The Daily, Thursday, November 13, 2003. Non-residential building construction price index

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Non-residential building construction price index

The composite price index (1997=100) for non-residential building construction in the third quarter was 119.2, up 0.6% from the second quarter and 3.3% from the third quarter of 2002. The year-to-year percentage changes for each of the last three quarters were the highest measured since an increase of 3.7% in the second quarter of 2001.

Montréal's index rose 1.0% from the second quarter, followed by Halifax and Vancouver (both +0.6%), Ottawa (+0.5%), Toronto (+0.4%), Edmonton (+0.3%) and Calgary (+0.2%).

Ottawa had the highest change (+4.2%) from the third quarter of 2002, followed by Toronto (+4.0%), Montréal (+3.2%), Calgary (+2.9%), Halifax (+2.8%), Edmonton (+2.3%) and Vancouver (+1.1%).

Non-residential building construction price indexes

(1997=100)

Third quarter 2003

Third quarter 2002 to third quarter 2003

Second quarter to third quarter 2003

% change

Composite

119.2

3.3

0.6

Halifax

110.2

2.8

0.6

Montréal

117.3

3.2

1.0

Ottawa

121.3

4.2

0.5

Toronto

124.2

4.0

0.4

Calgary

119.7

2.9

0.2

Edmonton

117.7

2.3

0.3

Vancouver

108.9

1.1

0.6

Note: Non-residential building construction price indexes provide an indication of changes in construction costs in seven major urban areas (Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver). Three construction categories - industrial, commercial and institutional buildings - are represented by selected models (a light factory building, an office building, a warehouse, a shopping centre and a school).

Besides the major urban areas and composite indexes, a further breakdown of the changes in costs is available by trade group - structural, architectural, mechanical and electrical - within the building types. These price indexes are derived from surveys of general and special trade group contractors. They report data on various categories of costs (material, labour, equipment, taxes, overhead and profit) relevant to the detailed construction specifications included in the surveys.

Available on CANSIM: tables 327-0039 and 327-0040.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 2317 and 2330.

The third quarter 2003 issue of Capital expenditure price statistics (62-007-XPB, $24/$85) will be available in January.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Rebecca McDougall (613-951-9606; fax: 613-951-1539; infounit@statcan.gc.ca), Prices Division.