Business Conditions Remain Flat at Architecture Firms, ABI Data Shows

The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) dipped slightly below 50 for November. The November AIA/Deltek ABI score of 49.6 changed little from October’s score of 50.3, indicating that the share of architecture firms that reported declining billings was essentially the same as the share that reported increasing billings. Any score below 50.0 indicates decreasing business conditions, but there are encouraging signs of the pipeline.

The return of billings to a stable level after nearly two years of decline signals potential improvement across the industry. Additionally, inquiries into new projects are steadily increasing, demonstrating sustained interest in future work opportunities. However, newly signed design contracts have experienced an eighth consecutive month of decline, suggesting that a more robust upturn in design activity is still distant.

“Given the extended weakness in business conditions at architecture firms, increasing firm profitability remains the top concern for 2025, with one-third of firm leaders selecting it as a major issue—the highest since 2017,” said Kermit Baker, PhD, AIA Chief Economist. “Negotiating appropriate project fees ranked second, chosen by 21 percent, while 20 percent identified finding new clients and markets or improving business planning and marketing as a top concern, up from 18 percent last year.”

Key ABI highlights for November include:
 •    Regional averages: West (54.3); South (50.0); Midwest (48.1); Northeast (46.9)
 •    Sector index breakdown: multifamily residential (50.8); institutional (50.6); commercial/industrial (49.4); mixed practice (firms that do not have at least half of their billings in any one other category) (48.5)
 •    Project inquiries index: 54.1
 •    Design contracts index: 48.3

The regional and sector categories are calculated as three-month moving averages and may not always average out to the national score.

Visit AIA’s website for detailed information about this, and past billing index reports.