September Industry Roundup: What U.S. Contractors Should Know Heading Into Fall

September can feel like two seasons happening at once. You’re finishing summer projects, booking fall work, and answering customers who would really like everything done before the holidays.

Keeping up with industry news tends to fall somewhere below all of that.

So we’ve pulled together four September developments worth a few minutes of your time, covering material costs, hiring, confidence across the trades, and how customers find your business. Here’s what was reported - and what we’d take from it heading into October.

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Material prices rose again.
Check the numbers behind your next estimate.

If a recent supplier quote made you look twice, September’s data offers some context.

On September 10, Associated Builders and Contractors reported that construction input prices rose 1.2% in August and were 8.9% higher than a year earlier. Its analysis also identified annual increases of more than 10% for materials including softwood lumber, iron and steel, and copper wire and cable. These are national figures, so your own purchasing costs will vary by trade, supplier, and location.
‍Source: ABC’s September materials report

For a smaller contractor, the practical risk is an estimate built from prices that were accurate a few months ago. The job gets approved, the order goes in, and there’s less money left in it than you expected.

Our suggestion: start with your most frequently quoted work. Compare the material costs in those estimates with current supplier quotes, then update the relevant pricebook items. For proposals still awaiting approval, check pricing and availability before confirming the work.

It’s a manageable review that can catch an expensive assumption.

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Finding qualified people is still difficult - even where work has slowed.

A quieter market doesn’t necessarily make hiring easier.

In a workforce survey released September 3, the Associated General Contractors of America and NCCER found that 88% of respondents with hourly craft openings said those roles were as difficult or harder to fill than a year earlier. Meanwhile, 42% of respondents said shortages of their own workers or subcontractors’ workers had delayed projects. The survey covered a broad range of construction firms, rather than small home-service businesses alone.
‍Source: AGC and NCCER workforce survey

For an owner planning the fall schedule, we’d treat that as a reason to confirm capacity early. Check subcontractor availability before promising a start date, and leave room for the work already booked.

It’s also worth asking your current crew a simple question: “What keeps slowing you down?”

Missing job details, repeat supply runs, and unclear handoffs are useful places to start. Fixing them gives the people you already have more time to do the work they’re there for.

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The mood across the trades is mixed.
Your own numbers deserve a closer look.

There wasn’t one clear story for every contractor in September.

The Home Improvement Research Institute’s September 8 update reported that confidence declined among landscape, remodeling, and mechanical contractors in the third quarter, while exterior and finish contractors improved. Landscape contractors recorded the largest drop, moving from 8.4 to 8.0 on the Farnsworth Contractor Index’s 10-point scale.
Source: HIRI’s September economic update

That’s a change in confidence, not a direct measure of how many jobs customers are booking. Still, the differences between trades are a useful reminder to look closely at your own market.

Before changing prices or spending more on advertising, review the last month of inquiries and estimates. Are fewer people contacting you? Are you sending the same number of proposals but winning fewer? Or are customers simply taking longer to decide?

Each situation calls for a different response. A backlog of unanswered estimates might benefit from a thoughtful follow-up. Repeated questions about price might mean the scope needs a clearer explanation.

Start with the point where customers are getting stuck.

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AI search entered the conversation - with a familiar task for contractors.

Alongside the economic reports, September brought more discussion about how homeowners discover service businesses online.

In a September 2 article contributed by CI Web Group, Service Nation explored what AI search means for home-service websites. Its advice centered on making content specific, accurate, and useful: answering real customer questions, explaining services clearly, and keeping business information current.
Source: Service Nation’s website guidance

For a busy contractor, a sensible starting point is one important service page.

Does it explain what you do, where you work, and what a customer should expect? Could someone understand the next step without calling to ask? Are the photos, credentials, and service details still accurate?

Ask your team which question they answered most often last month, and add a useful answer to that page. It could be about preparing for a visit, choosing between service options, or what affects the scope of a job.

That won’t guarantee visibility in AI search. It will give prospective customers a better explanation of your business when they find you.

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A few things to carry into October

Our take from September’s reports is to make time for a few focused checks: current supplier costs, realistic crew availability, recent estimate results, and the information customers see online.

Choose the one that connects to a problem you’re already noticing. If jobs are coming in with less margin, review your pricing inputs. If dates keep moving, look at capacity. If customers keep asking the same questions, improve the explanation.

You don’t need to overhaul the business before the next season gets going. One useful change, carried through consistently, is a good place to start.

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