Construction10+ Construction Industry Trends to Watch for 2024
10+ Construction Industry Trends to Watch for 2024
Since the construction industry is about building new things, it makes sense that it’s constantly changing. Each year, contractors encounter new trends and innovations. Given that, you may be wondering what you can expect in the way of 2024 construction industry trends.
insights from 185,000+ hours of construction marketing experience
Expert insights from WebFX
Nicole BreighnerLead Internet Marketing Consultant & Construction Industry Expert
“A lot of big infrastructure projects are set to close in 2024, leaving those businesses in need of equipment to complete those jobs. Heavy equipment industry businesses should work to establish a strong digital presence now and throughout every step of the marketing journey to ensure they capture those vital lead opportunities when searches happen. This means beginning work on SEO and local SEO now so that they are set up for success a few months down the road when those searches happen.”
2024 has brought a variety of new construction trends, and on this page, we’ll go over some of the most important ones to know. Tracking these trends allows you to keep up with the competition and not fall behind in the industry.
Keep reading for six of the biggest 2024 construction industry trends, including:
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Construction trends you’ll want to know for 2024
So, what’s trending in the construction industry for 2024? Here are some construction trends for the upcoming year:
1. 3D printing
One of the biggest contracting trends in 2024 is 3D printing. That’s not unique to the construction industry — other industries, like manufacturing, are also realizing the benefits of 3D printing.
Construction companies have found that they can 3D print many of the materials they need for their work. One of the best things about construction 3D printing is that you can do it using a variety of materials, including concrete and fiber.
3D printing also requires less time and less labor than with more traditional tools. You don’t have to hire as many people to do the job, and you can get your parts ready for use much faster.
2. Virtual design
Virtual design is another contracting industry trend that’s expected to grow over the course of 2024. What is virtual design? It’s a process where you use software to simulate the structures you want to build, verifying how everything will fit together and how stable it will be.
This useful trend can significantly decrease the chances that you’ll miscalculate something and build an unstable structure. If there are any instabilities in the design, a simulation tool like FlexSim or MATLAB can identify them, allowing you to correct them before you even start to build.
You can even hook simulators up to virtual reality software that lets you view the digital structure from an up-close, first-person perspective. That makes virtual design one of the most valued contracting trends.
3. Drone technology
Drones have certainly made the rounds in recent years as a multi-industry trend, with companies using them to deliver packages and perform surveillance. And in 2024, construction companies are finding a use for them, too — they’re a big construction trend this year.
Contractors are using drones to survey construction sites and measure materials. When it comes to surveying sites, a drone can give you a better perspective than someone walking around on the ground. It can also provide faster, more accurate material measurements.
As a final bonus, using drones for tasks that human workers would otherwise perform can help you minimize on-site injuries.
4. Green building
With environmental issues being the focus of so many conversations in recent years, it’s no surprise that green building makes the list of 2024 contracting trends. Green building is the practice of designing and constructing buildings in a more environmentally sustainable way.
There are lots of different ways to make buildings more environmentally sustainable, so this trend isn’t as specific as some of the others on this list. That said, one example of a green building practice is energy efficiency — finding ways of constructing buildings that minimize carbon emissions.
5. Modular construction
Modular construction, also called prefabrication, is one of the biggest construction trends in 2024. If you’re not familiar with it, modular construction is where contractors assemble large pieces of a building offsite and bring them to the construction site afterward.
One of the main benefits of modular construction is that it minimizes clutter and chaos on construction sites since most of the small-scale work occurs elsewhere. On the site itself, you’re simply connecting the larger pieces you’ve already built. That can help improve site safety.
On top of that, prefabrication can help minimize waste and save you money. That makes it a very efficient construction method, so it’s no surprise that it’s such a big contracting industry trend.
6. Search for skilled labor
The final construction trend on this list is the prioritization of skilled labor. Like plenty of other industries, many contractors have experienced labor shortages in the past few years, in part thanks to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This global event led many construction companies to make finding skilled labor their top priority.
The struggle to find workers to fill positions has led to many companies falling behind schedule and missing project deadlines. That’s not ideal for anyone involved, so companies are going out of their way to seek out new talent that can keep up with labor demand.
7. Smart cities
One of the upcoming construction trends for 2024 is the development of smart cities. These cities are high-tech and use the Internet-of-Things to help collect data about infrastructure and buildings to continually improve cities.
These cities focus on improving aspects like:
The efficiency of the economy
The eco-friendliness of structures and the surrounding area
Quality of life for people in the city
This movement to smart cities, though, does make construction more complicated. It involves things like installing pedestrian sensors and Wi-Fi powered lighting.
So, what does that mean for construction companies?
With the push for more smart cities, construction companies will need to stay on top of technology. You’ll want to know how to implement these technological aspects into construction builds to create these smart cities.
8. Development of new construction materials
To continue on this list of construction industry trends, let’s talk how building materials are changing. One of the upcoming trends for 2024 is new building materials.
Some trending materials include:
Engineered timber: Timber products made by putting together multiple types of softwood.
Recycled materials: Recycled materials have been around for a while, but they’re becoming more mainstream in construction. These materials are reused to create new building materials.
Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC): ECC is bendable concrete. This material is cost-effective and has a smaller carbon footprint, making in a new popular option (especially for smart cities).
For 2024, you’ll see these new construction materials increase in popularity across the industry. It’s a good time to research suppliers and find reputable ones so you’re prepared for a client that wants to use the materials in their build.
9. Robotics and automation
Automation is creeping its way into every industry, construction included. That’s why robotics and automation make it onto our list of construction industry trends for 2024.
With robotics, many companies are turning towards using robots to handle construction tasks that are extremely strenous on the body.
TyBot, for example, is a robot that can tie over 1200 rebar interactions per hour –– a task that is really back-breaking for a human to complete. It automatically completes these tasks to help keep construction teams on schedule.
In addition to robots, construction companies can also use autonomous construction vehicles to help automate repetitive construction tasks and improve efficiency. There are also technology programs, like FieldPrinter, that can help with tasks like laying out construction materials and drawing up plans within a construction site.
More construction companies will turn to robotics and automation in 2024 because they can help improve efficiency, reduce worksite injuries, and keep construction teams on schedule.
10. Renting equipment
To wrap up this list of 2024 construction trends, let’s talk about one of the newest trends: Renting equipment. The current state of the economy has forced businesses to focus on affordability and staying agile with their plans to adapt to the changes of the economy.
As a result, project managers are seeking out more affordable options for construction equipment –– namely renting equipment.
Expert insights from WebFX
Nicole BreighnerLead Internet Marketing Consultant & Construction Industry Expert
“We are starting to see some recovery, but there is still a lot of economic uncertainty in the world right now. With interest rates remaining high and discretionary spending reduced, businesses are focused on affordability and remaining agile in their planning for the year ahead. This is leading to an increased opportunity in the rental market for heavy equipment businesses, as opposed to purchasing machines.”
That means that, if you work in the rental equipment sector of the construction industry, you’ll want to put a strong focus on promoting your rental options. It’s a great opportunity to promote the benefits of renting your equipment and affordability of renting over buying.
Construction marketing trends for 2024
We covered construction industry trends for 2024, but those aren’t the only trends you need to know for this year. A core part of your business’s success is your ability to market what you offer, whether it’s equipment, site management, or something else.
So if you want to see success in 2024, you need to take a look at some of the construction marketing trends for this year.
Let’s dive in:
1. Ramping up local SEO efforts
One of the biggest construction marketing trends for 2024 is ramping up your local SEO efforts. When you consider that 46% of Google searches are for local businesses, you can’t miss the opportunity to reach people who conduct local searches for construction industry companies.
So, what can you do to prepare for this construction marketing trend? Here are a few ways to optimize your local SEO:
PMAX is a goal-based campaign type that enables advertisers to access all of their Google Ads inventory from a single campaign. It utilizes machine learning to help optimize ads, placements, and bids, and improve results for those ads.
Running localized PMAX campaigns is a great way to drive more local and qualified traffic for your construction company. Not only are these ads optimized, but they’re an affordable option for driving qualified leads for your business.
3. Creating high-quality written content
One of the top construction marketing trends this year is creating high-quality written content. With Google pushing out their Search Generative Experience (SGE) feature, the company is cracking down on the quality of content.
Google will move towards phasing out unhelpful, low-quality content from search results and pushing more informative, accurate, and high-quality content in the SERPs.
As a result, your construction company will need to focus on creating high-quality content that shares helpful information for your audience. Make sure your content is informative, helpful, and detailed.
Additionally, you’ll want to remove or revamp any low-quality content on your website to prevent a decrease in rankings.
4. Developing tailored email marketing campaigns
To continue on this list of construction marketing trends, let’s talk about creating tailored email campaigns. Email marketing remains one of the most effective strategies for creating personalized communication with clients, so it’s no surprise it’s on the list of 2024 construction trends.
To get the most from your email marketing campaigns this year, focus on creating campaigns tailored to your audience’s interests. If you work in heavy equipment, for example, you can tailor email campaigns based on what equipment certain clients are interested in.
Personalizing your email campaigns to your audience will help you see success with your email marketing strategy in 2024.
5. Integrating videos
To wrap up this list of construction marketing trends, let’s talk about integrating videos. More people are consuming video content –– The total time spent watching videos has increased 249% in 5 years. So, across all industries, video marketing is taking a stronghold.
If you want to get the most from your construction marketing in 2024, you’ll want to integrate videos into your marketing strategy.
Short-form video content is one of the most popular forms in 2024 and can be a great way to share information fast. You can use videos to show off your products, your team, and what your company does.
You can also opt to create educational videos, like how to have a safe construction site or how tooperate a piece of equipment safely.
Integrating video content is a great way for you to see success with your construction marketing efforts in 2024.
Learn how to take advantage of construction trends with WebFX
Following 2024 construction industry trends listed above can help you keep up with your competitors and drive more revenue. But bear in mind that there’s no better revenue driver than a good marketing campaign — that’s why you should consider partnering with WebFX.
While you’re managing other areas of your business and implementing the contracting industry trends listed above, we can handle your digital marketing and get your company in front of the right prospects. Our digital marketing services will drive more clients and more revenue for you.
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