Market Data
August 10, 2026
Dodge Momentum Index increased in July
Written by David Schollaert
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) rose in July, up from an upwardly revised June reading.
Gains were again driven by data centers, though a broad gain in institutional planning aided the growth vs. June.
The Dodge Construction Network (DCN) reported a DMI reading of 291.7 for July, up 6.9% from July’s upwardly revised reading of 273.0.
The DMI is a monthly reading based on the three-month moving average of nonresidential building projects entering planning. The measure is shown to lead nonresidential construction spending by 12 to 18 months, according to DCN.
While commercial planning grew 4.1% month over month (m/m) as data center planning recovered after a brief pause in June. Office, warehouse, retail, and hotel planning pace all slowed.
Institutional planning also rose, expanding 13.1% vs. June. Planning activity accelerated in July across education, healthcare, recreational, religious, and public buildings. Education and public-sector projects drove much of the month-over-month increase, with public building starts more than doubling over the past two months.
“Data centers and broad-based growth across key institutional sectors supported stronger planning activity in July,” said DCN Director of Economic Research Sarah Martin. “Sustained planning activity should bolster construction in late 2027, though real growth will prove more constrained as inflationary expectations are priced into project costs.”
The DCN noted that compared to last year, growth was widespread. The headline index rose 11.7% vs. a year ago, with both commercial and institutional planning posting gains of 13.8% and 7.6%, respectively.
