City Grill

Jill Cook 
Vice President and Billings Operations Manager
Morrison-Maierle

“We are optimistic about the construction market in the Billings area—and Montana in general—for the rest of 2023,” Cook says. 

Much of the federal infrastructure money is now available for local government units to spend on projects, and Cook says that’s good news because there is plenty of work needed, “given that ASCE gave Montana a ‘C’ overall on the Infrastructure Report Card.” 

“We expect construction to stay strong, especially in government-funded sectors such as transportation, water/wastewater and airports. The challenge will be getting the work completed in the time frame required by the legislation and agencies,” she says. 

“Commercial and industrial building continues to be strong, and we don’t see any immediate downturns. Montana continues to have steady population growth as it’s an attractive place for remote workers to live,” Cook says. “This influx continues to drive the need for infrastructure, [and] the high volume of work will lead to higher bid prices as demand for construction labor and materials stays strong.”