Construction Starts Up 27 Percent Next Year, Forecasts McGraw-Hill

Looking for some positive news? Construction starts in Washington will be up 27% next year according to McGraw-Hill Construction. The forecast is broken down by construction sector. Some examples: Office construction up 74 percent; road construction down 0.2 percent; healthcare construction up 5 percent. Note that the forecast is for construction starts – the full value of all the projects that begin in 2011 – so the dollar value for 2011 itself will be smaller. Also the 27% increase is based on a historic low point for the state; total construction will still be well below 2007. Nevertheless signs point to a definitive uptick. McGraw-Hill Construction Vice President Rusty Sherwood presented the forecast at a Nov. 10 event co-hosted by AGC.

Click 2011 Construction Forecast for the complete forecast (the info is posted on AGC’s Where’s the Work? webpage and locked for members only; contact Stacy Mullane at 206-284-0061 or 800-562-2868 if you need help).