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Private residential construction spending rose 1.1% in August, still 4.8% below 2025
Census says the monthly gain is within its margin of error, and new single-family building is down 3.5% from a year ago.
By 
Midwatch Radar Updated
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The U.S. Census Bureau reported on October 1, 2026 that private residential construction spending was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $882.3 billion in August, 1.1 percent above the revised July estimate of $872.7 billion [1]. Census lists the change as 1.1 percent (±1.3 percent) and notes that when the range includes zero, it is uncertain whether spending rose or fell [1].
Compared with August 2025, private residential spending was down 4.8 percent [1]. Within it, new single-family construction was up 0.2 percent from July and down 3.5 percent from August 2025 [2]. The residential category also includes private residential improvements, which exclude rental, vacant or seasonal properties [2].
Total construction spending, which also counts public projects and commercial buildings, was $2,203.1 billion at an annual rate, 0.9 percent above July and 1.7 percent below August 2025 [1]. During the first eight months of 2026, spending amounted to $1,450.4 billion, 3.1 percent below the same period in 2025 [1].
Private nonresidential construction was at $773.0 billion, 1.0 percent above July [1]. Spending on data centers, a category of private office construction, was up 73.2 percent from August 2025 [2]. Census says the figures are adjusted for season but not for price changes, and that August numbers are preliminary and subject to revision [1].
- $882.3 billionPrivate residential construction spending, August 2026, seasonally adjusted annual rate[1]
- 1.1 percent (±1.3 percent)Change from July, with Census’s margin of error[1]
- -4.8Percent change in private residential spending, August 2026 from August 2025[2]
- -3.5Percent change in new single-family construction, August 2026 from August 2025[2]
Trades differ in how much they depend on new building. Companies that install heating, plumbing, electrical or roofing systems in new houses follow construction activity closely. Companies that repair and replace systems in existing homes follow a different mix of demand. The new single-family figure speaks most directly to the first group.
The release does not separate remodeling from new-home building inside the residential total, so it cannot show how much of the 4.8 percent year-over-year drop came from each. Because the data are not adjusted for price changes, some of the dollar movement can reflect higher costs rather than more work [1]. The monthly rise is within the margin of error, so the year-over-year decline is the firmer signal in this release.
- November 2, 2026: Census releases September construction spending [1].
- Revisions to August. Census says the average absolute change from preliminary to first revision for private construction is 0.75 percent [1].
- Census says it can take as long as 8 months to establish an underlying trend for specific categories of construction, so single months can mislead [1].