The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have announced their data for the construction industry in December of 2011, and it appears that most of the metrics point to a positive upswing in business, at least compared to 2010.
Single-family building permits and housing starts were both up compared to November, as well as the year prior. Privately-owned residences, however, were down in both building permits and housing starts compared to the previous month, but still better than December in 2010.
For housing completions, the trends were just the opposite - single-family completions were below November's totals, but privately-owned residences were almost 10 percent above compared to November.
All in all, the industry has seen steady growth as of late as more residential construction gets underway.
Construction companies expecting an uptick in business soon should prepare by buying used construction equipment from IronPlanet. The auction website offers a wide selection of equipment to choose from, so builders can be sure they get the right tool for the job. The IronClad Assurance inspection report allows potential bidders to check out the vehicle thoroughly before they buy, so that the shopper knows exactly what they're getting.
