Finding Cost Data on ENR.com: Cost Indexes, Wages and Prices
The three index tables on this page each represent various components of ENR’s two primary indexes. The Materials Price Index is the materials component of both ENR’s cost indexes. The Common Labor Index is the labor component of ENR’s Construction Cost Index, and the Skilled Labor Index is the labor component of ENR’s Building Cost Index.
ENR publishes only cost-index history tables in its First Quarterly Cost Report. However, ENR’s Website, enr.com, will keep you current with historical data and monthly updates. Historical tables for all five of ENR’s cost indexes are posted here.
Also, all ENR’s building-materials price tables for such items as asphalt, portland cement, ready-mix concrete, concrete-and-plastic pipe, lumber, structural steel and reinforcing bar, going back to March 2005, are posted in the archive section at enr.com.
To find these materials price tables, go to the home page of enr.com and, on the right-hand side of the screen, click on the link for “Archive.” Next, scroll down to the weekly issue containing the table you need and click on the “View this entire issue” link, which will bring you to that issue’s table-of-contents page. Then, under the heading for “Departments” or “More from magazine … ,” click on the “Construction Economics” link.
The most comprehensive data on construction labor costs appears in ENR’s Third Quarter Cost Report, published in September, which contains hourly union wage rates for 22 different construction trades and open-shop wage rates for eight trades. Those tables can be found here.
