PPI

Bid Prices Increase in October from Wages, Delivery Delays, Diesel Costs

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

October 2022 national data reflects a sharp rise in bid prices as contractors continue navigating ongoing supply chain challenges, labor costs and more.

The Associated General Contractors of America Chief Economist Ken Simonson says rising construction costs continue threatening to undermine demand for projects. He urges administration officials to remove remaining tariffs on construction materials and to boost investments in construction-focused education and training.

“Although some material costs have moderated, other costs are still climbing regularly while contractors are incurring added expenses from delays caused by supply chain disruptions, shortages of skilled labor and rising interest rates,” Simonson said. “Some owners may delay or cancel projects as the price to complete them continues to increase, threatening to undermine overall demand.”

A 3 percent jump in the producer price index for new commercial construction – the measure of what a fixed group of contractors estimate they’d charge to build a specific set of nonresidential projects – occurred from September 2022 through October 2022. Over the past 12 months, the PPI increased 11.2 percent and 20.2 percent over the 24-month span from October 2020 through October 2022.

Simonson added that the input price, however, does not capture contractors’ added costs from materials that are not delivered on schedule. It also doesn’t include rising wage rates and overtime pay, nor does it factor in the financial costs associated with delays.

Several material categories posted double-digit spikes in October as compared with 12 months earlier. The PPI for diesel fuel soared 9.8 percent for the month and 61.5 percent year over year. The index for cement, Simonson says, rose by 2.5 percent last month, bringing the year-over-year increase to 13.4 percent. And the index for architectural coatings – such as paint – surged 1.1 percent for the month and a whopping 27.5 percent over 12 months.

“Tariffs and regulations are making construction more expensive,” said AGC of America CEO Stephen Sandherr. “If left unchecked, they will undermine private-sector demand for projects and limit the impacts of new infrastructure investments.”

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Some Material Prices Down, Construction Costs, Diesel Still Climbing

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

Although the price of copper and brass has decreased slightly, the cost of gypsum, concrete and diesel fuel are still headed upward, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.

AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson says numbers reported on July 14 show that nonresidential construction costs – material and services – rose 1.1 percent for the month of June.

“Some materials prices have fallen recently, but others appear headed for further increases,” he said. “In addition, the supply chain remains fragile and persistent difficulties filling job openings mean construction costs are likely to remain elevated despite declines in some prices.”

The producer price index for inputs to nonresidential construction – the prices charged by goods producers and service providers, such as distributors and transportation firms – jumped 1.1 percent from May to June 2022 and increased a total of 16.8 percent since June 2021. Meanwhile, the index for new nonresidential building construction – a measure of what contractors calculate they would charge to erect five types of commercial/industrial buildings – climbed by 0.5 percent from May to June this year and a cumulative 19.8 percent over the past 12 months.

Add to that the soaring cost of diesel fuel, which jumped 14.1 percent in June and has more than doubled over the past 12 months, and you have a recipe for continued price pressure on the cost of future construction projects, according to the AGC.

“The more materials prices increase, the harder it will be for public officials to build new schools, roads and other infrastructure,” said AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr, whose organization is urging the Biden administration to remove remaining tariffs on a range of construction materials. The AGC is also asking public leaders at all levels to do what they can to help unclog backed-up supply chains. “Taking steps to address rising materials prices will help construction employers and taxpayers alike.”

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PPI Jumps 24% in 12 Months, Preventing Contractors from Passing Along Cost Increases

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

Increases in prices for wood, metals, plastics and gypsum continue to narrow the margin between what contractors pay to acquire raw materials and what they’re able to charge the project owner.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, said the construction industry Producer Price Index – which measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output – has climbed 24.3 percent over the past 12 months, increasing 4.3 percent in May 2021 alone. The 12-month climb, he says, is nearly double that of any previous year in history.

“This increase far outstrips contractors’ ability to charge more for projects,” said Simonson. “This gap means contractors are being hit with huge costs that they did not anticipate and cannot pass on.”

Meanwhile, the PPI for new nonresidential construction – a measure of what contractors say they’d charge to build five types of commercial structures – increased only 2.8 percent over the past 12 months. AGC’s recent analysis included narrative from contractors across the nation who said they’d held their profit expectations down to compete for a limited number of new projects.

According to the AGC, the PPI for lumber and plywood more than doubled, increasing 111 percent from May 2020 to May 2021. The index for steel mill products increased 75.6 percent over the same period. The copper and brass mill shapes PPI rose 60.4 percent since May 2020, and the aluminum PPI rose 28.6 percent. The PPI for plastic construction products increased 17.5 percent, while the index for gypsum products such as wallboard climbed 14.1 percent.

Fuel costs, Simonson says, along with surcharges on freight deliveries, have also jumped.

AGC officials including CEO Stephen Sandherr, are urging the Biden administration to end tariffs and quotas on steel, aluminum and lumber as the first step toward easing pressure on construction costs and supply chain bottlenecks.

“Ending tariffs on Canadian lumber, along with tariffs and quotas on steel and aluminum from numerous allied countries, is good policy,” Sandherr said.

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