Dive summary:

• Commercial and residential builders' groups and industry consultants are looking into where work will go in 2013. They see different futures, but all of them include a large "if" that revolves around avoiding the looming increase in federal taxes and decreases in federal spending, a.k.a., the "fiscal cliff."
• The National Association of Home Builders says it believes a recovery is real, though it will remain modest for another year or two. McGraw-Hill Construction says starts will be up 6% next year. two extremes olf the range are FMI Corp., which predicts new construction put-in-place is going to be up 8% in 2013, and the Portland Cement Association, which says that measurement will rise 1.3% increase next year.
• The American Road and Transportation Builders Association says it foresees flat business in the new year.

From the article:

Recovery! Finally! Yes! But how long will it last? Perhaps only until next January, if politics intervenes. While construction-market fundamentals are saying yes to recovery, federal politics is saying maybe. ...