Dive summary:

• The prices contractors paid for construction materials ended 2012 about even with 2011 overall, though some items such as lumber, paint, insulation and plastic products were up between 4.7% (plastic) and 10.8% (lumber and plywood).
• Lumped together, all the things that go into construction, including fuel for equipment, were 1.3% higher on last Dec. 31 than they were on the one before it.
• Associated General Contractors acknowledged the breathing room that moderate increases gave strapped contractors, but stuck to its argument that large boosts could still push businesses into the red by evaporating their slim profit margins.

From the article:

"The days of low bids and relatively inexpensive construction costs are clearly numbered," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. ...