ARTICLE -- Heading into 2026, the U.S. construction sector navigates rising costs, persistent labor shortages, and a shifting project mix. This report covers 2026 spending and employment, sector-by-sector developments, and the outlook contractors need to plan the year ahead.
ARTICLE -- ABC backlog at a four-year low: 8 months. Data center contractors: 11.2. Mid-market firms: 6.7. Input prices up 12.6% annualized. Two construction markets are running side by side. Here's what the divide means for mid-market contractors.
ARTICLE -- Job costing is what makes the difference between a profitable construction firm and a busy one. This is how it works inside NetSuite for construction projects: cost codes, phases, cost types, real-time tracking, and where the platform's native limits start for project-based firms.
ARTICLE -- If you're evaluating NetSuite for a construction or fit-out business, you've probably hit this question: do you go with SuiteSuccess for Construction, or do you also need a third-party construction SuiteApp? Honest answer: most growing firms end up using both. Here's how to decide.
ARTICLE -- 82% of collapsed US construction firms didn't think they needed a CFO before failing. The deeper problem isn't the missing role, it's the missing financial visibility. For mid-market firms not ready to hire a $250K CFO, here's how the right systems can deliver most of what a CFO would.
ARTICLE -- Diesel at $5.60. Aluminum up 30%. A war in the Gulf reshaping shipping. The cost shocks of mid-March haven't normalized; they've embedded. Here's what 2026's construction cost crisis means for contractors holding fixed-price contracts, and how to protect margins through Q2.
ARTICLE -- If you're a contractor in 2026, your material costs are a moving target. 40-year-high tariffs. Steel prices climbing. Project abandonment up 88% year-over-year. Here's what's driving construction material cost volatility, why construction is hit harder than most industries, and what's working.
ARTICLE -- 9 out of 10 construction projects come in over budget. The average overrun is 28%. 85% of projects across 20 countries over 70 years experienced cost overruns. This isn't bad luck, it's a systemic problem the industry hasn't solved. Here's what high-performing firms do differently.
ARTICLE -- If you're running construction projects on NetSuite, the core platform wasn't built for every construction-specific workflow. AIA billing, retainage, Gantt scheduling, job costing. Here are the three approaches, the criteria that matter, and the vendor questions worth asking before you commit.
ARTICLE -- 2026 is a year of contradictions for construction. Plenty of work, but everything costs more and workers are harder to find. 499,000 worker gap. 25-30% effective tariffs. 63% of firms have seen projects postponed or cancelled. Here are the five challenges every contractor needs a plan for.
