Architecture billings sink further in September

by ciara_lalor-lindo | October 22, 2026 10:45 am

The AIA[1]/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score fell to 44.7 in September, with the highest share of firms reporting lower billings since May. The ABI is a monthly indicator based on billings at U.S. architecture firms and a leading gauge of nonresidential construction activity 9 to 12 months ahead. Scores above 50 indicate growth; scores below 50 indicate contraction.

AIA notes that inquiries rose modestly, but new design contracts declined. Average backlogs slipped to 6.2 months, down from 6.6 at the end of Q1. Multifamily firms saw the sharpest drop, from 6.2 to 4.8 months. Backlogs held at 8.1 months for large firms and 8.0 months for institutional firms, while small firms’ backlogs rose from 3.1 to 3.8 months. Despite declines from post-pandemic peaks, most firms still have work in the pipeline.

AIA says September billings varied by region and sector, with conditions remaining weak in the Northeast and worsening in the South, while the Midwest and West were flat. Commercial/industrial firms recorded slight growth for a second month, but billings declined for a sixth consecutive month at institutional firms and a fifth month at multifamily firms.

U.S. payrolls added 29,000 jobs in September, below the 40,000–50,000 monthly pace needed to keep employment stable. However, the 12-month average remained within that range at 45,000. AIA reports architectural services employment rose by 300 in August to 204,500, remaining broadly steady over the past year.

According to AIA, inflation accelerated in September, with prices rising 0.6%, up from 0.4% in August. Prices were 3.7% higher than a year earlier, the largest annual increase since May. Gasoline and energy prices drove the increase, with gasoline up by 9.1% from August and energy prices up by 5.2%.

— With files from AIA

 

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/news/architecture-billings-sink-further-in-september/

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