Obtain residential construction statistics Governmental entities-whether it be on the federal, state, county or city level-may be able to provide statistics in the area of residential construction. As a general contractor, the majority of your work may comes from new house starts. Understanding these statistics will help you understand your own business and help you set goals for the coming year.

I recommend:  Metropolitan Council provides information on residential building permits and you can also search by city. Get data on the outlook for new residential construction and other sectors from the Financial Forecast Center.

Find construction project statistics including building and material costs Material costs make up a huge chunk of your budget and affect how you bid projects. Keep up on the trends for lumber and other supplies so you can more effectively watch your bottom line.

I recommend:  Building materials data and reports can be accessed easily via the National Association of Home Builders. Turner Construction Company offers statistical data in a chart format on the forecast for building construction costs.

Obtain commercial construction statistics Commercial building construction is another industry segment subject to much research and statistical data. Even if commercial construction isn't your company's main focus, use statistics to help you indicate trends in the industry overall and be better prepared when that occasional commercial project comes up.

I recommend:  The U.S. Census Bureau provides statistical information on commercial building construction by year or employment size of the business. Order market research reports on commercial construction issues at MarketResearch.com.