Construction input prices increased 0.8% in April compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices rose 0.9% for the month.
Construction input prices are up 23.7% from a year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 24.0% higher. Input prices were up in 10 of 11 subcategories in April. Softwood lumber was the only category in which prices decreased, falling 17.7% for the month. The largest price increases were in natural gas (+16.9%) and unprocessed energy materials (+10.3%).
“There are some economists who believe that inflation has peaked,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Even if that were true, stakeholders should not expect dramatic declines in inflation in the near term given an array of factors placing upward pressure on prices: the Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-19, a shrunken labor force, elevated transportation costs and abundant demand for goods. Today’s PPI release indicates that producers continue to ask for and receive elevated prices for their limited production. These high input prices will continue to circulate through the economy as production continues, whether in the form of manufactured goods, buildings or infrastructure.
“According to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, many contractors report that demand for their services remains sufficiently robust for them to pass along the bulk of their cost increases to project owners,” said Basu. “But at some point, the economy could weaken to the point that purchasers of construction services become less willing to pay elevated prices.
“The Federal Reserve is now in the middle of what will likely prove a lengthy monetary tightening process, and higher borrowing costs are rendering project starts less likely, all things being equal. That said, certain segments are likely to power through this dynamic, should it happen. That includes public construction, given the recent passage and ongoing implementation of a large-scale American infrastructure package. It should be noted that recent inflation has reduced the return taxpayers will get per dollar spent on infrastructure.”
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Mar 14, 2023
Multifamily housing rent rates remain flat in February 2023
Multifamily housing asking rents remained the same for a second straight month in February 2023, at a national average rate of $1,702, according to the new National Multifamily Report from Yardi Matrix. As the economy continues to adjust in the post-pandemic period, year-over-year growth continued its ongoing decline.
Contractors | Mar 14, 2023
The average U.S. contractor has 9.2 months worth of construction work in the pipeline, as of February 2023
Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 9.2 months in February, according to an ABC member survey conducted Feb. 20 to March 6. The reading is 1.2 months higher than in February 2022.
Industry Research | Mar 9, 2023
Construction labor gap worsens amid more funding for new infrastructure, commercial projects
The U.S. construction industry needs to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet demand for labor, according to a model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors. The construction industry averaged more than 390,000 job openings per month in 2022.
Market Data | Mar 7, 2023
AEC employees are staying with firms that invest in their brand
Hinge Marketing’s latest survey explores workers’ reasons for leaving, and offers strategies to keep them in the fold.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 21, 2023
Multifamily housing investors favoring properties in the Sun Belt
Multifamily housing investors are gravitating toward Sun Belt markets with strong job and population growth, according to new research from Yardi Matrix. Despite a sharp second-half slowdown, last year’s nationwide $187 billion transaction volume was the second-highest annual total ever.
Contractors | Feb 14, 2023
The average U.S. contractor has nine months worth of construction work in the pipeline
Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined 0.2 months to 9.0 in January, according to an ABC member survey conducted Jan. 20 to Feb. 3. The reading is 1.0 month higher than in January 2022.
Office Buildings | Feb 9, 2023
Post-Covid Manhattan office market rebound gaining momentum
Office workers in Manhattan continue to return to their workplaces in sufficient numbers for many of their employers to maintain or expand their footprint in the city, according to a survey of more than 140 major Manhattan office employers conducted in January by The Partnership for New York City.
Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023
New Giants 400 download: Get the complete at-a-glance 2022 Giants 400 rankings in Excel
See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 7, 2023
Multifamily housing rents flat in January, developers remain optimistic
Multifamily rents were flat in January 2023 as a strong jobs report indicated that fears of a significant economic recession may be overblown. U.S. asking rents averaged $1,701, unchanged from the prior month, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Multifamily Report.
Market Data | Feb 6, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending dips 0.5% in December 2022
National nonresidential construction spending decreased by 0.5% in December, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $943.5 billion for the month.
