Cranes are most present at mixed-use and residential projects, while contractors continue to face climbing material costs with a bidding strategy that could benefit owners
This survey reports a 4.5% decrease in cranes from our Q1 2021 edition of the RLB Crane Index®. Of the fourteen cities surveyed: three experienced an increase; five are holding steady; and six have decreased (five of which range from 32%-78%).
The single thread that can be woven amongst all cities surveyed is uncertainty; it remains a significant factor to the construction market. We see this in cities where crane counts are holding steady, if not decreasing, in their markets.
We anticipate better times ahead with previously delayed projects being brought back online; however, this is conditional upon market conditions as the AEC industry continues to experience the effects of COVID-19.
A few key highlights:
- Cities seeing an increase in cranes include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Toronto
- Cities holding steady in their crane counts include Boston, Calgary, Las Vegas, New York City, and Seattle
- Cities with a decrease in cranes include Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Phoenix, Portland, and
Washington D.C.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
