ConstructConnect Chief Economist Michael Guckes hosts a monthly video series in which he breaks down the key issues impacting the North American construction economy in under 3 minutes.
Construction starts activity in the early months of 2026 is off to a tremendous start. In this April 2026 Construction Economy Brief, we break down what’s powering the surge in nonresidential construction and where opportunities exist beyond high-profile data center projects.
In this month’s Construction Economy Brief from ConstructConnect’s Chief Economist, Michael Guckes, you will learn:
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How offices (including data centers) are driving a massive jump in starts
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Why megaprojects over $1 billion are up more than 500% year-to-date
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How nonresidential building construction is up around 80% compared to a year ago
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Where the additional $32 billion in construction opportunity is coming from outside of data centers
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Which 8 nonresidential and civil subcategories are growing at healthy rates across both the public and private sectors
While data center construction continues to grab the headlines at roughly $35.6 billion, we highlight the substantial and diverse opportunities available for firms that don’t build data centers.
Watch the April 2026 Construction Economy Brief
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About ConstructConnect
At ConstructConnect, our software solutions provide the information construction professionals need to start every project on a solid foundation. For more than 100 years, our keen insights and market intelligence have empowered commercial firms, building product manufacturers, trade contractors, and architects to make data-driven decisions, streamline preconstruction workflows, and maximize their productivity. Our newest offerings—including our comprehensive, AI-assisted software—help our clients find, bid on, and win more projects.
ConstructConnect operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000.
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