According to a survey conducted by the organization, the construction backlog indicator for builders and associated contractors reached 8.2 months in December. The figure was up 0.1 from November, but down 0.1 from December 2024.
The increase in the portfolio is mainly seen among the largest contractors, as companies with annual revenue above $100 million saw their highest number since 2021. However, for contractors with annual revenue below $30 million, the portfolio reached its lowest level since 2021.
“The backlog fell sharply for smaller contractors during 2025,” ABC chief economist Anirban Basu said in a statement. “This decline was largely due to the fact that the non-residential construction drive is limited to the data center segment, and these projects are much more beneficial to larger contractors.”
As a whole, the commercial and institutional portfolio rose 0.2% since December 2024, while the infrastructure and heavy industrial portfolio fell 1.8% and 0.9%, respectively, over the same period.
ABC’s construction confidence index, which tracks survey participants’ confidence in sales, profit margins and staffing levels, shows a monthly increase in all categories in December, while declining year over year.
“While contractor confidence improved slightly during the month, it remains well below the levels of late 2024 and early 2025,” Basu said.
