Following a 19.7% surge in spending for commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings in 2023, leading construction industry economists expect spending growth to come back to earth in 2024, according to the July 2023 AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel.
The twice-yearly Consensus Construction report aggregates building construction spending forecasts from nine leading economists:
- Richard Branch, Dodge Construction Network
- Scott Hazelton, S&P Global
- Steven Shields, Moody's Analytics
- Brian Strawberry, FMI
- Alex Carrick, ConstructConnect
- Anirban Basu, Associated Builders and Contractors
- Charles Dougherty, Wells Fargo Securities
- Bernard Markstein, Markstein Advisors
- Mark Vitner, Piedmont Crescent Capital
All nine economists are in agreement on a 2024 spending-growth slowdown. Two economists are calling for a contraction in spending (Wells Fargo, -1.0%; Piedmont Crescent Capital, -4.7%). ABC's Anirban Basu is the most bullish on 2024, predicting a 7.7% increase in overall building spending.
"The first half of this year has seen gains in construction spending on nonresidential buildings approaching 20%. However, this scorching growth rate is expected to moderate a bit moving into the third and fourth quarters," wrote AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, in the report. "Even with the easing in supply chain issues and the improved pricing of many construction materials and products, elevated interest rates, more restrictive lending on the part of banks, nervousness over the direction of the economy, and construction labor constraints are expected to slow the pace of growth."
Bright spots for the remainder of 2023 and 2024 include:
- Healthcare, driven by the aging baby boom population
- Manufacturing/distribution, thanks to the post-Covid reshoring of production resulting from supply chain issues during the pandemic
- Hotels, with leisure travel returning to normal following the pandemic
- Education, as school districts and higher education institutions play catch-up on projects in the wake of Covid.
"There are emerging concerns that outsourcing the manufacturing of high-tech products leaves our economy and national defense more vulnerable," Baker wrote. "The $280 billion in funding provided by the 2022 federal CHIPS and Science Act is designed to advance domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States. These funds will boost spending for these facilities for much of the coming decade."
View the full AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel report, including an interactive table with market forecasts from all nine economists.
Related Stories
Market Data | May 2, 2017
Nonresidential Spending loses steam after strong start to year
Spending in the segment totaled $708.6 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis.
Market Data | May 1, 2017
Nonresidential Fixed Investment surges despite sluggish economic in first quarter
Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate during the first three months of the year.
Industry Research | Apr 28, 2017
A/E Industry lacks planning, but still spending large on hiring
The average 200-person A/E Firm is spending $200,000 on hiring, and not budgeting at all.
Market Data | Apr 19, 2017
Architecture Billings Index continues to strengthen
Balanced growth results in billings gains in all regions.
Market Data | Apr 13, 2017
2016’s top 10 states for commercial development
Three new states creep into the top 10 while first and second place remain unchanged.
Market Data | Apr 6, 2017
Architecture marketing: 5 tools to measure success
We’ve identified five architecture marketing tools that will help your firm evaluate if it’s on the track to more leads, higher growth, and broader brand visibility.
Market Data | Apr 3, 2017
Public nonresidential construction spending rebounds; overall spending unchanged in February
The segment totaled $701.9 billion on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate for the month, marking the seventh consecutive month in which nonresidential spending sat above the $700 billion threshold.
Market Data | Mar 29, 2017
Contractor confidence ends 2016 down but still in positive territory
Although all three diffusion indices in the survey fell by more than five points they remain well above the threshold of 50, which signals that construction activity will continue to be one of the few significant drivers of economic growth.
Market Data | Mar 24, 2017
These are the most and least innovative states for 2017
Connecticut, Virginia, and Maryland are all in the top 10 most innovative states, but none of them were able to claim the number one spot.
Market Data | Mar 22, 2017
After a strong year, construction industry anxious about Washington’s proposed policy shifts
Impacts on labor and materials costs at issue, according to latest JLL report.
