Q4 Prices for Non-residential Building Construction Rose 0.8%

February 22, 2018

Contractors’ prices for new non-residential building construction rose 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Higher prices to build industrial (+0.9%), commercial (+0.7%) and institutional (+0.9%) structures all contributed to the gain.

Prices for new non-residential building construction were up in all seven census metropolitan areas surveyed, led by Vancouver (+1.6%) and Montréal (+1.2%). Contractors reported rising costs for lumber, concrete formwork, plastic, copper and fuel-related inputs. Rebuilding activities in the United States after an active 2017 hurricane season contributed to higher prices for these materials. From August to October, four hurricanes made landfall in the United States causing widespread damage.

Non-residential Building Construction Price Index, year-over-year change

Over the four quarters ending in December, contractors’ prices for new non-residential building construction rose 3.1%. Higher prices in Vancouver (+5.9%) and Montréal (+4.4%) led the increase.

Source: Statistics Canada, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/180213/dq180213d-eng.htm

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