It’s been about two weeks since I wrote a blog post.  With good reason.  I’ve spent the last few weeks working sometimes 10 or 12 hour days getting all the information for and writing a construction economics report.  Coming soon!

Here’s a few tidbits out of the mass.

The nonresidential buildings construction boom that is going on right now could become an  historic expansion. I’m predicting 13.7% growth in 2016. Added to  8.8% in 2014 and 17.1% in 2015 that could be 39.6% growth in 3 years 2014-15-16.

Only 3 year periods back to 1993 that are comparable: 2006-07-08  40.1% and 1995-96-97  32%.

Similarly,

Total construction spending growth for the 3 years 2014-15-16 could reach 30%.  I forecast 9.7% growth in 2016.

Only 3 year periods back to 1993 that are comparable: 2003-04-05  29% and 1998-99-2000  25%.

Well, there is one more comparable.  The last three years of total construction spending growth for 2013-14-15 was up 27%, so this expansion is already ranked 2nd.

What we see here is the 1st or 2nd most active 3 year period of growth in construction on record back to 1993, and it’s already been happening for two  or three years.

For perspective, residential spending for  2013-14-15 grew 46%! Similar only to residential spending in 2003-04-05 at 48%.

Welcome to the new year.  So let’s go see if we can break some records.