On March 23, 2026 at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service J.R. Claeys announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is guaranteeing $115.2 million across eight states through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations. The states receiving the advancement include California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin. “We cannot allow wildfires to devastate and…
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Senate passes major housing affordability bill
On March 12, 2026, the Senate passed a bill aimed at boosting the supply of housing and bringing down prices. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, written by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won 89 votes. The 303-page legislation creates a series of grants and pilot programs for housing construction. Another key section titled “Homes Are For People, Not Corporations,” prohibits large institutional investors from purchasing certain single-family homes, as a way to promote homeownership opportunities for families rather than corporations. “It will mean, for the…
Read MoreConstruction industry accounts for a quarter of recent added jobs
Construction added 33,000 jobs in January, accounting for nearly a quarter of the 130,000 jobs added in the month. This is according to the U.S. Labor Department’s Jobs Report. The recently released ADP national employment report, construction payrolls increased by 19,000 jobs in February. This is out of the total 63,000 jobs added in February, the most since July 2025. While ADP report is not always predictive of the BLS report, it shows a strong construction sector. “Construction continues to be a powerful engine of economic growth. Strong hiring reflects sustained…
Read MoreSupreme Court’s tariff ruling will offer construction relief
On Feb. 20, 2026, the Supreme Court threw out a large number of tariffs that were imposed on imports. This decision is expected to have numerous impacts, including some much-needed relief for building materials and inflation as a whole. A decline in material prices, specifically specialty equipment, HVAC and electrical systems, as well as fixtures, can be an expected result after the ruling. However, tariffs on lumber, steel, copper products and lumber are still in place. Contractors can still expect an overall lessening of material prices. Read More
Read MoreGlobal remodeling market on the rise
The global remodeling market is on track for substantial growth, expected to rise from $973.37 billion in 2025 to $1.02 trillion in 2026, driven by a 5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Factors contributing to this growth include increased residential renovation spending, early adoption of smart home upgrades, as well as heightened demand for aesthetic improvements and professional services. By 2030, the market is projected to reach $1.24 trillion, thanks to a greater emphasis on sustainable retrofits, energy-efficient materials and expanding commercial renovation ventures. Trends anticipated in the future include…
Read MoreRemodeling growth outlook in 2026
According to the latest Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, annual spending on improvements and maintenance to owner-occupied homes is expected to gradually slow through 2026. The LIRA predicts that year-over-year growth in home renovation and repair spending will be 2.9% early this year before easing to 1.6% growth by the end of the year. “Single-family home sales and permitting activity have picked up modestly from very low levels, which should support a nominal increase…
Read MoreHome improvements result in higher construction spending
Private residential construction spending was up 1.3% in October, rebounding from a 1.4% decline in September 2025, and was primarily driven by increased spending on home improvements. Despite the increase, total spending remained 1.3% lower than a year ago in response to navigating economic uncertainty, stemming from ongoing tariff concerns and elevated mortgage rates. According to the latest U.S. Census construction spending data, single-family construction spending declined 1.3% in October, consistent with the soft builder confidence reflected in the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Compared to a year ago,…
Read MoreABC Green Home Launches TerraVerde: The Next Phase of Its Nationally Recognized High-Performance Home Program
Newport Beach, Calif., Jan. 13, 2026 — Builder Media announced today the launch of ABC Green Home 5.0: TerraVerde, the next phase of its nationally recognized residential demonstration home program. The two-year initiative will culminate in the construction of a luxury, high-performance residence in Temecula, a Southern California market known for its concentration of custom homes and a rapidly growing production homebuilding sector. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the ABC Green Home program is established as a verified performance benchmark for American residential construction. Across the program’s series, ABC Green Homes…
Read MoreFed’s rate cut boosts existing construction projects
Contractors are cautiously optimistic after the Federal Reserve delivered its third interest-rate cut of 2025, lowering its benchmark rate by another 25 basis points. The move reinforces a gradual easing trend that developers hope will reduce borrowing costs as 2026 approaches. Industry leaders say the cut boosts confidence and supports projects already in planning, but it is not large enough to immediately spur a wave of new nonresidential construction starts. While planning activity dipped slightly in November, it remains significantly higher than last year, suggesting continued momentum even as financing…
Read More2026 U.S. Labor Market Outlook
New data from HireQuest indicates that the 2026 labor market is moving toward stability after several years of rapid swings in hiring trends. Survey results from more than 400 offices show that time-to-fill rates have largely steadied, job applications remain consistent and employers are leaning more heavily on flexible hiring models like contract and fractional roles. The market is shifting toward skill-based hiring, with companies emphasizing flexibility, job fit and roles that cannot be automated. Trends such as reshoring, easing tariffs and advancements in AI-driven recruiting are also influencing demand,…
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