What We’re Hearing on the Ground: Q1 Event Recap

In brief:

• Contractors in all places are feeling financial stress from excessive prices and tight margins.
• The true problem is not discovering tasks however discovering the fitting work quick.
• AI has shifted from principle to apply, with preconstruction professionals actively testing AI of their on a regular basis workflows.

We had the possibility to attach with tons of of building professionals this quarter at a few of the greatest occasions within the trade:

• World of Concrete: Las Vegas, NV (January 19–22)
• AHR Expo: Las Vegas, NV (February 2-4)
• Construct Expo: Atlanta, GA (February 25-26)
• CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026: Las Vegas, NV (March 3-7)
• AWCI Build26: New Orleans, LA (March 15-18)

We confirmed as much as demo, join, and hear. Right here’s what we’re listening to on the bottom to date in 2026. 

The economic system is a foremost matter. 

It doesn’t matter in the event you’re a small commerce contractor within the Midwest or a GC managing multi-state tasks, the rising price of doing enterprise got here up in practically each dialog we had this quarter. Supplies are costly. Labor is tight. Margins are thinner than they was once. 

What meaning in apply: contractors need to be selective about the place their money and time go now greater than ever. Inefficiencies are tougher to soak up than they have been simply two or three years in the past. 

The contractors who appear to be navigating at the moment’s unsure economic system finest aren’t essentially the largest contractors. As an alternative, they’re those who’ve gotten strategic about which alternatives they pursue and how briskly they’ll transfer on the fitting ones. 

In the event you’re trying to keep on prime of how financial shifts are affecting preconstruction particularly, our Economic Insights Center is an efficient place to benchmark. We preserve it up to date with the newest knowledge and insights, so that you don’t need to go looking for it. It’s every little thing you want in a single place.

Discovering the fitting work is tougher than it seems.

One thing that got here up repeatedly on the sales space is that contractors aren’t struggling to seek out tasks. They’re struggling to seek out the proper tasks and minimize via the entire noise in between. 

We had quite a lot of conversations that began with somebody describing hours misplaced sifting via irrelevant leads. In a number of instances, we pulled up their ConstructConnect® Project Intelligence searches proper there on the sales space and made a number of fast changes. The response was virtually all the time the identical: real shock at how a lot the platform may do.

This was one of the rewarding components of getting out into the sector this quarter. Challenge Intelligence is a strong device. Seeing contractors uncover a functionality or a search refinement they hadn’t used earlier than, and instantly grasp how a lot time it may save them, was reminder of why these in-person conversations matter. Generally, all it takes is one small tweak to unlock a number of worth. 

Contractors are utilizing AI of their on a regular basis workflows. 

We anticipated AI to come back up in our conversations, however what stunned us most was the extent of hands-on experimentation we really encountered.

Some contractors are nonetheless hesitant about utilizing AI, however a lot of people we talked to have already began utilizing AI of their on a regular basis workflows. Some are utilizing AI instruments that combine with their software program whereas others are stitching collectively their very own automations and constructing their very own AI workflows.

Our takeaway? The curiosity in AI is not theoretical anymore. Individuals are making an attempt issues. 

The dialog has shifted from “Ought to I take advantage of AI?” to “How do I take advantage of AI to win extra work?” Particularly, we heard a number of curiosity round utilizing AI to maneuver quicker within the estimating course of. To not change judgment, however to remove the repetitive work that may oftentimes eat up a number of hours.

It is a sentiment we have heard from our personal clients, too. In a recent conversation with painting contractor, Invoice Brady, he put it plainly, “AI is the way in which the trade is transferring ahead. I’d advocate getting in entrance of it relatively than taking part in catch-up as a result of most of your opponents are most likely utilizing it.” 

The people leaning into it early share one factor in frequent: they don’t seem to be ready for an ideal resolution. They’re experimenting, studying, and constructing a aggressive edge whereas others are nonetheless on the fence. 

Dialog Highlight: A $500K win hiding in plain sight.

One in all our favourite issues about attending commerce exhibits is assembly ConstructConnect clients and listening to how the instruments we construct are serving to them.

At a latest occasion, an excavating contractor from a small Missouri city is aware of everybody in his native trade. He is well-connected, well-respected, and plugged into his neighborhood. He even sits on the native fireplace board. So when a $500,000 venture got here to his tpersonal, you’ll assume he would’ve recognized about it via his connections. 

He did not. Neither did anybody in his networks. 

However he discovered the venture on ConstructConnect Challenge Intelligence earlier than anybody else did. He made the decision early, received in entrance of the fitting folks, and finally received the bid. That single venture accounted for a 3rd of his income for the yr. 

After we requested what made the distinction, his reply wasn’t simply in regards to the venture knowledge. He mentioned the contact info is what is actually worthwhile as a result of in building, relationships are every little thing. Challenge Intelligence helped him construct connections he did not even know he was lacking.

He summed it up higher than we may: “You may have one of the best bulldozer available on the market, but when you do not have a venture to place it on, it is nugatory.”

What we’re studying from the bottom.

The conversations we had on the bottom this quarter strengthened the identical factor: preconstruction professionals are sharp, adaptable, and in search of an edge in a aggressive market. The stress is actual, however so are the alternatives. 

Received ideas on what you’re seeing within the subject? We’d love to listen to from you. Send us an email to attach with our group.