Downward revisions for this sector in recent months and in the annual comprehensive revision suggest that the Census Bureau is missing more post start project shutdowns than it is missing project starts. In turn, this suggests that nonresidential construction is still weakening. The near term spending trend is at best unchanged until the end of the year. With activity near the bottom for this building cycle, expect brief month-to-month expansion spurts for some types of projects through the summer but no sustained expansion until yearend.

Institutional construction is being boosted by long delayed stimulus plan funds but at the same time being restrained by critically low state and local government budget reserves and appropriation cuts made necessary by the high post-recession costs of medical and social programs. State tax receipts are now stabilizing but local government tax receipts, highly dependent on property taxes, are still declining. The net effect is a forecast of essentially no change in institutional construction spending until the beginning of 2011. K-12 education and public safety buildings will be the weakest sectors. Institutional construction spending fell 0.9% in May.

With the recent revisions, developer financed construction will see only a 1-2% drop from May until fall. Real estate investors see better profit opportunities in buying existing buildings than building new buildings. Building prices are 40% below the recent peak level with many properties available at even deeper discounts when the current owners lack the equity to rollover short term mortgages. Occupancy and rental rates are depressed and will decline slightly more for another six months.

That said, investors who want to get in cheap on a rising market are now planning to build new space to be available for lease in 2011. The American Institute of Architects’ survey of designer activity shows that the decline in design work has ended although no pickup has yet happened. Buildings being designed now are likely to start later this year and be ready for occupancy 10-18 months ahead when rental rates are higher and rising. But until late this year, most of the commercial starts will be renovation and buildings designed for special uses or to be owner occupied.

  Single family construction spending rose 0.8% in May but this was more than offset by a large fall in multi family construction spending and a small drop in residential remodeling. Expect the trends to reverse in the next few months. The end of the homebuyer tax credit will trim single family homebuilding for several months. Already,... READ MORE >

I'll bet that you think you are doing everything in your power to get the word out to promote your business, no matter what business it is.  You probably have ads in the yellow pages, support your local youth teams, pass out business cards everywhere, purchase ad space in the Val-Pak mailings, place ads in local newspapers and trade publications. ... READ MORE >

It seems quite evident that the situation at hand, finding free fill, free dirt, or even free dump sites, is a growing predicament that is expanding every day.   The exodus of families, and businesses for that matter, relocating to remote locales to find their little piece of paradise is making the process of moving dirt an issue with fewer... READ MORE >

Here is some general information courtesy of the Better Business Bureau of Wisconisn, aimed at informing statewide Building Contractors of new regulations and requirements effective July 1, 2009.  This wiil affect contractors in site prep, plumbing, and others.  There may be new regulations within other states, and we we post them... READ MORE >

Well, you've really done it.  The first step of letting DirtPail.com help you and your business save you time and money is completed when you hit the "Submit" button on the bottom of the Registration Page.  You think to yourself that you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Now you can sit back and wait for the savings... READ MORE >

It is soon getting to be that time of the season where the urgency to get projects buttoned up, in this part of the country anyways, is becoming more prevalent.  Even at this time of the year before the snow starts to fly and the frost starts to set into the ground, you can still drive around and occasionally see those ever present cardboard signs... READ MORE >

You see it on search engines on the internet everyday.  Searches by contractors and home owners for fill dirt, dirt fil, free dirt, free fill, dumpsites, etc.  And some of those searches, and though I must admit I would like to see more, bring those inquires to DirtPail.com.   Any business owner or homeowner who hits the "Submit"... READ MORE >

Greetings Everyone! There are now some exciting updates to our ever growing website! Some of these features include a new and improved My Accounts page, allowing for easier access and ability to keep track of your account(s), upgrade services, and so much more.  Another improvement is our Dirt Listings page, allowing customers to view available... READ MORE >

Dirtpail.com has donated 30 memberships to the Milwaukee based public television Channels 10/36 Auction, starting on April 25th.  Each membership includes 6 months of unlimited service, and a DirtPail.com cap!  We encourage you to bid early and often!  What a great way to get a membership, and help a great cause like supporting public... READ MORE >

Are you looking to network with other professionals in the construction industry and don't know where to start?  DirtPail. com has just created a new group just for this purpose on the networking giant website LinkedIn.com.  It is free for you to join, and another great way to know and be known within the industry.  Let other see who... READ MORE >

Hello DirtPail Members,   Dirtpail.com is becoming a hot bed of opportunity for contractors and home owners alike looking for free material for thier spring startup projects.  Dump site options are being listed from all over the country on the website, and this is a great opportunity for contractors to save $100's, even $1000's on tipping,... READ MORE >

Western Builder, part of the Reed Construction Data News featuring Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, has issed a release on the virtues of using DirtPail.com.  Mike Larson wrote the article, and I want to personally thank him to taking the time to talk to me.  If you would like to read it, copy and paste the following link into your brower: http://www.acppubs.com/article/CA6643885.html?q=Dirtpail  

The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) has awarded LaLonde Contractors Inc. of Milwaukee has been honored with the Gold Award, recognizing their work done at Wittman Regional Ariport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, home of the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In.  This story appears in Western Builder, a publication of Reed... READ MORE >

We've already come a long way since beginning on January 1st of 2009.  What started out as a trickle, has now begun to turn into a stream.  Although we are currently headquartered in Wisconsin, our objective is to make this site a nationwide voice for contractors and their vendors, ultimately having a presence in all 50 states. Contractors... READ MORE >

As you may or may not know, DirtPail.com made its "debut" at the CONEX Show in Milwaukee in late January, and it was very well received.  At the show, I was approached by Bruce Morton, a current Board Member for the Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association, and was extended an invitation to make a presentation of the DirtPail.com website to... READ MORE >