Nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% from June to July and is down 1.1% compared with July 2024, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.
For public construction, spending was up 0.3% for the month and is up 3.1% year to date. Private nonresidential spending decreased 0.5% from June to July and is down 3.7% year to date. Spending was down for the month in seven of the 16 nonresidential subcategories.
鈥淣onresidential construction spending fell for a third consecutive month in July and is now down 2.5% from the December 2023 record high,鈥 said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. 鈥淥f course, that鈥檚 in nominal terms. With construction materials prices rising rapidly in recent months and set to continue as higher tariff rates go into effect, the recent decline in construction activity is even larger than this data series suggests.鈥
Basu noted the pace of private nonresidential activity is a concern.
鈥淧rivate nonresidential activity has declined at a particularly concerning pace over the past several months and fell another 0.5% in July,鈥 Basu said. 鈥淲ith the exception of the religious category, which represents less than 1% of private nonresidential construction activity, and the power category, which is surging due to data centers and their considerable energy needs, no private subsegment has retained momentum through the first half of 2025.
鈥淣early 1 in 4 ABC members reported having a project interrupted or canceled due to tariffs in July, according to ABC鈥檚 Construction Backlog Indicator survey, and that predates the particularly large import tax increases put into effect in early August,鈥 Basu continued. 鈥淲ith economic uncertainty still elevated, labor shortages reemerging and materials prices rising, it may be a bleak second half of the year for the construction industry.鈥
