A wave of multibillion-dollar megaprojects is redefining the U.S. construction sector in 2025, with nine of the largest breaking ground in October, according to new data from Dodge Construction Network (DCN).
Why It Matters
These colossal projects are powering overall industry gains at a time when more traditional commercial and residential construction is under pressure.
High-value builds—ranging from data centers and liquefied natural gas export terminals to major manufacturing facilities—are not only generating jobs and economic activity, but also underscoring shifting industrial priorities and persistent challenges around labor, permitting, and infrastructure capacity.
What To Know
U.S. construction starts climbed sharply in October 2025, boosted by a surge in projects valued at over $1 billion, DCN reports.
These “megaprojects” are large-scale, long-duration efforts that require billions in investment and typically involve complex partnerships across public, private, federal, and sometimes international stakeholders.
Last month, these major undertakings helped push total construction starts up 21.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.53 trillion.
Nonresidential building activity led the turnaround, rising 17.9 percent. Office and data center projects saw the sharpest rebound, jumping 45.5 percent, while manufacturing starts more than doubled with a 107.2 percent increase.
Retail construction improved 15.1 percent, even as hotel and warehouse projects declined.
Across the first 10 months of 2025, commercial starts are up 13.6 percent, though institutional work—such as healthcare and education projects—has slipped 2.2 percent. Overall, nonresidential construction starts rose 5.6 percent year over year through October 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.
The nine largest projects that began construction in October include:
- $15.1 billion Calcasieu Pass LNG Export Terminal and Pipeline, Cameron, Louisiana
- $9 billion Rio Grande LNG Phase 2, Brownsville, Texas
- $7.5 billion Meta Hyperion Data Centre, Richland, Louisiana
- $5.9 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel Improvement, Maryland
- $1.9 billion Los Angeles Convention Center Expansion
- $1.7 billion Eli Lilly Manufacturing Facility, Lebanon, Indiana
- $214 million Andare Residences, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- $165 million 6 East 43rd St. Office-to-Residential Conversion, New York City
- $132 million Jefferson Bonnie Brae Apartments, Denton, Texas
Infrastructure, transportation, and utility starts also posted striking gains, with overall project volume in these categories jumping 59.4 percent in October. Utility construction alone soared 384.5 percent, helping counter a 23.7 percent drop in highway and bridge work.
On the housing side, conditions were weaker. Residential construction starts declined 15.4 percent in October, driven largely by a steep 38.5 percent fall in multifamily projects.
Single-family construction provided a small offset, edging up 2.2 percent. For the 12 months ending in October 2025, total residential starts are down 3.1 percent.
What People Are Saying
Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at DCN, noted that growth remains highly concentrated at the top end of the market.
“Much of the momentum we’re seeing is still concentrated in big-ticket, high-tech projects. Outside those categories, the pace of expansion is noticeably steadier and more restrained,” she said.
She added: “Growth in construction starts continued to be propped up by high-value megaproject activity last month. Outside of these high-tech buildings, however, growth appears more moderate. In square footage terms, for example, nonresidential and residential starts declined by 4.3 percent over the month and are down 5.4 percent year-to-date through October.”
What Happens Next
While the current surge in megaprojects is lifting national construction figures, DCN warns that performance is uneven across sectors.
Data centers, energy infrastructure, and other capital-intensive projects are expected to remain key drivers of growth in the near term. Meanwhile, broader commercial categories, retail developments, and smaller institutional projects are likely to see a more subdued and gradual recovery.
