Market Data
March 19, 2026
AIA sees signs of stabilization in architecture billings
Written by Laura Miller
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) said architecture billings showed signs of stabilizing in February, with the headline index reading coming in just below 50.
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) registered a reading of 49.4 in February, indicating a slight majority of firms saw lower billings. The index was up from 43.8 in January.
A reading below 50 indicates decreasing billings, while a reading above that suggests increasing billings.
The ABI is important to the steel industry as it is a leading indicator of nonresidential construction activity, projecting business conditions in the sector approximately 9-12 months in the future (the usual lag between architectural billings and construction spending).
“Inquiries rebounded after a January dip, and while newly signed design contracts continued to decline, the rate of decline slowed significantly,” AIA said.
“These trends suggest potential stabilization, though global economic uncertainty could disrupt progress,” AIA added.
AIA Chief Economist Richard Branch noted the ABI is showing some positive trends, but “the broader economy continues to struggle.”
The AIA asked architecture firms how their projected billings for the next quarter will compare to those of the current quarter. Almost half (48%) expect steady billable work in Q2’26. Nearly a third (31%) anticipate an increase in billings of at least 5%, while 21% foresee a decline of 5% or more.
Firms across the country saw declining billings in February, except in the South, which posted steady billings for a second consecutive month.
Billings were down across specializations as well, though institutional firms’ billings were basically flat, AIA reported.
