Interim Final Rule Key Changes

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) significantly revised its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program as of October 3, 2025, eliminating race- and gender-based presumptions and requiring individualized proof of disadvantage.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key changes introduced by the Interim Final Rule (IFR), the impact on construction projects, and what subcontractors should do regarding the rule.

NCCER 2026 Craft Professional Wage Survey

This survey is an important recurring research project conducted by NCCER every other year to identify and report on trends in construction salaries while highlighting careers in the industry.

NCCER is beginning to collect data for the 2026 report. The more data collected, the more accurate and insightful the report can be, and the more crafts NCCER can cover. The organizations that take part in NCCER’s survey do so voluntarily, and all specific company information remains confidential. Only positions which received enough responses to calculate a valid average are included.

Click here to take the 2026 Craft Professional Wage Survey!

Construction experts: Look for reconstruction to gain importance in 2026

Experts forecast continued modest growth for the US construction sector next year, despite ongoing uncertainty in the broader economy. Factors such as volatile interest rates and persistent inflation are influencing forecasts, but an uptick in GDP is likely. Reconstruction projects — including adaptive reuse and office-to-residential conversions — are expected to play a larger role as the industry adapts to an aging building stock. Full Story: ConstructConnect