As of October 4, 2026, the clearest construction pressure in the United States is rising materials costs, while demand is stronger around data centers and infrastructure than in many traditional commercial sectors. Separately, Maryland has announced housing-delivery measures, the U.K. is progressing building-safety reforms, and Hong Kong is combining cost-control targets with wider use of integrated construction methods. These developments apply to different jurisdictions and should not be read as a single global trend.
United States: materials costs are rising faster than labor in the cited measures
Cushman & Wakefield’s September 15, 2026 company release attributes rising commodity costs to tariffs, constraints in metals supply, and demand from data centers and infrastructure. Its figures describe different indexes and product categories, so they are not interchangeable measures of a single construction-cost increase.
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| Measure | Reported change | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Construction-related commodity prices | Up 13.3% year over year | Cushman & Wakefield, September 15, 2026 release |
| Aluminum | Up 40.9% year over year | Cushman & Wakefield, September 15, 2026 release |
| Copper base scrap | Up 39.3% year over year | Cushman & Wakefield, September 15, 2026 release |
| Nonferrous metals | Up 38.5% year over year | Cushman & Wakefield, September 15, 2026 release |
| ENR Building Cost Index | Up 4.7% year over year | August 2026, as reported by Cushman & Wakefield |
| Skilled-labor component | Up 1.5% year over year | August 2026, as reported by Cushman & Wakefield |
| Electrical machinery and equipment prices | Up 13.0% year over year | Cushman & Wakefield, September 15, 2026 release |
| Switchgear prices | Up 9.0% year over year | Cushman & Wakefield, September 15, 2026 release |
The figures point to particular exposure in materials and electrical equipment, but they do not establish how much a specific project’s total budget will change. The ENR index and its skilled-labor component also use distinct measures; the gap between their reported increases is not a direct estimate of a project’s materials-versus-labor cost split.
Demand is divided by project type
Cushman & Wakefield describes data centers, infrastructure, grid modernization, and renewable energy as supporting activity, while billings in commercial and industrial architecture are weaker. The firm characterizes the market as increasingly split between these demand areas and traditional commercial sectors. This is the company’s market interpretation, not an official government measure of construction activity.
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Maryland: announced initiatives aim to change housing delivery
On October 1, 2026, Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced two executive orders focused on housing affordability and supply. The measures include a Maryland Housing Innovation Incubator and an advisory council, alongside steps intended to support modular housing and streamline administrative processes.
- Modular construction: Modernize regulations and develop statewide pre-approved plans to support this method of building.
- Approvals and credentials: Pursue changes to permitting, licensing, and certification.
- Innovation and advice: Establish the Housing Innovation Incubator and an advisory council as part of the announced initiative.
These are announced measures, not evidence that housing costs have fallen, permit times have shortened, or modular projects have already increased. Their practical effect will depend on implementation and the resulting rules and plans.
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United Kingdom: distinguish current building requirements from reforms in progress
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government updated its building-safety progress report on October 2, 2026. It describes several possible or developing changes for higher-risk buildings; they should not all be treated as requirements already in force.
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The government intends to require a principal designer’s senior manager statement with Gateway 2 applications for higher-risk buildings, and is considering whether to extend the requirement more broadly. The report also describes a review of the dutyholder regime and continued development of a potential licensing scheme for principal contractors working on higher-risk buildings. These items remain in progress rather than established, generally applicable requirements.
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A consultation on proposed changes to Approved Document B closed on July 1, 2026; recommendations are expected by March 2027. The government is also considering construction-product reforms, including a general safety requirement and access to product-testing information. Responses to those consultations are expected later in 2026.
The report makes an important distinction about current documentation: although the higher-risk building regime requires substantial fire-safety information across design, construction, and occupation, a fire safety strategy is not currently a required document submitted as part of a building control application. That clarification prevents the broader information duties from being mistaken for a specific application-document requirement.
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Hong Kong: public works policy couples cost targets with construction technology
Hong Kong’s Development Bureau 2026 policy initiatives set out cost-control measures alongside technology, standards, and workforce actions. The figures below are government-stated estimates or commitments, not independently audited savings already realized.
- Public-works savings: The Bureau estimates its cost-reduction measures could save about HK$4 billion annually on public works projects.
- Innovation funding: The government is injecting HK$1 billion into the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund, with HK$400 million from the Construction Industry Council also reported.
- Integrated services: Suitable public works projects, as well as repair and maintenance works, have been required to adopt Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP) since mid-2026.
- Next steps: A cross-boundary MiMEP trading guidebook is planned for the first half of 2027; further construction standards review is targeted for 2028, and workforce training quotas are set for 2027 and 2028.
The MiMEP requirement is described as already applying to the specified suitable works, while the guidebook and later standards and training actions are future plans. The Bureau’s estimated annual savings should not be presented as a realized saving for every project.
What this means for project teams
For U.S. teams, the cited September market data make commodity and electrical-equipment exposure worth checking in estimates and procurement schedules, particularly on projects tied to data centers or infrastructure. The figures do not substitute for project-specific quotes or establish the movement of any particular bid.
For teams working in Maryland, the U.K., or Hong Kong, the practical issue is the status and scope of each measure: Maryland’s actions are newly announced, several U.K. reforms remain under consideration or consultation, and Hong Kong combines a specified MiMEP requirement with future policy steps and stated savings targets. None of these jurisdiction-specific developments should be assumed to apply elsewhere.
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