Robust Data Center Backlog and Steady 1% Quarterly Cost Growth Anchor Second Half Outlook Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) has released its second quarter 2026 Quarterly Construction Cost Report (QCR), highlighting a period of strategic alignment and healthy stabilization across the North American construction market. Current data confirm that construction cost inflation has settled into a sustainable quarterly pace of approximately 1%, allowing developers to advance long-term cap

Construction input prices increased 2.6% in May 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 increased 2.4% for the month. Overall construction materials prices are 9.6% higher than one year ago, while nonresidential construction input prices are 9.7% higher. Prices increased in 2 of the 3 energy subcategories la

Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 9.1 months in May, according to an ABC member survey conducted May 20 to June 3. The reading is up 0.3 months from April and 0.7 months from May 2025. View ABC's Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index for May. View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index data series. Backlog for the month increased in every region exce

Meta Platforms Inc. and Associated Builders and Contractors today announced a partnership to educate and provide construction-ready career pathways for thousands of data center construction technicians kicking off in Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas as a meaningful step toward meeting the growing demand for data centers workers nationwide. America’s Workforce Academy is a $115 million investment in the next generation of construction professionals that includes a five-week