North Carolina Contracts Jump 58% in July

Due to a burst of infrastructure contracts, North Carolina’s overall total for new construction climbed an estimated 58% in July, for a total of more than $1.8 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Engineering News-Record.

The company estimated the value of North Carolina’s July nonbuilding contracts at $897.1 million, well ahead of last July’s $180.3 million total for this sector. The other two construction sectors were down slightly for the month. Residential contracts totaled $470.6 million, or 7% below last July’s total. Nonresidential contracts tallied nearly $467.6 million, or 3% behind the pace of a year ago.

On a year-to-date basis, the same pattern holds. Nonbuilding has recorded an estimated $2.9 billion in new contracts, or 64% ahead of last year’s pace. The other two categories, again, are negative. Through July, nonresidential contracts total nearly $2.6 billion, or 18% below 2010’s pace. Residential is 13% behind, with nearly $3.3 billion in new contracts to date.

Overall, North Carolina’s year-to-date total for all contracts is nearly $8.8 billion, or 1% above last year’s $8.7 billion total.

Scott Judy is Deputy Editor for Regions, and editor of ENR Southeast, one of Engineering News-Record's 10 Regional publications. His roughly 27 years as a construction journalist began with an 11-year stint covering Midwest construction projects. In 2000, Judy helped launch the publication now known as ENR Southeast. He often delves into controversial aspects of the construction industry such as bankruptcies and fatal accidents, and wishes he would never have to cover another accident but suspects that he might.