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Oregon construction, reported in depth.

Long-form coverage of the people, projects, and policies shaping construction across Oregon — from Salem's residential pipeline to Portland's commercial reinvention.

PermitsResidentialCommercialConcreteLicensingSustainabilityLaborSupply Chain

Aerial view of an Oregon construction site with steel framework

Permits · Statewide

Oregon Construction Permit Trends Signal a More Disciplined 2025

Statewide permit volumes are stabilizing after a turbulent rebuild cycle, with Salem and Portland leading divergent recoveries in residential and commercial categories.

By Margaret Hollis · Mar 12, 2025 · 7 min read

Modern sustainable Oregon building exterior with solar panels

Sustainability · Statewide

Sustainable Building in Oregon: From Voluntary to Standard

Energy code updates, embodied-carbon scrutiny, and procurement preferences are pushing sustainable building from a voluntary differentiator to a baseline expectation.

By Elena Park · Dec 18, 2024

Construction workers framing a building in Salem Oregon

Labor · Salem

Salem's Construction Labor Market: Tight, Aging, and Adapting

Salem-area trade labor remains tight. The story behind the numbers is a workforce that's aging out, a training pipeline that's catching up, and contractors learning to plan further ahead.

By David Chen · Dec 2, 2024

Oregon construction supply yard with stacked lumber and steel

Supply Chain · Statewide

The Portland-Salem Construction Supply Chain Has Quietly Healed

Lead times on framing lumber, structural steel, and major mechanical equipment have normalized along the I-5 corridor. The bottlenecks that remain are concentrated and predictable.

By Margaret Hollis · Nov 20, 2024