North Carolina Construction News staff writer
While rate-sensitive sectors like housing face short-term contraction, North Carolina’s construction market is finding stability in infrastructure and institutional investment. 
The latest FMI Building Products Market Outlook, released from FMI’s Raleigh headquarters, forecasts that growth in 2025 and 2026 will be led by power transmission projects, data centers, and water utilities.
The report projects total HVAC spending to reach $193.5 billion in 2026, driven by updates to ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC codes that require higher efficiency thresholds. Residential spending in the window and door market is also expected to be significant, with $340 billion in total spending projected from 2025 to 2029.
“Manufacturers and distributors… wanting to capitalize on this growth will need to stay informed of evolving energy efficiency regulations,” says the report, authored by a team led by FMI partner Paul Trombitas.