South Carolina Contracts Decline 13% in July

A significant decline in infrastructure work caused South Carolina’s overall total for July construction contracts to decline by 13%, for a total of $482.3 million, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Engineering News-Record.

In July, the nonbuilding sector, which includes infrastructure, fell 56% compared to the same period of a year ago, for a total of just $76.6 million in new contracts. Residential contracts fell, too, by 5%, for a $242.4 million total. Nonresidential experienced a 32% gain, however, with about $163.3 million in new contracts.

On a cumulative year-to-date total, South Carolina contracts are estimated at $4 billion, or 9% behind 2010’s pace through July. Again, nonbuilding is down significantly overall, with its $691.4 million total equaling a 43% decline. Residential contracts are estimated at nearly $1.9 billion, or 8% behind last year’s pace.

The bright spot is the nonresidential sector, which has gained 25% on a year-to-date basis, with an estimated $1.5 billion in new contracts so far.

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.