Posts by marcus rangel

Selective Cost Pressures Are Back After a period of relative calm, construction material pricing is fragmenting again in 2026. Instead of broad inflation, cost pressure is concentrated in specific materials, mainly metals and electrical components, driven by data center, healthcare, and infrastructure demand. The takeaway for owners and developers: escalation hasn’t disappeared, it’s just gotten…

Protect Your Budget and Schedule with AI AssistedPlan Review  What if we could prevent 50% of the most common RFIs before they ever show up? That’s the goal  of the AI plan review pilot we’re rolling out this month—helping us catch coordination issues early  so they don’t turn into delays, change orders, or surprises later. …

Construction Material Outlook – October 2025 Construction costs are moving in opposite directions — do you know where the opportunities are? From lumber hitting new lows to copper, steel, and HVAC costs climbing higher, the construction industry is entering a season of sharp contrasts. Our Q4 2025 Construction Materials Outlook breaks down the biggest price…

Tariff Impact Outlook This quarterly update explores the current impact of tariffs on the construction industry. With the possibility of significant increases in the cost of imported materials like steel and lumber, along with potential labor shifts, the effects are being felt across job sites and project timelines nationwide.   That said, there’s no reason to panic.…

Construction Material Outlook – Q4 2024 Lumber: Trending Up  There is obvious concern about the effect of the new 25% tariff on Canadian products that was nearly imposed by President Trump in early February. The new rate would be nearly 40%, as the current rate already sits at 14.5%. (At the time of this writing,…

Construction Material Outlook – Q3 2024 Lumber: Trending Up  Prices for framing lumber and other wood products have risen for the second consecutive quarter. Although these prices are higher than those in 2023, they still fall short of the peaks reached in 2022. Environmental events significantly influence material costs and the health of the supply…

Construction Material Outlook – Q2 2024 Lumber: Stable  Lumber has been one of the most volatile materials in regard to pricing since the pandemic. In the last 12 months, lumber and plywood prices have dropped almost 3% (this may not seem significant by itself; however, prices already dropped over 25% in 2022 and 2023, after…

Construction Material Outlook – Q1 2024 Lumber: Trending up  In 2023, lumber prices experienced an overall decline following the spikes observed in 2020. Framing lumber prices have decreased by over 10% compared to the previous year, but over the past three months, there has been a slight uptick in prices. While we anticipate minimal variability…

Did you know that 83% of ALL construction projects are behind schedule?   Construction schedules are a vital aspect of any construction project. They outline the timeline, sequence, and dependencies of tasks needed to complete a project. With the complexity of construction projects, managing schedules can be a challenging and time-consuming task. Construction projects are…