Following an intense winter season, the Associated Builders and Contractors' Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) revealed a 3.2% decline during the first quarter of 2015.
According to ABC, construction firms across the country reported a revenue-weighted average CBI of 8.4 months, 0.3 months below the final quarter of 2014.
The Northeast saw its backlog decline by 10.2%, a change of 1.04 months from the fourth quarter of last year. The Middle States reported a 0.7% decline to 0.05 months in construction backlog and the West experienced a 25.3% drop or 1.88 months. The South was the only region to report an increase in construction backlog as it rose 5.9% or 0.55 months.
"Weather and a myriad of other factors always make the first quarter CBI difficult to interpret," said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. "A brutal winter may have postponed project-related work, including the signing of contracts. The first quarters of 2012 and 2014 also experienced CBI declines that effectively were reversed during the ensuing second quarters."
Additionally, sharp reductions in oilfield investment affected companies in the Middle States while the West Coast port slowdown impacted firms on the western side of the country. However, the backlog should re-establish an upward trend as the year's warmer months approach and ports return to normal.
Despite the backlog decline, continued job growth, low fuel prices, and wage gains are expected to lead to an increase in consumer spending.
Related Stories
| May 19, 2011
BD+C’s "40 Under 40" winners for 2011
The 40 individuals profiled here are some of the brightest stars in the AEC universe—and they’re under the age of 40. These young architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and developers stood out among a group of 164 outstanding entrants in our sixth annual “40 Under 40” competition.
| May 18, 2011
Stone Construction acquires Harden Constructors
The design-build firm Stone Construction LLC has acquired Harden Constructors Inc. The two companies have merged their full-service project design and construction capabilities to assist owners of office, industrial, manufacturing, warehouse, retail, educational and religious facilities, and developers of such facilities in prime office parks.
| May 18, 2011
8 Tips for Designing Wood Trusses
Successful metal-plate-connected wood truss projects require careful attention to detail from Building Team members.
| May 18, 2011
Major Trends in University Residence Halls
They’re not ‘dorms’ anymore. Today’s collegiate housing facilities are lively, state-of-the-art, and green—and a growing sector for Building Teams to explore.
| May 18, 2011
Former Bronx railyard redeveloped as shared education campus
Four schools find strength in numbers at the new 2,310-student Mott Haven Campus in New York City. The schools—three high schools and a K-4 elementary school—coexist on the 6.5-acre South Bronx campus, which was once a railyard.
| May 18, 2011
Eco-friendly San Antonio school combines history and sustainability
The 113,000-sf Rolling Meadows Elementary School in San Antonio is the Judson Independent School District’s first sustainable facility, with green features such as vented roofs for rainwater collection and regionally sourced materials.
| May 18, 2011
New Reform Jewish Independent school opens outside Boston
The Rashi School, one of only 17 Reform Jewish independent schools in North American and Israel, opened a new $30 million facility on a 166-acre campus shared with the Hebrew SeniorLife community on the Charles River in Dedham, Mass.
| May 18, 2011
Lab personnel find comfort in former Winchester gun factory
The former Winchester Repeating Arms Factory in New Haven, Conn., is the new home of PepsiCo’s Biology Innovation Research Laboratory.
| May 18, 2011
Addition provides new school for pre-K and special-needs kids outside Chicago
Perkins+Will, Chicago, designed the Early Learning Center, a $9 million, 37,000-sf addition to Barrington Middle School in Barrington, Ill., to create an easily accessible and safe learning environment for pre-kindergarten and special-needs students.
| May 18, 2011
Raphael Viñoly’s serpentine-shaped building snakes up San Francisco hillside
The hillside location for the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine building at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a challenge to the Building Team of Raphael Viñoly, SmithGroup, DPR Construction, and Forell/Elsesser Engineers. The 660-foot-long serpentine-shaped building sits on a structural framework 40 to 70 feet off the ground to accommodate the hillside’s steep 60-degree slope.
