After a winter we would all like to forget, it is finally spring and that means that construction season is about to begin! McGraw Hill Construction released its 2014 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. This report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2014 will rise 9 percent to $555.3 billion, higher than the 5 percent increase to $508 billion estimated for 2013.

Based on research of specific construction market sectors, the report details the forecast as follows:

  • Single family housing will grow 26 percent in dollars, corresponding to a 24 percent increase in units to 785,000 (McGraw Hill Construction basis). The positives for single family housing are numerous – the pace of foreclosures has eased, home prices are rising and mortgage rates remain near recent lows. However, the demand for housing will continue to be restrained by careful bank lending practices towards issuing mortgages.
  • Multifamily housing will rise 11 percent in dollars and 9 percent in units. While growth continues, the percentage gains will be smaller than the previous four years, reflecting a maturing multifamily market. This structure type is still a favored investment target by the real estate finance community, which in the near term should lead to more high-rise residential buildings in major cities.
  • Commercial building will increase 17 percent, a slightly faster pace than the 15 percent gain estimated for 2013. Both warehouses and hotels will continue to lead the way, while stores and office buildings pick up the pace. The positives for commercial building are improving market fundamentals and more bank lending for commercial development. Next year’s activity in dollar terms will still be 28 percent below the 2007 peak

As you finalize your company's construction projects, have you made plans for your on-site fueling needs? As you build in your productivity measures, consider the convenience of having fuel available on your construction site to eliminate frequent runs to a gas station to keep the job on schedule.

Downtime on a construction project means lost revenue and can impact your company's reputation. Fortunately, on-site fuel tanks, available in both 500 and 1,000 gallon sizes are readily available and convenient to use.

If you aren't sure if construction On-Site fueling is right for your business, Atlas can run a customized construction-site fueling cost calculation to evaluate your opportunity for savings. We service commercial, industrial, agricultural and government business sectors. We'll help you determine the best decision for your company. You may find that in addition to increased productivity for your teams that you will actually be saving money on fuel as well by buying in bulk.

Atlas can fuel all of your needs, from fueling your entire fleet onsite to fueling your construction equipment so your company is always ready for that unexpected contract opportunity. Tank monitors make it easy to monitor your fuel use and we can set you up on a keep fill basis so you don’t have to worry about running out in the middle of a project.

For more information on the convenience of on-site fueling and how Atlas Oil can help your business efficiency, call us at 800.878.2000 or email sales@atlasoil.com.