New ABI white paper: a clearer view of construction’s future

by ciara_lalor-lindo | November 4, 2026 9:32 am

The American Institute of Architects[1] (AIA) has published Clarifying the Construction Outlook by Integrating Architecture Billings with Broader Economic Indicators[2], a white paper examining the performance of the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI).

Launched in 2005, the ABI links architecture firm billings to future construction activity. AIA’s 2014 analysis added design contracts as an indicator; the new paper revisits the relationship in light of the financial crisis, the pandemic, and recent economic uncertainty.

AIA says the analysis finds that the ABI’s correlation with construction spending has weakened slightly, while its lead time has lengthened. AIA attributes this shift to longer project schedules shaped by supply-chain challenges, cost inflation, interest-rate volatility, and economic uncertainty.

According to AIA, the paper also highlights how firms and the broader AEC industry use the ABI alongside other indicators, including construction spending and starts, material costs, real estate trends, and AIA’s Consensus Construction Forecast, to assess market conditions and guide planning and investment decisions.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/news/new-abi-white-paper-a-clearer-view-of-constructions-future/

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