WFB Briefs: Data Centers Drive Up Construction Backlog, Small Business Optimism Falls

Oct 14, 2026

Associated Builders and Contractors’ Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.7 months in September, up 0.2 months on both a monthly and yearly basis, driven by the demand for data center work, according to ABC.

The Small Business Optimism Index from the National Federation of Independent Business fell 0.8 points in September to 97.9, 0.1 point below the 52-year average of 98.0. The Uncertainty Index rose one point to 90, remaining above the historical average of 68. Labor quality or availability remained the top reported issue for the third straight month.

Rising Mortgage Rates Hold Existing-Home Sales Near Year’s Low

Readers Respond: Tiger Woods vs. John Daly

Cost-Of-Living Drags Down Consumer Sentiment

Remodeler Sentiment Inches up in the Third Quarter

Rising Mortgage Rates Hold Existing-Home Sales Near Year’s Low

Existing-home sales rose 1.5% from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.99 million in September, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were down 2.2% year-over-year.

Readers Respond: Tiger Woods vs. John Daly

We asked WFB followers on Facebook and Instagram how they would label John Daly in this infamous photo with Tiger Woods—if Tiger were a wood floor pro! Here’s what they said ...

Cost-Of-Living Drags Down Consumer Sentiment

Consumer sentiment fell 3.7% from 48.1 in September to 46.3 in October, according to preliminary results from the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers. Year-over-year, sentiment fell 13.6% from 53.6.

Remodeler Sentiment Inches up in the Third Quarter

Remodeler sentiment rose one point to 62 in the third quarter, lifted by stronger forward-looking indicators, according to the National Association of Home Builders Remodeling Market Index.

Mohawk Momentum Roadshow Returns for Seventh Year

Mohawk Industries (Calhoun, Ga.) will bring back its Mohawk Momentum Roadshow for a seventh year, starting Jan. 6, 2027 in Dallas. See the 2027 Roadshow stops here.

Alabama Colleges Bring Flooring Installer Course to FCEF Facility

The Alabama Community College System’s Innovation Center will bring its Skills for Success Flooring Installation Technician course to the Floor Covering Education Foundation facility in Birmingham, Ala.

DeWalt Tool-Tracking Network Uses Existing Equipment

DeWalt (Towson, Md.) launched the Tool Connect Partner Network, which allows contractors to track DeWalt tools using fleet vehicles, heavy equipment and storage locks they already own.

New Lumber Liquidators, Cabinets To Go Facility To Officially Open Oct. 13

Lumber Liquidators and Cabinets To Go, both owned by LL founder Tom Sullivan, will officially open a 500,000-square-foot distribution and retail center in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Oct. 13.

Zillow: Existing Homes $7 More per Square Foot Than New Homes

New homes sold for less ($205 per square foot) than existing homes ($212 per square foot) nationally as builders cut prices and offered incentives to move rising inventory, according to a new analysis from Zillow.

AI Use Remains Low for Most Construction Trades

Most construction occupations have low or moderate exposure to artificial intelligence, according to a National Association of Home Builders analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

2026 NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention Announces Speakers

The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors and the North American Building Material Distribution Association announced the keynote and general session speakers for the 2026 NAFCD + NBMDA Annual Convention taking place Nov. 3–5 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

Remodeling Leads August Gain in Residential Construction Spending

Private residential construction spending rose 1.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $882.3 billion in August, with remodeling posting the strongest increase of any residential sector, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

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