United States yearbook - 1982 (1)

7 4 2 Construction and Housing
No. 1330. P r ic e , W a g e S c a le , a n d C o s t I n d e x e s f o r C o n s t r u c t i o n : 1 9 7 0 t o 1 9 8 1
(1977** 100, except a* Indicated. Excludes Alaska and Hawaii, except as noted. Indexes of certain of these sources are
published on bases different from those shown here. See H is to ric a l S ta tis tic s , C o lo n ia l T im e s to 1 9 7 0 , series N 118-137, for
construction cost Indexes on a 1947-49 base]
ITEM 1970 1973 1974 1975 1976 1976 1979 I960 1961
Price index for new one-family houses sold 1..................... 55.3 67.5 73.8 81.7 88.7 114.5 130.8 145.2 157.4
Union hourly wage scales, building trades *........................ 84.1 105.0 113.2 122.9 130.9 146.5 156.6 169.1 (NA)
Construction oost indexes:
Dept, of Commerce composite8..................................... 56.8 69.6 81.8 89.3 92.4 113.0 128.8 143.2 152.5
Federal Highway Admin.: Highways4.......... .................... 58.0 70.8 96.3 96.7 93.4 119.4 142.6 163.0 156.7
Environmental Protection Ag'ency:
Sewers...................................................................... 51.2 68.2 78,8 68.5 94.1 109.5 123.2 133.6 142.2
Sewage treatment plant.............................................. 51.6 65.6 78.0 69.8 94.3 109.5 120.4 131.3 142.5
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Pipeline............ 54 64 76 93 98 112 121 133 145
American Appraisal Co.: Building construction 8.................. 57 76 80 66 94 109 118 125 132
Turner Construction Co.: Building construction 8................. 62 78 91 , 95 97 106 118 131 144
E. H. Boeckh, building cost Index:7
Small residential structures............................................ 56.5 73.5 79.4 84.7 91.7 109.0 119.0 128.9 136.0
Apartments, hotels, and office buildings......................... 57.5 71.3 77.9 65.6 92.4 106.5 114.7 125.1 137.4
Commercial and factory buildings.................................. 55.6 69.8 77.3 65.3 92.6 107.5 117.1 127.7 140.1
Engineering News-Record: ‘ Building construction............. 54.1 73.7 78.0 84.6 92.3 108.4 117.8 125.8 135.8
General construction.... ................................................ 53.8 73.5 78.4 85.8 93.1 107.7 116.5 125.6 137.1
Handy-Whitman public utility: • Building.............................. 53 69 64 93 95 109 122 135 142
Electric light a n d power10............................................. 52 63 75 88 94 106 116 127 139
NA Not available. 1Includes value of site. M972*=100, Based on minimum wage rates agreed upon through collective
bargaining; excludes overtime. As of first work day in July. Includes Honolulu, Hawaii, beginning In 1976. Source: U.S. Bureau o!
Labor Statistics, U n io n W a g e s a n d B e n e fits : B u ild in g T ra d e s, annual. 8Covers both building and nonbuilding construction,
excluding maintenance and repair. Represents a weighted average of various indexes used for different types of
construction. * Based on average contract unit bid prices for composite mile (involving specific average amounts of excavation,
paving, reinforcing steel, structurarsteel, and structural concrete). 'Average for 30 cities of 4 types of buildings: Wood-frame,
brick-wood frame, brick-steel frame, and reinforced concrete. Covers materials and labor costs In structural portion of buildings but
excludes those for plumbing, heating, lighting, sprinklers, and elevators. Reflects employee-benefit costs, and allows for
contractors' overhead and profit. ‘ Eastern cities. Based on firm's cost experience with respect to labor rates, materials prices,
competitive conditions, efficiency of plant and management, and productivity. Reflects payment of sales taxes and employeebenefit
costs. 7 Average of 20 cities for types shown. Weights based on surveys of building costs. Wage rates used tor both
common and skilled labor. Reflects payment of sales taxes and Social Security payroll taxes. ‘ Building construction index
computed )n basis of hypothetical unit of construction requiring 6 bbl. of Portland cement, 1,066 M bd. ft. of 2* x 4" lumber, 2,500
lb. of structural steel, and 68.38 hours of skilled labor. Generar construction Index based on same materials components combined
with 200 hours of common labor. ‘ Based on data covering public utility construction costs for 95 Items in 6 geographic regions.
Covers skilled and common labor; does not reflect tax payments nor employee-benefit costs. 10As derived by U.S. Bureau of
the Census. Covers steam production plants only; excludes hydraulic plants.
Source: Except as noted, U.S. Bureau of the Census. In U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industrial Economics,
C o n s tru c tio n R e v ie w .
No. 1331. C o n s t r u c t i o n M a t e r i a l s — P r o d u c e r P r i c e I n d e x e s : 1 9 7 0 t o 1 9 8 1
[1967—100. For discussion of producer price index, see text, p. 451. Covers materials incorporated as integral part of a building or
normally installed during construction mid not readily removable. Excludes consumer durables such as kitchen ranges,
refrigerators, etc. See also, H is to ric a l S ta tis tic s , C o lo n ia l T im e s to 1 97 0, series N 140-155]
COMMODITY 1970 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1961
All materials......................... 112.5 126.6 136.5 160.9 174.0 167.7 204.9 228.3 251.4 266.4 283.0
Softwood lumber: Douglas fir............ 108.7 161.1 209.6 213.7 212.0 250.7 291.4 339.7 383.9 353.0 311.8
Southern pine............................... 114.7 151.5 187.9 184.5 175.3 217.4 262.5 304.6 324.2 297.4 291.6
Hardwood lumber............................. 114.6 126,2 169.0 189.5 160.3 176.0 200.3 235.8 260.0 252.0 255.2
Mlllwork............................................ 116.0 128.4 144.2 157.1 160.4 176.9 193.7 235.4 254.3 260.4 273.4
Plywood........................................... 108.4 130.7 155.2 161.1 161.2 187.0 212.2 235.6 250.5 246.5 245.7
Building paper and board................. 101.0 106.4 112.8 123.5 127.1 138.8 157.0 187.4 182.4 206.2 231.7
Prepared paint...»............................. 112.4 118.0 122.2 145.7 166.9 174.4 162.4 192.3 204.4 235.3 249.8
Finished steel products:
Structural shapes......................... 115.3 134.6 140.7 179.0 216.3 227.1 241.2 272.0 300.4 329.9 368.1
Reinforcing bars........................... 110.3 114.7 124.1 201.5 199.2 182.5 185.8 208.4 261.1 274.8 275.5
Black pipe, carbon........................ 1133 132.5 137.8 178.7 204.6 219.1 247.9 276.8 301.8 323.6 380.4
Wire nails, 6d common............... - 114.8 133.5 140.4 207.1 241.4 243.6 261.3 273.5 298.5 331.9 366.9
Nonferrous metal products............... 124.7 116.9 135.0 187.1 171.6 181.6 195.4 207.8 261.7 305.0 285.8
Building wire................................. 123.2 92.9 106.2 169.7 125.8 118.4 126.7 125.5 167.7 209.4 163.7
Plumbing fixtures............................. 111.2 119.7 125,8 149.1 162.3 174.1 186.6 199.1 217.1 246.7 267.5
Heating equipment.......................... 110.6 118.2 120.4 135.0 150.7 158.0 165.5 174.4 187.1 206.5 224.2
Metal doors, sash, trim.................... 113.0 120.5 124.5 147.3 162.5 171.3 188.7 207.6 229.6 255.2 278.8
Concrete Ingredients........................ 112.6 126.9 131.2 148.7 172.3 186.7 199.0 217.7 244.0 274.0 296.3
Concrete product8........................... 112.2 125.6 131.7 151.7 170.5 180.1 191.8 214.0 244.1 273.9 291.2
Structural clay products................... 109.9 117.3 123.3 135.2 151.2 163.5 179.8 197.2 217.9 231.5 249.8
Gypsum products............................ 99.7 114.7 120.9 137.6 144.0 154.4 163.5 229.1 252.3 256.3 256.2
Asphalt roofing............................... 102.7 131.2 135.5 196.0 225.9 238.3 253.0 292.0 325.3 396.8 407.5
Insulation materials......................... 123.2 136.9 137.4 156.5 196.2 212.6 235.9 250.7 256.3 287.9 (NA)
NA Not available.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, P ro d u c e r P ric e s a n d P ric e In d e x e s , monthly and annual.