Three categories drive March materials prices rise

Increases in nonferrous wire and cable, concrete and asphalt products were enough to produce a 0.5% uptick in the whole materials calculation.

By Ron Gallagher • April 13, 2014

Home builders: 59 of 350 U.S. markets at or above pre-recession conditions

The National Association of Home Builders said its most recent Leading Market Index shows the recovery is happening outside the energy-rich states.

By Ron Gallagher • April 9, 2014

Bridge, highway contractors suffer shrinking profit margins

An analysis by financial-services company Sageworks found that other types of contractors have enjoyed rising margins in recent years.

By Ron Gallagher • April 7, 2014

Forecast: Steel prices to rise 2.2% for next three years

Australian consulting company IBISWorld is out with a report predicting steel, and thus products made from it, will see a 2.2%-per-year rise starting next year.

By Ron Gallagher • April 3, 2014

Nonresidential construction sees small growth in February

In the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures, half of the noncommercial sectors were up and half were down with a net gain of 0.6%.

By Ron Gallagher • April 1, 2014

Office demand growing, but unlikely to spur much construction

The growth of the U.S. office market is nice, but it still isn't as much as years past. 

By Ron Gallagher • April 1, 2014

Is the Federal Reserve OK with declining home sales?

Two Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts say they think the big bank may accept declining home sales as a price of tapering its purchase of securities.

By Ron Gallagher • March 31, 2014

Group takes Trust Fund lobbying to the information highway

The transportation officials' group has a website to tell lawmakers and the public about the national and the state-by-state implications.

By Ron Gallagher • March 30, 2014

March index shows materials prices still climbing

The IHS Procurement Executives Group (PEG) Engineering and Construction Cost Index (ECCI) was rising a little less steeply than in February.

By Ron Gallagher • March 30, 2014

Pending home sales slip again, but realtors see good news in pipeline

The group's index of pending home sales was down 0.8% from January – the eighth drop in a row – but economist Lawrence Yun likes spring's prospects.

By Ron Gallagher • March 27, 2014

FMI foresees multifamily growth 'down' this year to 27%

The management consulting and financing company says in its latest quarterly report that it expects single-family building to be up 18%.

By Ron Gallagher • March 26, 2014

Michigan contractors launch website to draw skilled labor

Coordinated by the state's Associated General Contractors chapter, companies that need workers can post the openings on a new website.

By Ron Gallagher • March 26, 2014

BLS: Carpenters make up 47% of U.S. residential construction jobs

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report based on 2012 information – the latest available – says the job defined as carpentry occupies 47% of workers.

By Ron Gallagher • March 26, 2014

Architects' index doesn't ring any bells in February

The good news is that the Architectural Billings Index remained positive nationally, but it didn't signal anything exciting either.

By Ron Gallagher • March 24, 2014

What the numbers say about Sacramento's building recovery

In the California capital, home building is soaring while commercial construction languishes.

By Ron Gallagher • March 23, 2014

58% of U.S. metro areas saw construction job gains over last year

Federal jobs data shows that 195 of the nation's 339 metro areas had more construction workers in jobs than in 2013.

By Ron Gallagher • March 20, 2014

Builders seem less confident than economists

Economists are confident of continued growth in home-building this year, but builders' sentiment appears to be more tempered.

By Ron Gallagher • March 20, 2014

Labor coalition seeks candidates to learn, fill construction jobs in N.D., S.D.

The energy-fed population boom in North Dakota and South Dakota has labor groups putting on a joint campaign to find more workers.

By Ron Gallagher • March 19, 2014

Is China's real estate boom over?

There are indications the Chinese real estate boom is cooling, which would be bad for investors there but might ease global demand on materials.

By Ron Gallagher • March 19, 2014

Feds give boost to high-rise wooden buildings

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans training and a contest to push the design and construction of high-rise wooden buildings.

By Ron Gallagher • March 19, 2014

Latest contractor index shows modestly growing confidence

In the three categories comprising its Contractor Confidence Index, Associated Builders and Contractors was told most often that contractors expect "up small" changes.

By Ron Gallagher • March 18, 2014

Economists expect home starts, permits to rise in latest data

Economists polled about Tuesday residential construction numbers for last month expect to see them bounce back from January along with building permits.

By Ron Gallagher • March 17, 2014

Dodge Index down, but still higher than last year

The index of first reports of projects, compiled by McGraw Hill, was lower than January's, but still 19.6% ahead of the year-ago mark.

By Ron Gallagher • March 17, 2014

Materials prices rise again, likely signaling end of stability

That is not necessarily bad news, however, because slowing Chinese demand would benefit buyers elsewhere.

By Ron Gallagher • March 17, 2014

Road-building firms urged to lobby for Highway Trust Fund

Companies that work in highway construction are being urged to sent hard hats to Congress with a message about jobs that depend on Highway Trust Fund projects. 

By Ron Gallagher • March 17, 2014