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Construction Starts Slow by 13% in February

 

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BOSTON,ÌýMAÌý—ÌýMarchÌý20, 2026Ìý—ÌýTotal construction startsÌýdeclinedÌý13.2% inÌýFebruaryÌýto a seasonally adjustedÌýannual rate ofÌý$1.08Ìýtrillion,Ìýaccording toÌý.ÌýNonresidential buildingÌýstartsÌýreboundedÌýbyÌý17.8%,Ìýresidential startsÌýimprovedÌý8.3%,ÌýandÌýnonbuilding startsÌýdeclinedÌý49.4%Ìýover the month.ÌýOn a year-to-dateÌýbasis, total construction starts wereÌýdownÌý1.9%Ìýthrough February. Nonresidential starts were downÌý2.0%, residential starts were downÌý12.4%ÌýandÌýnonbuilding startsÌýimprovedÌýbyÌý9.9% over the same period.ÌýFor the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2026, total construction starts were upÌý5.2% from the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2025. Residential starts were down 6.3%, nonresidential starts were upÌý6.1%ÌýandÌýnonbuilding was upÌý17.0%.ÌýÌýÌý

“After a weak start to the year, nonresidential and residentialÌýbuilding starts steadily reboundedÌýthroughout February,â€�ÌýstatedÌýSarah Martin, Associate Director of Forecast at ¶¶ÒõÏÂÔØÍøÕ¾. “Conversely, nonbuilding activity slowed down last month – normalizing from elevated levelsÌýin January.â€�Ìý

ResidentialÌý

Residential building startsÌýgrewÌýbyÌý8.3% inÌýFebruaryÌýto a seasonally adjusted annual rate ofÌý$374Ìýbillion. Single family startsÌýincreasedÌý4.0%Ìým/m,ÌýandÌýmultifamily startsÌýexpandedÌýbyÌý15.9%Ìým/m.ÌýOn a year-to-dateÌýbasis, residential starts are downÌý12.4%,Ìýwith single family startsÌýdownÌý17.5% and multifamily starts downÌý2.8%.Ìý

For the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2026, total residential starts fell 6.3%. Single family starts fellÌý16.2% compared to the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2025, and multifamily starts increasedÌý14.9% over the same period.ÌýÌý

The largest multifamily structures to break ground inÌýFebruaryÌýwere the $757 million Bay View Houses Renovation project in Canarsie, New York, the $311 million Universal BuildingÌýNorthÌýand $265 million Universal Building South within the Geneva Residential Conversion project in Washington, D.C.ÌýÌý

NonresidentialÌý

Nonresidential buildingÌýstartsÌýimprovedÌý17.8%ÌýinÌýFebruaryÌýtoÌýa seasonally adjusted annual rate ofÌý$442Ìýbillion. Commercial starts wereÌýup 48.5%, solely driven by the 159.6% m/m growth in offices and data centers. Meanwhile, stores (-4.7% m/m), parking garages (-23.1% m/m), hotels (-7.9% m/m) and warehouses (-12.1% m/m) all lost pace throughout February. Institutional starts also expanded 8.7% over the month,Ìýalongside steady growth in education (+19.6% m/m) and the remaining institutional categories (+56.4%). Healthcare construction continued to pullback, dropping 46.6% m/m. After a strong January, manufacturing construction also slowed down, pulling back 54.1% m/m. On a year-to-date basis through February, nonresidential starts are down 2.0%. Commercial and industrial construction is up 22.9%, while institutional starts are down 22.7% over the same period.ÌýÌý

For the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2026, total nonresidential starts were upÌý6.1% compared to the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2025. Commercial starts were upÌý20.2%, institutional startsÌýdecreasedÌý5.6%, and manufacturing starts wereÌýupÌý12.9% over the same period.ÌýÌý

The largest nonresidential building projects to break ground inÌýFebruaryÌýwereÌýthe $3 billion Google Data Center Campus (Project Meitner) in Miami,ÌýTexas, theÌý$3 billionÌýPolaris Forge 2 AI Data Center in Harwood, North Dakota, and theÌý$1.53 billionÌýTampa International Airport Airside D project in Tampa, Florida.ÌýÌý

Nonbuilding

N´Ç²Ô²ú³Ü¾±±ô»å¾±²Ô²µÌýconstructionÌýstartsÌýdeceleratedÌý49.4% inÌýFebruaryÌýto a seasonally adjusted annual rate ofÌý$265Ìýbillion.ÌýAfterÌýnearly 200%Ìýgrowth in January, electric power/utilities construction normalized in February and dropped 90.1% m/m.ÌýMiscellaneous nonbuilding declined as well, falling back 12.3% over the month. Conversely, highways and bridges (+18.8% m/m)ÌýandÌýenvironmental public works (+4.8% m/m)Ìýsaw improvements.ÌýOn a year-to-date basis through February, nonbuilding construction was up 9.9% alongside the 133.8% year-to-date growth in electric power/utilities. The remaining public works sectors, however, are seeing deeper year-to-date declines.ÌýÌý

For the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2026, total nonbuilding starts were upÌý17.0%.ÌýEnvironmental public worksÌýfellÌýbyÌý6.4% compared to the 12 months endingÌýFebruaryÌý2025.ÌýHighway and bridge starts wereÌýdownÌý0.2%, miscellaneous nonbuilding starts were upÌý32.9%ÌýandÌýutility/gas starts increasedÌý59.3% over the same period.ÌýÌý

The largest nonbuilding projects to break ground inÌýFebruaryÌýincluded theÌý$564 millionÌýSR 400 (I-4) highway development in Celebration, Florida, the $389 million 1-94 reconstruction project in Romulus, Michigan and the $386 million Allegheny County Wet Weather Pump Station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.ÌýÌý

Regionally,Ìýtotal construction starts inÌýFebruaryÌýroseÌýinÌýtheÌýMidwestÌý(+41.0%Ìým/m)Ìýand the West (+4.2% m/m). Meanwhile, starts receded in the Northeast (-38.1% m/m), the South Atlantic (-4.9% m/m) andÌýthe South Central (-37.7% m/m).ÌýÌý

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