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Construction planning momentum finished the year strong, largely due to the strength of familiar drivers, including data centers, according to the Dodge Construction Network.
The Dodge Momentum Indexwhich tracks nonresidential construction projects entering the planning stages, rose 7% in December. According to the report, the figures advance actual construction spending by a full year and show improvements in both commercial and institutional planning, which rose 3.5% and 14.9% month-on-month, respectively.
The move pushed the index to end 2025 up 37% from 2024, with the commercial and institutional sectors up 35% and 43%, respectively. Similar to previous reportsdata center construction planning, as well as health care projects, largely accounted for that growth, said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting for Dodge Construction Network.
And more work should be done for next year.
“Nonresidential construction starts, excluding manufacturing and transportation, are forecast to accelerate in 2027 along with sustained planning momentum in construction of data centers, healthcare and recreational buildings through 2025,” Martin said in the statement. “Inflationary pressures will further support nominal activity levels, although economic risks remain elevated.”
Martin also noted that projects in the fourth quarter of 2025 started moving through the planning stages faster than in the third quarter. That gives a “modest boost to our near-term outlook,” he said.
DMI rose 7% in December and ended 2025 with a 37% increase compared to 2024, according to the Dodge Construction Network.
Courtesy of Dodge Construction Network
On the commercial side, planning activity accelerated most strongly for warehouses, office buildings and data centers, according to Dodge. Institutional planning also showed growth, specifically within the educational and recreational groups.
Compared to December 2024, the index grew by 50%, with the commercial and institutional segments up 45% and 60%, respectively. Without the data center boom, business planning activity was still positive, albeit slightly less, up 30% year-over-year, the report said.
A total of 34 projects, each valued at $100 million or more, entered planning in December. Major commercial projects include:
- Four phases of Google’s data center campus in Summit, Oklahoma, valued at $500 million each.
- Phases 2 and 3 of the Central Park Data Information Processing Center in Loxahatchee, Florida, were valued at $473 million and $431 million, respectively.
The largest institutional projects to enter planning included:
- The $450 million Atrium Health Hospital in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
- The tower of the Hospital St. Joseph of $295 million in Stockton, California.
- The $182 million SunRay Casino and Park in Clovis, New Mexico.
