Educational and public projects show steady momentum as infrastructure capital helps balance cooling healthcare and federal segments.
RLB Crane Index Reflects Steady Momentum Across Key North American Metros
Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) Releases Q3 2026 Crane Index and Cost Research
Phoenix, AZ, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) has issued its Q3 2026 North American Crane Index, showing a structural shift in urban skylines as public, education, and transportation investments drive fixed tower crane deployments.
The biannual index, which measures on-site physical workloads across 18 major U.S. and Canadian cities, shows an overall increase in total crane counts. A key contributor is the education sector, where dedicated cranes rose nearly 42% (from 12 to 17 cranes) across surveyed markets. Overall, 11 cities saw notable increases, four maintained baseline activity, and only three reported declines.
“Across North America, we are seeing developer sentiment translate into tangible site activity,” said Paul Brussow, President of Rider Levett Bucknall North America. “The fact that 11 of 18 markets posted crane gains shows that project teams are moving off the sidelines. Rather than waiting for conditions to become entirely predictable, owners are learning to execute within current parameters, leaning into precise regional cost and schedule intelligence to protect their capital.”
Key Findings:
- Institutional Momentum: Education-related tower cranes rose nearly 42% (a net addition of five cranes, moving from 12 to 17) collectively across surveyed cities, reflecting steady institutional investment.
- Infrastructure Capital Offsets: Solid activity in education, public/civic, transportation, and industrial construction helped balance pullbacks in federal, healthcare, and sports developments.
- Geographic Expansion: 11 major metropolitan areas posted rising crane counts across the U.S. and Canada, while four held steady and three declined (Chicago, Las Vegas, and Toronto).
- Workload Barometer: Total fixed crane counts increased overall across North America, indicating sustained on-site project volume and active capital deployment.
To access the complete report, visit rlb.com.
About Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB)
With a network that covers the globe and a heritage spanning over two centuries, Rider Levett Bucknall is a leading independent organization in cost management and quantity surveying, project management, advisory services, sustainability services, and built asset services. Rider Levett Bucknall’s North American practice has offices in over 30 cities across North America, including Austin, Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Hilo, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Tucson, Waimea, and Washington, D.C. With more than 4,600 employees worldwide, Rider Levett Bucknall brings unparalleled value and service to its prestigious group of clients through its robust experience and high-level expertise. The firm enjoys a professional heritage that spans over 240 years, and it continues to be a global leader in the construction industry throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
For more information, visit www.rlb.com, and for the latest company news and construction cost trends, follow the firm on LinkedIn.
Attachments
- RLB Crane Index Reflects Steady Momentum Across Key North American Metros
- Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) Releases Q3 2026 Crane Index and Cost Research
CONTACT: Lisa Bankston Rider Levett Bucknall [email protected]
