The Associated Builders and Contractors publishes the Construction Backlog Indicator monthly based on member surveys. The December 2025 reading came in at 8.2 months, up 0.1 months from November, per the ABC member survey conducted December 22 through January 7 (Source: ABC Central Texas, abccentraltexas.org, January 2026). The backlog indicator measures how many months of work contractors currently have under contract. At 8.2 months, contractors were carrying nearly three quarters of a year of committed work heading into 2026. That is one of the strongest forward demand readings published in recent years.
The backlog reading is a leading indicator. Work that was in contractor backlogs in December is being executed right now. In Texas, that execution is visible across multiple fronts simultaneously. TxDOT is working through its record $21.2 billion fiscal year 2026 transportation budget (Source: Texas Legislature SB1, 89th Session). The North Texas Municipal Water District is deploying $1.7 billion in capital improvements (Source: NTMWD, ntmwd.com, January 2026). BNSF’s 944-acre Logistics Center North Dallas in Gunter broke ground in March. The Samsung semiconductor corridor in Taylor is at peak activity. Each of these projects was in someone’s backlog in December. They are all consuming aggregate right now.
“Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.2 months in December, according to an ABC member survey conducted Dec. 22 to Jan. 7. The reading is up 0.1 months since November.” – Source: Associated Builders and Contractors · abc.org · January 2026
What an 8.2-month backlog means practically for aggregate sourcing is that the contractors moving material across Texas this spring and summer are not opportunistic buyers. They are executing committed schedules. When a job is under contract and a crew shows up, the material needs to be there. Contractors who have sourcing relationships in place before their backlog converts to active work have a different level of certainty than those who call for aggregate the week they need it.
The January ABC backlog reading for Texas specifically was not broken out in this release. But the Texas construction market is running multiple high-profile projects simultaneously across TxDOT corridors, water utility programs, and private development, all of which are the kind of work that drives contractor backlog in this state. The aggregate demand running through that backlog is real and active.
The next ABC Backlog Indicator release will update the December reading with January data. For contractors managing active jobs or preparing to start new ones, the current environment does not suggest the forward demand picture is easing.
A construction backlog of 8.2 months means committed work is in the ground for most of the year. The aggregate sourcing decisions that keep that work on schedule need to be made before the schedule is set, not after.