Market Data
February 19, 2026
ABI tumbles as architectural billings soften further
Written by Laura Miller
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) tumbled in January, as business softened further at architectural firms across the US.
Since October 2022, the ABI, a 9- to 12-month leading indicator for nonresidential construction, has been below 50, indicating contraction in billings.
January’s reading of 43.8 was down from 47.1 in December, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported.
AIA said inquiries into new projects dropped for the first time since April 2025. At the same time, the value of newly signed contracts softened.
“There remains uncertainty among clients about starting new work, and the new projects that do get started tend to be smaller than in the past,” AIA noted.
Participant comments:
“Inquiries are strong, but for every project we win, it feels like another client is cutting back their plans or delaying project starts. I’m cautiously optimistic for the year, but that optimism won’t sustain too many more hits.”—130-person firm in the Midwest, commercial/industrial specialization
“A month-to-month rollercoaster. Projects stalled or put on hold, in parallel with so many proposal requests that we can’t respond to them all.”—17-person firm in the South, mixed specialization
“Things feel like they are moving in a positive direction. Although new opportunities are hard to come by locally, we’ve heard of upcoming work that is promising.”—26-person firm in the Northeast, institutional specialization
