Category: Procurement

July 12, 2022

While not universally positive, Pendergrass’s outlook for 2H 2022 pointed to key areas displaying better conditions for contractors. “As we move into the back half of 2022, tighter financial markets, slower growth and a continued improvement of supply bottlenecks could […]

June 8, 2022

Before Miami-based Eden Multifamily had even begun site work on EDEN Crystal Lake in Port Orange, Florida in March 2021 (pictured above), it already had a container filled with fiberglass bathtubs ready and waiting to be installed in the apartments […]

May 3, 2022

The breakouts in U.S. construction material input costs showed few signs of abating in March. Table 1 presents year-over-year, and latest-three-month percentage-change results for 15 Producer Price Index series that bear on the materials cost side of construction projects. March […]

April 19, 2022

Imports of iron and steel to the U.S. reached about $38.9 billion last year, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database, its highest level since tracking began in the early 1990s. About 21% of the structural steel used in the […]

March 24, 2022

The agreement with the U.K. comes after the U.S. struck similar deals to ease steel and aluminum tariffs with Japan and the European Union. The U.K. will be able to export 500,000 metric tons of finished steel and 900,000 metric […]

February 8, 2022

The Biden administration reached a new Section 232 steel tariff-rate quota agreement with Japan, officials announced Feb. 7. The arrangement replaces a flat 25% tariff added by the Trump administration in 2018. It allows up to 1.77 million tons of […]

February 4, 2022

Canada-based construction tech start-up RenoRun announced this week that it has raised $142 million in Series B funding, a significant increase from $17.1 million in Series A funding raised in November 2019. Internet and software investment giant Tiger Global Management […]

January 14, 2022

The producer price index for inputs to new nonresidential construction — the prices charged by goods producers and service providers, such as distributors and transportation firms — increased by 0.5% in December and 19.6% in 2021 as a whole, according […]

December 28, 2021

The new agreement on U.S. imports of steel from the European Union will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022, after President Joe Biden issued a proclamation making the adjustments reached by negotiators during the G20 summit in October. The deal […]

December 3, 2021

Due to its complexity, much of the subject matter concerning the economy requires detailed editorial commentary, often supported by relevant tables and graphs. At the same time, though, there are many topics (e.g., relating to demographics, housing starts, etc.) that […]

November 30, 2021

The Biden administration’s Commerce Dept. on Nov. 24 followed through with expected anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber producers, placing duties of 17.99% on their imports, more than twice the old rate of 8.99% from the Trump administration. […]

November 17, 2021

When The Boldt Co. was asked to submit a proposal for a new building’s structural steel package based on very limited drawings of an existing one, the estimating team didn’t flinch. Using BIM software Autodesk Revit, Boldt designers were able […]

November 2, 2021

The agreement somewhat eases import costs as steel prices skyrocket and industries including construction have been left scrounging for supplies. While the deal does not completely remove tariffs, steelmakers say the new quota will address rising prices while still prioritizing […]

November 2, 2021

For almost two decades, Will Pender has been preparing for his new role, Gulf States president at Adolfson & Peterson (A&P). After graduating from college, Pender started working at Seattle-based R.W. Beck, where his father was principal and senior director. […]

October 26, 2021

Construction is typically dirty business for the environment. Building construction and operations combined account for almost 40% of all carbon emissions worldwide, making it the single most polluting sector, according to the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction. Mitigating these […]

October 18, 2021

At conventions, on Zoom calls and in casual conversation, it’s the only thing contractors talk about anymore. Everyone wants to know how everyone else is dealing with the rapid escalation of material prices, a crisis that revved up last spring […]

October 12, 2021

Mounting shortages and rising costs have left contractors in some cases delaying projects or using substitute materials when possible. Steel, roofing and insulation materials are some of the most difficult products to get right now, said Ken Simonson, chief economist […]

September 16, 2021

U.S. commercial and residential builders breathed a sigh of relief last month when softwood lumber prices dropped more than 30% after reaching an all-time high in May. Although prices still remain elevated, they have come down to a more manageable […]

August 26, 2021

The headlines are no longer screaming about steeply climbing lumber prices. The ultra-sharp gains are over and a pullback phase has settled in. A moderation in price was expected due to housing starts leveling off and home renovation projects being […]

August 12, 2021

Extreme price increases continued in July for a wide range of goods and services used in construction, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials urged President Biden to immediately […]