The volume of new building construction contracts in Georgia fell during June, leading to a 15% overall decline for the month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. The company estimated that roughly $1.1 billion in new projects moved forward during the month.

Photo courtesy Southern Company
Georgia Power's nuclear powerplant project has boosted Georgia's 2012 contracts total considerably, but nonresidential contracts are lagging.

The nonresidential market dropped the most, diving 30% compared to the same period of a year ago for a $541.5-million June total. Residential contracts slipped 1%, delivering an estimated $408.7 million in new contracts.

On the positive side, the nonbuilding category—which includes infrastructure contracts—gained 28% compared to last June, with an estimated $192.1 million in new work.

On a year-to-date basis, Georgia’s overall contracts total is still well ahead of 2011’s pace, thanks to McGraw-Hill Construction’s reporting of the start of construction at Southern Co.’s Plant Vogtle nuclear powerplant project, estimated at more than $8 billion. With that, Georgia’s new contracts total for the first half of 2012 equals approximately $13.8 billion, more than double 2011’s mid-year total of $5.4 billion.

Georgia’s building markets are mixed, though. Nonresidential remains on the downswing, with its year-to-date total of $2.2 billion representing a 20% slide from 2011. Meanwhile, residential contracts are on the upswing, with a $2.3-billion total so far, up 25% from a year ago.

McGraw-Hill estimates the nonbuilding sector—which includes the Vogtle contract—at nearly $9.3 billion.