Although ENR’s indexes measure the costs of non-residential buildings, the recovery in the housing market is having a major impact on index movement.

The input prices of steel, cement and lumber are all rebounding from recession lows, but overall inflation is not budging.

In the wake of the unexpected election of Donald Trump as president, the surge in market optimism among construction executives in the fourth quarter of 2016 has taken on an even greater intensity in the first quarter of 2017.

Contracting firm leaders at the Associated General Contractors of America’s annual convention report that maintaining healthy backlogs and battling workforce shortages remain their top priorities.