth in August and September.
But uniform strength across all corners of construction remains elusive, said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge.
“Growth in construction starts continued to be propped up by high-value megaproject activity last month,” said Martin in the release. “Outside of these high-tech buildings, however, growth appears more moderate.”
Nonresidential groundbreakings, which include commercial and institutional projects, jumped 17.9% in October, led by a 45.5% surge in office and data centers and a sharp 107.2% spike in manufacturing activity. Retail starts also posted a 15.1% increase, though hotels and warehouse projects posted declines, according to the report.
Overall nonresidential starts increased 5.6% year-to-date through October, according to Dodge. Over the first 10 months of the year, commercial groundbreakings grew 13.6%, though institutional projects, such as education and healthcare, ticked down 2.2%.
For the 12 months ending October 2025, total nonresidential starts improved 7.5%. Commercial and institutional increased 26.9% and 0.2%, respectively. Manufacturing groundbreakings, on the other hand, declined 16.3% over the same period, according to Dodge.
Here are the largest nonbuilding, nonresidential and multifamily projects to break ground in October, according to Dodge:
- The $15.1 billion Calcasieu Pass LNG Export Terminal and Pipeline in Cameron, Louisiana.
- The $9 billion Rio Grande LNG facility (Phase 2, Trains 4 & 5) in Brownsville, Texas.
- The $7.5 billion Meta Hyperion data center in Richland, Louisiana.
- The $5.9 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel improvement in Maryland.
- The $1.9 billion LA Convention Center expansion in Los Angeles.
- The $1.7 billion Eli Lilly manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Indiana.
- The $214 million Andare Residences in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- The $165 million 6 East 43rd St. office to residential conversion in New York City.
- The $132 million Jefferson Bonnie Brae apartments in Denton, Texas.
Nonbuilding starts, such as highways, bridges and other infrastructure, rebounded 59.4% in October. That stemmed largely from a 384.5% surge in utility construction, as highway and bridge work declined 23.7% over the month.
Over the past 12 months ending October 2025, total nonbuilding starts jumped 22.9%, according to the report.
Residential construction decreased 15.4% in October, led by a 38.5% pullback in multifamily starts. Single-family starts, meanwhile, improved 2.2%, according to the report. For the 12 months ending October 2025, total residential groundbreakings fell 3.1%.
