KEY POINTS
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ConstructConnect Chief Economist Michael Guckes reported that U.S. Nonresidential Construction Starts slowed sharply in September 2025, totaling $45.7 billion, the lowest since June.
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Year-to-date Nonresidential Building spending growth fell to 13% through Q3 — down a third from Q2’s gain of 19%.
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Four of September’s Top 10 Project Starts by dollar volume are in the Industrial construction category.
September 2025 marked a sharp slowdown in Nonresidential Construction Starts. ConstructConnect Chief Economist Michael Guckes reported $45.7 billion in projects, marking the lowest monthly total Nonresidential construction figure since June.
Guckes said, “The decline follows a record-breaking surge earlier in the year. Year-to-date (YTD) Civil construction growth slowed to 3% through September, down from over 7% growth at the end of Q2.”
“Similarly, YTD Nonresidential Building spending growth fell to 13% through Q3 — down a third from Q2’s gain of 19%. This decline would have been far more severe without a $11 billion surge in data center starts.”
Data centers are setting records, with a 101% quarter-over-quarter surge in the third quarter. According to Guckes, this performance helped offset significant weakness in other areas, with 2025 construction starts on pace to surpass $46 billion.
With these trends shaping the industry, September’s Top 10 Project Starts highlight the developments driving the most significant investments.
ConstructConnect
Top 10 Project Starts through September 2025
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ConstructConnect Top 10 Project Starts chart from the October 2025 Construction Economy Snapshot. A square footage measure does not apply to alteration, some forms of industrial (e.g., petrochemical), and most engineering/civil work. Image: ConstructConnect
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At ConstructConnect, our software solutions provide the information that 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.
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