Rider Levett Bucknall has released its “Quarterly Cost Report” for Q2 of 2021. The report features construction cost information for 14 markets in the United States and Canada. The statistical information is critical as contractors attempt to balance resultant pandemic costs into the near future. Insights include, among others:

• The Consumer Price Index experienced a slight increase coming into 2021, up 1.70% from the previous quarter.
• While the national unemployment rate continued to recover, it remains nearly double the rate from this time last year (3.8%).
• Technology is increasingly valuable.

“One of the lessons learned from the past year is the central—and growing—role that technology plays in the AEC industries,” says Julian Anderson, FRICS, president of Rider Levett Bucknall North Americas. “The degree of operational efficiency that connected technologies affords is a true game changer, providing transparency, accuracy and consistency to all stakeholders while accelerating the design process. From cost estimating to streamlining workflows to digital twins, these tools are transforming the landscape of design and construction.”

For the full report, visit rlb.com/americas.