Phoenix, AZ, Sept. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), a global leader in the built environment, has published dual reports: its Q3 2025 Quarterly Construction Cost Report (QCR) and its Q3 2025 Crane Index, providing a powerful snapshot of North American market health. The unified report reveals a unique paradox: while national cost trends show an increase, local construction activity is a fragmented mix of rebounds and slowdowns.
The QCR shows the average year-over-year cost increase across 17 cities is 4.50%, a rise from last quarter. This general uptick in cost is set against a backdrop of project starts that are anything but uniform. The Crane Index confirms this, showing a notable rebound in Chicago and Denver’s crane counts, while Boston and New York City experienced a decline.
The two reports highlight that while the national economy is facing challenges like tariff uncertainty and shifting labor dynamics, deal-making …