New Survey Reports 94% of Builders Can’t Hire Enough Workers
The Associated General Contractors of America, which did the survey, is trying to address the shortage with career-building programs. The new study from the AGC reports that 94 percent of contractors say they are having a hard time hiring enough people for their open positions. The survey talked to firms across the building trade and […]
Paged Plywood Is Coming to the U.S. Market
The company, Poland’s largest plywood producer, exhibited at this year’s International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta. After debuting at IWF 2024 in August the company is now building out its distribution network in the U.S. to bring its line of advanced plywood solutions for a wide spectrum of industries, from transportation, through construction and to the […]
3D Printed Buildings Have Their Limits, Walmart Discovered
A new Walmart expansion project shows that 3D printing is not as efficient or cost-saving as traditional construction techniques. While the building trade has watched the emergence of structures made with 3D printing machines with some trepidation, the recent example of its use for a new Walmart structure seems to indicate it is not going […]
Lumber Prices Don’t Get Usual Spring Boost
As the building and construction sectors continue to struggle, reduced demand for lumber is depressing prices this year. In the spring a builder’s thoughts always turn to buying wood. But not so much this year. With both residential and commercial building not getting its usual bump in the spring season, lumber prices are at levels […]
The Biggest Mass Timber Building in U.S. Planned for Oakland, CA
The stakes keep getting higher – literally and figuratively – for mass timber construction with a 28-story structure in the works in California. The past few years have seen bigger and bigger mass timber buildings, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest regions of the country and now a new record-setter is being planned […]
The Five Biggest Things That Worry the Construction Industry
A new report identifies the biggest concerns commercial general contractors and construction managers now have. Business sectors are always keeping their guard up against challenges they face and the construction trade is no different. A new study from QBE North America, the New York-based arm of the Australian insurance company, identifies five specific areas that […]
Rates Remain the Big Question for the New Year
No single factor weighs heavier on the building and construction industry for 2024 than interest rates and how they impact the cost of mortgages. This past year may not have been the worst of times for the building trade but it was far from the best. New housing and commercial building construction was severely impacted […]
Have Building Material Prices Peaked?
New data from the Producer Price Index suggests that costs are coming down on things like softwood lumber as part of an overall decline in material costs. The wild ride up in construction materials in 2023 may have peaked as the year ended and going into 2024 we could see some declines in those costs, […]
New Study Shows Construction Costs Doubled Inflation Rate in 2022
A new NAHB study shows costs per square foot for single-family construction rose at more than twice the inflation rate last year. The Consumer Price Index rose 8% in 2022 but the median square foot price to build a new single-family detached home jumped 18%, more than double that rate. This is according to a […]
Goldman Sachs Forecasts High Home Prices & Mortgages for 2024
Despite some signs that interest rates may be leveling off and housing activity showing signs of life, the big investment banker says next year will still be a hard one for the building trade. There are some indications from the Federal Reserve that interest rates may be topping out while small pockets of the new […]