US Construction Spending, August 2026 — Estimated $2.203 Trillion Annual Rate, +0.9% Not Significant; Down 1.7% From a Year Earlier
Census's preliminary estimate (Oct. 1): August 2026 construction spending ran at a $2,203.1 billion annual rate, +0.9% (±1.0%), not significant; 1.7% below August 2025. Jan.-Aug. down 3.1%.
Key figures (August 2026, released October 1, 2026)
Total construction spending: $2,203.1 billion (seasonally adjusted annual rate, SAAR). MoM: +0.9% (±1.0%)* vs revised July $2,184.5 billion. YoY: –1.7% (±1.5%) vs August 2025 $2,242.0 billion.[1]
Year to date (January–August, not seasonally adjusted): $1,450.4 billion, –3.1% (±1.0%) vs 2025. Spending in August alone (not seasonally adjusted): $202.9 billion.[1]
Private: $1,655.3 billion, +1.1% (±0.5%). Private residential: $882.3 billion, +1.1% (±1.3%)*. Private nonresidential: $773.0 billion, +1.0% (±0.5%). Public: $547.8 billion, +0.2% (±2.0%)*.[1]
Next release: November 2, 2026 (September data).[1]
Terms: MoM = change from July 2026; YoY = change from August 2025. Ranges are 90% confidence intervals that account only for sampling variability; an asterisk (*) means the interval includes zero — "There is insufficient evidence to conclude that the actual change is different from zero." Table 1's note: "Data are at an annual rate, adjusted for seasonality but not price changes." Table 2 gives unadjusted monthly and year-to-date amounts.[1]
The monthly rise is not significant; the year-over-year decline is
The +0.9% monthly change has a ±1.0% interval, so it may be zero. The year-over-year change (–1.7%, ±1.5%) and the year-to-date change (–3.1%, ±1.0%) both exclude zero, so they are statistically significant at the 90% confidence level. August's figures are preliminary estimates subject to revision.[1]
Census: "It may take 2 months to establish an underlying trend for total construction and as long as 8 months for specific categories of construction." For total construction, the average absolute percent change from the preliminary estimate to the first revision is 0.65%.[1]
Where spending is up and down (total, SAAR, change from August 2025)
Office: $150.7 billion, +24.6% (private office +29.8%).[1]
Power: $186.0 billion, +8.5%. Highway and street: $152.2 billion, +4.6%. Conservation and development: $16.7 billion, +29.6%.[1]
Manufacturing: $170.7 billion, –19.2% (private manufacturing –19.8%). Lodging: $24.9 billion, –10.0%. Commercial: $122.8 billion, –5.4%.[1]
Private new single-family: $403.3 billion, –3.5%. Total residential (private and public): $894.6 billion, –4.8%.[1]
By this page's calculation, private manufacturing is about $41.6 billion (annual rate) below a year earlier and private office about $30.8 billion above. The release does not say which project types drive the office category.[1]
Annual rate, nominal dollars
The $2.2 trillion headline is an annual rate. Actual unadjusted spending put in place during August was $202.9 billion, and the eight-month total $1,450.4 billion. None of the figures remove the effect of construction cost changes.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
US construction spending in August 2026 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,203.1 billion, 0.9 percent (±1.0 percent) above the revised July estimate of $2,184.5 billion; the interval includes zero, so the monthly change is not statistically significant.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
August spending was 1.7 percent (±1.5 percent) below August 2025 ($2,242.0 billion), and spending in the first eight months of 2026 was $1,450.4 billion, 3.1 percent (±1.0 percent) below the same period of 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Private construction was $1,655.3 billion (annual rate), up 1.1 percent (±0.5 percent) from July; private residential $882.3 billion, up 1.1 percent (±1.3 percent); private nonresidential $773.0 billion, up 1.0 percent (±0.5 percent).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Public construction was $547.8 billion (annual rate), up 0.2 percent (±2.0 percent); educational $113.1 billion and highway $150.6 billion.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
From August 2025 to August 2026, total office construction rose 24.6 percent, power 8.5 percent and highway and street 4.6 percent, while manufacturing fell 19.2 percent and lodging 10.0 percent (seasonally adjusted annual rates).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Census states that the Table 1 figures are at an annual rate, adjusted for seasonality but not for price changes (Table 2 reports unadjusted monthly and year-to-date spending); that current-month figures are preliminary estimates subject to revision; that it may take 2 months to establish an underlying trend for total construction and up to 8 months for categories; and that for total construction the average absolute percent change from preliminary estimate to first revision is 0.65 percent.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The September 2026 report is scheduled for release on November 2, 2026.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
Private construction accounted for about 75.1% of total spending in August. Private manufacturing construction was about $41.6 billion (annual rate) lower than a year earlier, while private office construction was about $30.8 billion higher.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from Table 1
With the revised figures, July spending was about 0.1% below June, so the 0.9% August rise follows a near-flat July.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from Table 1
Because the figures are not adjusted for price changes, the 1.7% year-over-year decline is a change in dollars spent, not necessarily in the physical volume of construction.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's reading of the release
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- The July 2026 estimate as first published, and the size of its revision
- Which project types account for the rise in office construction
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/05/2026, 10:05
- Body characters
- 2,491
- Sources
- 1 source adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/05/2026, 09:43
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 10/05/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/05/2026 | First version. Read the August 2026 construction spending release in full, including explanatory notes and Tables 1-3; quotations, table rows and figures machine-matched against the release text. | Updated |
| 10/05/2026 | Independent pre-publication review (ChatGPT) against the sources; findings confirmed by the source text were applied. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How much did US construction spending rise in August 2026?
0.9% from July to a $2,203.1 billion annual rate, but the ±1.0% interval includes zero, so the rise is not statistically significant.[1]
Is US construction spending down from last year?
Yes. August was 1.7% (±1.5%) below August 2025, and January–August spending was 3.1% (±1.0%) below 2025; both changes are statistically significant at the 90% confidence level.[1]
Is construction spending adjusted for inflation?
No. Census says the data are adjusted for seasonality but not for price changes.[1]
Which construction categories are growing?
Compared with August 2025, office (+24.6%), power (+8.5%) and highway and street (+4.6%) rose; manufacturing (-19.2%) and lodging (-10.0%) fell.[1]
How much is spent on construction in one month?
About $202.9 billion was put in place in August 2026 before seasonal adjustment; $2,203.1 billion is the seasonally adjusted annual rate.[1]
When is the next construction spending report?
September 2026 data are scheduled for November 2, 2026.[1]