A new wave of benchmark data reveals that U.S. construction firms are accelerating digital technology investments at a pace far outstripping measurable productivity returns, exposing a widening structural gap between spending and output across both public and private project portfolios. The findings, drawn from multiple industry surveys published in late 2025 and early 2026, point to fragmented procurement, thin profit margins, and insufficient workforce training as the principal obstacles to realizing return on investment.
Background
The construction sector's productivity problem is not new, but recent benchmarks underscore its persistence. McKinsey research finds that global construction productivity grew by just 0.4% annually between 2000 and 2022, compared with around 2% for the total economy - a total improvement of only 10% over more than two decades. The RICS Global Construction Monitor 2026, drawing on nearly 3,000 respondents across five regions, confirmed that this gap remains unresolved and flagged a secondary problem: just 16% of construction firms in the Americas use industry benchmarks to measure performance, while the figure falls to 5% in the UK and Europe. Without external reference points, the majority of firms have limited ability to identify performance gaps or justify new technology investments, according to RICS.
Against this backdrop, capital is flowing into the sector at scale. More than half - 55% - of the $3.55 billion invested in construction technology in the first quarter of 2025 went toward funding next-generation robotics and artificial intelligence-enabled technology, compared to less than 30% in all of 2024, according to a report from Nymbl Ventures. Yet translating that capital into field-level productivity gains has been slow.
Details
The disconnect between investment and returns is most visible in AI adoption rates. According to Bluebeam's 2026 Building the Future report - based on a survey of over 1,000 AEC professionals globally - only 27% of AEC firms currently use AI for automation, problem-solving, or decision-making, citing risk, cost, and integration challenges. Among those that do, the returns are substantial: 68% of AI early adopters report saving at least $50,000, and nearly half - 46% - have reclaimed 500 to 1,000 hours on critical tasks. However, broader rollout is stalling. Two-thirds of companies surveyed invest less than 10% of their technology budgets on training, a structural underinvestment that Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja has flagged directly. "Success requires not just tools but training and an integrated approach that connects the dots across teams, project phases and workflows," Shuja stated.
The readiness gap extends beyond AI. A 2025 AGC survey found that 70% of contractors reported having no formal technology roadmap in 2024, and nearly two-thirds cited uncertain payback periods - often exceeding 24 months - as the chief deterrent to new digital investments. Initial implementation costs for digital solutions can run 2-7% above traditional methods, according to the same survey, while most firms allocate only 1-5% of annual revenue to technology.
Adoption depth also matters. Research published by Dodge Construction Network and Procore, based on a survey of more than 1,500 construction professionals across North America, EMEA, and ANZ, found 82% of optimized technology users reported overall project performance benefits, compared to just 31% of light adopters. Nearly half of all optimized users report saving five or more hours per week on project coordination and data management tasks. The data suggests that ROI is not absent - it is conditional on the maturity and integration depth of adoption.
Labor constraints compound the problem, particularly on public projects. The E&C industry faces a projected need for 499,000 new workers by 2026, up from 439,000 in 2025, according to Deloitte's 2026 Engineering and Construction Outlook. Construction wages have increased 4.2% year-over-year as of August 2025, while productivity has improved at only 2.0%, widening the gap between what contractors pay and what they produce per hour.
Outlook
Deloitte's 2026 outlook recommends that firms institutionalize data governance frameworks, invest in continuous workforce development, and embed digital performance metrics throughout project delivery to "fully capitalize on the digital dividend." The RICS benchmark underscores that without standardized measurement practices, even high-performing firms will struggle to validate technology ROI to owners, lenders, and regulators. The AGC/Sage 2026 Outlook found that 32% of firms reported productivity improved over the past 12 months, while 41% said there was no change and 25% reported that productivity declined - a distribution reflecting both the uneven uptake of digital tools and contractors' continued exposure to cost pressures that technology alone cannot resolve.
