The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index continues to weaken posting a score of 46.2 for July, down from 46.8 in June, indicating that a majority of firms are still experiencing declining firm billings. Inquiries into new work grew slowly but steadily this month, following a brief three-month pause earlier this year. However, design contract values fell again in July as firms struggle to convert inquiries into projects—a challenge persisting alongside declining billings for over two and a half years. Billings have been negative for 31 of the last 34 months. “Business conditions remain challenging for architecture firms nationwide, with billings declining … Read more

 The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index score declined to 42.4 in May, as more firms reported a decrease in billings than the month prior. The pipeline of new work coming into firms is showing increasing softness. While inquiries into new projects continue to increase, they did so at a slower pace than in recent months. Additionally, architecture firm billings remained soft across all regions and sectors in May. Billings declined at firms in all regions of the country for the fourth consecutive month, as conditions remained weakest at firms located in the Midwest. The ABI score is a leading economic indicator of construction activity, providing an approximately nine-to-twelve-month glimpse into the future of … Read more

Architecture firm billings remained soft entering into 2024, with an AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index score of 46.2 in January. Any score below 50 indicates decreasing business conditions. “This now marks the lengthiest period of declining billings since 2010, although it is reassuring that the pace of this decline is less rapid and the broader economy showed improvement in January,” said Kermit Baker, Ph.D., AIA Chief Economist. “Firms are seeing growth with inquiries into new projects and value of newly signed design contracts is holding steady, showing potential signs of interest from clients in new projects.” Business conditions remained weak at firms in all regions of the country except the Midwest, where modest … Read more