A documented workforce constraint

In AGC and NCCER’s 2026 national survey, 42% of respondents reported project delays caused by shortages of their own or subcontractors’ workers. Among firms with hourly craft openings, 88% said filling those positions was as difficult or more difficult than a year earlier. Read the survey findings ↗

The survey collected responses in July and August from 1,830 people who completed at least one section. It is evidence of a national construction workforce challenge—not a count of missing contractors in each Texas Triangle city.

What an owner can ask early

  • Who will manage the project, and what is their current workload?
  • Which trades or specialists need to be committed first?
  • What design decisions affect procurement or the construction sequence?
  • Which milestones depend on permits, utilities or third-party approvals?

These questions help make a proposed schedule specific. An early conversation is not a promise of immediate availability, a guaranteed completion date or a substitute for a written scope.

More than a construction issue

Kinder’s regional policy discussion links long-term prosperity to education, infrastructure and broader access to opportunity. The workforce conversation belongs within that larger picture, alongside housing, transportation and the needs of smaller communities. Read the policy perspective ↗

Plan around the actual team

Match the project’s scope and schedule to the people, trades and approvals it will need. Clear expectations make the first planning conversation more useful.