🟢 Weekly
6.55%
30-yr fixed mortgage rate
Mortgage rates drive buyer demand, which flows through to new build volume.
The Numbers
Live indicators for TheContractors.news.
Monthly · Census via FRED
$2,210.2B
−1.5% YoY Total construction spending
The headline gauge of total work available in the market for GCs.
🟢 Monthly
1,427K SAAR
+3.5% YoY Housing starts & building permits
The leading signal for the residential construction pipeline over the next 6–12 months.
🟡 Monthly
44.5
AIA Architecture Billings Index
Architecture billings lead non-residential construction work by 9–12 months.
🟡 Monthly
35
NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index
Builder confidence on a 0–100 scale is the best forward read on residential demand.
🟢 Monthly
369.260
+9.0% YoY PPI construction materials (inputs)
Wholesale material costs directly determine bid margins and project profitability.
🟢 Monthly
282.7
+6.2% YoY Softwood lumber PPI
The most volatile single materials line, with large swings that can flip a project's margin.
Updated Jul 21, 2026, 9:02 AM UTC