Dodge Data & Analytics, New York, has reported construction starts rose 2.6% in December 2025 after falling 20.5% in November 2025.
Nonresidential building construction fell 6.6% in December 2025 as manufacturing starts fell 30.8% and institutional starts declined 16.3%. Commercial starts rose 9.8%.
Residential building construction climbed 1% in December 2025. Single-family housing decreased 4.5%, and multifamily starts rose 10.2%.
Nonbuilding construction rose 16.3% in December 2025.
For 2025, total construction starts were up 5.4% compared with 2024. Nonbuilding construction rose 18.7%; nonresidential building climbed 4.5%; and residential building fell 4.8%.
“Nonbuilding construction, alongside data centers, was the primary engine of growth in 2025, supporting a 5.4% expansion in the total dollar-value of starts,” said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network. “In square footage terms, however, building starts declined 4.7% alongside weaker residential, manufacturing and institutional activity.”
