Regional Highlights
- Backlog in the South has fallen just below 9 months, down from 9.14 months in the first quarter and from 9.05 months a year ago.
- The Northeast's backlog now stands at 9.36 months, which is still slightly below where it was this time last year (9.41 months), but an improvement from 8.34 months in the first quarter.
- Backlog in the Middle States is now at 6.42 months compared to 6.32 months a year ago and 6.16 months in the first quarter of 2014.
- The West's backlog stands at 9.22 months, up significantly from 8.21 months on a year-over-year basis and 8.09 months from last quarter.
Industry Highlights
- The commercial and institutional segment is just shy of its longest backlog recorded in CBI history at 8.90 months, up from 8.66 months one year ago and 8.44 months in the first quarter.
- Backlog in the heavy industrial segment gained nearly a full month from the first quarter and now stands at 6 months, up from 5.08 months in the first quarter and 5.8 months from the second quarter of 2013.
- Backlog in the infrastructure segment improved to 8.61 months from 7.93 months in the first quarter but is down from 8.96 on a year-over-year basis.
Highlights by Company Size
- The smallest firms, those with revenue less than $30 million, saw their backlog increase to 7.59 months, up from 7.16 months in the first quarter and 6.96 from the second quarter of 2013.
- Backlog from firms with $30-$50 million in revenue increased to 8.97 months, a significant increase from 7.58 months year over year and from 7.9 months from last quarter.
- Firms with revenue between $50-$100 million now have the longest backlog at 11.3 months, up from 10.69 months in the first quarter but down from 11.57 months a year ago.
- The largest firms, those with revenue over $100 million, saw their backlog decrease to 11.16 months from 11.7 months last quarter and 12.25 months a year ago.
Related Stories
Museums | Oct 1, 2024
UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art
In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.
Data Centers | Oct 1, 2024
10 biggest impacts to the data center market in 2024–2025
While AI sends the data center market into the stratosphere, the sector’s accelerated growth remains impacted by speed-to-market demands, supply chain issues, and design innovation necessities.
Contractors | Oct 1, 2024
Demographic, societal trends bode poorly for future construction workforce
U.S. employers will soon face “the largest labor shortage the country has ever seen,” according to a report from Lightcast, a labor market data and analysis firm. The problem will be especially acute in fields like plumbing, HVAC, and auto maintenance.
Contractors | Oct 1, 2024
Nonresidential construction spending rises slightly in August 2024
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.1% in August, 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 $1.22 trillion.
Higher Education | Sep 30, 2024
Studio Gang turns tobacco warehouse into the new home of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design
Studio Gang has completed the Gray Design Building, the new home of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design. In partnership with K. Norman Berry Associates Architects, Studio Gang has turned a former tobacco warehouse into a contemporary facility for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.
Mass Timber | Sep 26, 2024
5 lessons in water mitigation for mass timber projects
Sustainability leaders from Skanska, RDH, and Polygon share five tips for successful water mitigation in mass timber construction.
Laboratories | Sep 26, 2024
BSL conversions: A cost-efficient method to support high-containment research
Some institutions are creating flexible lab spaces that can operate at a BSL-2 and modulate up to a BSL-3 when the need arises. Here are key aspects to consider when accommodating a rapid modulation between BSL-2 and BSL-3 space.
AEC Tech | Sep 25, 2024
Construction industry report shows increased use of robotics on jobsites
Nearly two-thirds of contractors surveyed, who cited use of robotics on jobsites, are either using monitoring and/or service/labor robotics.
MFPRO+ News | Sep 24, 2024
Major Massachusetts housing law aims to build or save 65,000 multifamily and single-family homes
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently signed far-reaching legislation to boost housing production and address the high cost of housing in the Bay State. The Affordable Homes Act aims to build or save 65,000 homes through $5.1 billion in spending and 49 policy initiatives.
AEC Tech | Sep 24, 2024
Generative AI can bolster innovation in construction industry
Jeff Danley, Associate Technology and Innovation Consultant at Burns & McDonnell, suggests several solutions generative AI could have within the construction industry.