Construction Costs Soar in May, Outpace Contractor Pricing

Construction costs accelerated again in May, with steep increases for a wide range of building and road materials, including many that are subject to tariffs that could drive prices still higher, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new Labor Department data. Association officials say that the construction industry will bear a heavy share of the tariffs’ costs. “Prices jumped at double-digit annual rates for metals, lumber and plywood, and diesel fuel, while ready-mixed concrete, asphalt paving and roofing materials also had unusually large increases,” said the association’s chief economist, Ken Simonson. “The cost of … Read more

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Construction Input Prices Stable in July

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nonresidential construction input prices were unchanged in July according to a recent analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index released by Associated Builders and Contractors. Input prices for both the nonresidential construction segment and construction as a whole are 2.3 percent lower than they were a year ago. “ABC has been predicting relative stability in input prices, and that is precisely what July’s report delivered,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “A weak and disappointing global economy has not been able to drag prices higher. Persistently low prices have placed a lid on the … Read more

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