HLPA Predicts Residential & Commercial Building Increase in 2019

Members of Hawai‘i Lumber Products Association (HLPA) predict increased construction demand in 2019, following a stable 2018. As reported by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) fourth quarter report, industry jobs in the 2018 third quarter increased 0.6% compared to the same quarter in 2017. This job increase will be up 1.2% in 2019 from 2018, according to the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i (UHERO).

The expert members of Hawai‘i Lumber Products Association (HLPA) predict increased construction demand in 2019, following a stable 2018. Courtesy photo.

O‘ahu will see the trend of building low-rise and high-rise residential structures focused in Kaka‘ako and Ala Moana continue. Neighbor islands will also steady construction as rebuilding efforts in response to major natural disasters. This increase of construction can be seen in issued building permits; according to DBEDT the permit value for private construction increased by 3.6% last year across the state.

In addition to residential builds, 2019 will see an increase in capital improvement projects (CIP). According to DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria, state government payments for CIP increased 35.9% during 2018. This increase is coming to fruition in 2019, with large-scale commercial projects moving ahead for construction.

Resort renovation and development will be another large source of commercial building in 2019, and can already be seen in West O‘ahu, supporting the global trend of returning to building with wood. A new Marriott hotel near UH West O‘ahu’s campus will be entirely framed and constructed with wood. Hawai‘i Lumber Products Association (HLPA) member Honsador Lumber is supplying all the wood and lumber materials for the Marriott project.

New innovations in the industry are also prompting a return to using wood as a primary building material. Some engineered wood products are now comparable in strength to other building materials, and other innovations continue to improve the durability of wood. New to the Hawai‘i market via HLPA member Plywood Hawai‘i and other plywood distributors is treated glue line as a preventative treatment in hardwood plywood, protecting interior wood against termites and other boring insects.

For more information about lumber and benefits of building with wood, visit Hawai‘i Lumber Products Association.