Dodge Data & Analytics, New York, has reported construction starts increased 3% in March after rising 0.5% in February.
Nonresidential building construction rose 6% in March as manufacturing starts soared 122%. Commercial starts climbed 21%, and institutional starts fell 12%.
Residential building construction fell 5% in March after declining 1% in February. Single-family housing fell 10%, and multifamily starts rose 4%.
Nonbuilding construction grew 9% in March.
For the 12 months ending March, total construction starts were down 1% compared with the 12 months ending March 2024. Residential building fell 5%; nonbuilding construction rose 16%; and nonresidential building fell 9%.
“Construction activity grew over the month, but sector-specific data continued to show mixed trends,” said Eric Gaus, chief economist at Dodge Construction Network. “Looking ahead, growing uncertainty around trade policy and the direction of the economy will likely weigh on construction activity. Rising delays in the planning pipeline suggest that developers are already bracing for impact, grappling with higher tariffs, dwindling federal funding, and ongoing labor shortages. We expect headwinds to grow as long as the uncertainty remains.”
