09/17/2026
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Everybody wants 2020 construction prices with 2026 wages, 2026 fuel, 2026 insurance, 2026 equipment costs and 2026 material prices. It doesn’t work that way. Diesel is over $6 a gallon. Construction input costs are up nearly 9% year-over-year. (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Steel doesn’t magically show up on the jobsite. Trucks don’t run on hopes and prayers.
Cranes, telehandlers, excavators, welders, trailers, insurance, payroll, lodging, freight, fuel, fasteners, sheathing and everything else that goes into a project costs real money.
And here’s the part nobody wants to hear: A contractor charging more today doesn’t necessarily mean the contractor is making more money. Sometimes the price simply went up because the cost of doing business went up. You can shop contractors all day long based on the lowest number on the page. But eventually somebody has to explain why that number was so low. Cheap construction is only cheap until you start paying for the shortcuts.
— Midwest Erecting & Fabrication
Steel Strong. Midwest Built.