Archive for June, 2007
Second Quarterly Cost Report 2007
ENR’s Q2 2007 cost report is a package of news, analysis and data. In this quarter, rising costs are a
nationwide concern. The report contains stories about how higher prices and fewer bids are
driving up the cost of road projects and how Los Angeles is trying to hold down the cost of its new
schools. In materials, the report looks at how steel and rebar prices are leading a resurgence in
inflation, and in equipment, a busy building sector is pushing up hoist rental rates. Another story
looks at the advantages of diesel fuel. And on the subject of pay, contractors and construction
managers must focus on their staffs, according to one story, and unions have a stronger
negotiating hand, another story says.
Analysis: Higher Prices, Fewer Bids Are Driving Up Costs
Rising costs and market volatility are shooting holes in highway construction budgets this spring, forcing contractors to find innovative ways of dodging bullets as they head into summer with many projects in full swing. Steady demand for highway construction is helping to ease contractors’ market anxieties and many say they can afford to carefully pick and choose projects.
