Dodge Data & Analytics, New York, has reported construction starts declined 1.5% in September after falling 24.8% in August.
Nonresidential building construction fell 6.3% in September as manufacturing starts dropped 21%; commercial starts declined 18.4%; and institutional starts rose 16.3%.
Residential building construction fell 0.3% in September. Single-family housing decreased 7.4%, and multifamily starts rose 11.3%.
Nonbuilding construction rose 5.5% in September.
For the 12 months ending September, total construction starts were up 13.6% compared with the 12 months ending September 2025. Nonbuilding construction rose 23.6%; nonresidential building climbed 18.7%; and residential building fell 2.9%.
“Construction starts edged lower in September, but gains in institutional and nonbuilding construction helped cushion the decline,” said Sarah Martin, director of economic research at Dodge Construction Network. “These sectors provided a counterweight to weaker commercial and single-family starts.”
