Iran conflict pushes construction prices to near 4-year high

Higher fuel costs coupled with tariff impacts on key materials drove construction prices up 11.2% year over year in September.

By Sebastian Obando • Oct. 16, 2026

Contractors’ backlog jumped in September as profit outlook fell

High construction costs are taking a toll on sales and margin expectations, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.

By Sebastian Obando • Oct. 14, 2026

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Top 5 stories from Construction Dive

Construction Dive editors curate some of the industry’s top stories from this year.

By Construction Dive staff

Borrowing costs still too low to cool inflation, economists say in survey

Business spending will likely grow at a 12.6% annual rate this year before slowing to 6.2% in 2027, according to economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer.

By Jim Tyson • Oct. 13, 2026

3 economic factors determining construction’s winners and losers: ABC

The economy has “become more extreme” as strong sectors boom even more, and weak sectors face more challenges, said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.

By Sebastian Obando • Oct. 13, 2026

Education, healthcare projects boosted construction planning in September

Strength outside the data center boom helped lift the Dodge Momentum Index 3.7% above its September 2025 level.

By Sebastian Obando • Oct. 8, 2026

Data center construction spending raced further ahead in August

“Frankly, it’s becoming difficult to contextualize the size and speed of this boom,” said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.

By Sebastian Obando • Oct. 2, 2026

Construction backlog rebounded in August as more firms won data centers

“Data centers continue to keep contractors busy even as activity softens in other segments,” said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.

By Sebastian Obando • Sept. 16, 2026

Fluctuating material costs are rewriting who wins the bid

Material costs are outpacing bids. Speed is the new edge.

By Shiva Dhawan, Co-founder and CEO, Attentive.ai • Sept. 14, 2026

Cost spikes hit bevy of construction materials

Prices for copper, lumber, switchgear and several derivative metal products posted 10% or more increases year over year since August 2025, said Anirban Basu, chief economist at Associated Builders and Contractors.

By Sebastian Obando • Sept. 11, 2026

Data center planning cooled in August as other sectors gained ground

Most other sectors posted an acceleration in momentum amid a weaker data center planning environment, according to Dodge Construction Network.

By Sebastian Obando • Sept. 9, 2026

Construction costs have moderated, but apartment development remains challenging

Multifamily firms are mixed on whether greater contractor competition and more stable materials prices have opened up opportunities in new markets.

By Danielle McLean • Sept. 8, 2026

Data centers drove all nonresidential construction spending growth in July

Not counting data centers, nonresidential construction spending fell to its lowest level since September 2023, said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.

By Sebastian Obando • Sept. 2, 2026

Warsh pledges to slow inflation to 2%, saying Fed may have ‘work to do’

The comments by Warsh prompted futures traders to increase the odds that policymakers next month will push up the main interest rate.

By Jim Tyson • Aug. 31, 2026

Inflation holds steady, giving Fed room to leave main rate unchanged

Despite an increase in disposable income, personal consumption expenditures rose just 0.2% last month compared with a 0.4% gain in June.

By Jim Tyson • Aug. 27, 2026

Canada to install retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% on US imports

The levies will go into effect Sept. 8 and match the rates of U.S. tariffs on goods such as steel, dairy products, appliances and agricultural equipment.

By Phil Neuffer • Updated Aug. 27, 2026

Surge in July construction starts reflected megaproject volatility: Dodge

A 25.6% gain in kickoffs last month followed a plunge in June. Dodge said the trend points to “a disjointed construction market.”

By Sebastian Obando • Aug. 21, 2026

Many Fed officials flagged inflation threat, possible need to hike rates

“Recent labor demand and consumer spending data suggest that the economy is healthy enough for a rate hike,” Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, said.

By Jim Tyson • Aug. 20, 2026

Trump imposes 100% tariffs on some drones and components

The UAS duty rates align with the president’s executive orders to mitigate supply chain reliance on countries such as China, which has a world-leading drone market valued at $15.6 billion in 2025.

By Sara Samora • Aug. 18, 2026

Construction costs rose 7.4% annually in July

Contractors will still face additional input price jumps in the months ahead, especially as fuel and other materials prices swell, according to economists.

By Sebastian Obando • Aug. 14, 2026

‘Historic’ labor market shrinkage highlights need for AI: Economist

A pullback from employment by workers age 65 and older may partly allay concerns that demand for artificial intelligence will fall short of a coming surge in supply, per economist Joe Brusuelas.

By Jim Tyson • Aug. 12, 2026

Data centers lifted July’s construction planning momentum

After a brief brake tap in June, data centers elevated construction planning on both a monthly and annual basis, according to the Dodge Momentum Index.

By Zachary Phillips • Aug. 10, 2026

Construction job openings rose in June as contractors felt staffing woes

For the third straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported higher year-over-year job vacancies. Paired with other recent data, that may not mean higher project demand.

By Zachary Phillips • Aug. 4, 2026

Construction spending dropped 3.2% in June

Excluding data centers, private nonresidential construction spending was down 7.9% year over year in June, according to ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

By Zachary Phillips • Aug. 4, 2026

Construction’s warning lights are blinking. Most firms aren’t looking at the dashboard.

Climbing interest rates and high inflation have resulted in slowing demand despite the data center boom, writes a construction accountant. 

By Chris Coleman • Aug. 3, 2026

Turner’s cost benchmark surged 5.2% in Q2

The annual increase compared to a 1.4% jump quarter over quarter. Rising demand for skilled labor continues to drive inputs, the contractor said.

By Joe Bousquin • July 29, 2026