Construction material prices increased 0.2% from July to August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Construction material prices are 2.3% higher than a year ago.
“Construction materials prices rose modestly in August, although the increase would have been larger if not for declining oil and natural gas prices,” ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu said in a statement. “Prices rose at an especially rapid pace in some of the categories most affected by tariffs. Iron and steel prices, for instance, are now up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis, while copper wire and cable prices are up 13.8%. Even though nonresidential input prices have risen at a 5.3% annualized rate in 2025, contractors remain broadly optimistic about their profit margins over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index.”
Read the full report here.
