WASHINGTON, D.C. — There has been increasing levels of demand for design services for nearly all construction project types for the majority of the year as revealed in the Architecture Billings Index. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9-12-month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the October ABI score was 53.1, down slightly from the mark of 53.7 in the previous month. This score still reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index … Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dodge Data & Analytics recently released its 2016 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2016 will rise 6 percent to $712 billion, following gains of 9 percent in 2014 and an estimated 13 percent in 2015. “The expansion for the construction industry has been underway for several years now, with varying contributions from each of the major sectors,” stated Robert Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “Total construction activity, as measured by the construction starts data, is on track this … Read more