The small 2013 increase for stores was limited by the comparison to 2012 that included the $400-million renovation to Macy’s flagship department store in New York City.

The manufacturing building category in 2013 surged 36%, helped by the two large chemical plants in Louisiana reported as December starts as well as by such projects as a $1.7-billion fertilizer plant in Iowa, a $1.7-billion natural gas processing plant in West Virginia, and a $1.5-billion industrial gas products plant in Louisiana.

The institutional building group during 2013 decreased 3%, less severe than declines of 9% in 2012 and 11% in 2011. The two largest institutional categories performed as follows—educational buildings, down 1% and health care facilities, down 6%. The smaller institutional categories showed this pattern for 2013—amusement-related work, up 25%; transportation terminals, down 2%; churches down 11%; and public buildings, down 27%.

Residential Building

Residential building in December dropped 6% to $205.3 billion (annual rate), with both sides of the housing market easing back. Single-family housing slipped 3%, as recent months have shown more of an up-and-down pattern after the consistently steady gains witnessed earlier in the year.

When viewed on a quarterly basis, single-family housing still registered consistent growth during 2013, with the fourth quarter up 8% compared to the first quarter.

Multifamily housing in December retreated 13% after November’s increase of the same magnitude. December’s largest multifamily projects were smaller in scale than what had been reported in the previous month but still included such substantial entries as a $159-million apartment building in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., a $128-million condominium tower in Honolulu, and a $127-million apartment building in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The 2013 amount for residential building was $205.5 billion, up 24%, and close to the 31% gain reported for 2012. Single-family housing in dollar terms climbed 26%, similar to the previous year’s 29% hike.

The regional pattern for single-family housing in 2013 showed increases for all five major regions, as follows—the South Atlantic, up 33%; the Midwest, up 27%; the West and Northeast, each up 26%; and the South Central, up 18%.

Multifamily housing in 2013 advanced 16%, showing additional growth on top of the increases in 2010 (up 23%), 2011 (up 33%), and 2012 (up 37%).  By major region, multifamily housing revealed this performance in 2013—the Midwest, up 26%; the Northeast, up 24%; the South Atlantic, up 21%; the West, up 13%; and the South Central, down 6%.

The top five metropolitan areas in terms of the 2013 dollar amount of multifamily starts, with the percent change from 2012, were: New York City, up 23%; Boston, up 74%; Washington, D.C., unchanged from the previous year; Miami, up 12%; and Los Angeles, down 24%.

Metropolitan areas ranked 6 through 10 for multifamily starts were: Dallas-Ft. Worth, down 6%; Chicago, up 52%; Seattle, unchanged from the previous year, San Francisco, up 12%; and Denver, up 17%.

Nonbuilding Construction

Nonbuilding construction in December soared 40% to $180.6 billion (annual rate), which was the highest monthly rate during 2013. Bridge construction jumped 210%, boosted by the $1.5-billion Goethals Bridge replacement project in Staten Island, N.Y. and Elizabeth, N.J.