Ivaldi Engineering

Construction has the highest hiring confidence of any industry in Alabama right now, and the only shrinking capital spending outlook. That tells you where builders' heads are.

In the University of Alabama's Q3 2026 Business Confidence Index, construction hiring confidence hit 60.7, the top of all nine industries. Capital spending landed at 46.4, the only contractionary reading in the survey.

Translation: firms are staffing up to finish work already booked, but protecting cash instead of betting on expansion. For developers, the capacity to build exists today. If your project is real, getting into design and permitting now puts you ahead of a slower back half.

See the data: https://cber.culverhouse.ua.edu/alabama-business-confidence-index/

DM us or call (256) 248-9634 if you are planning a project in North Alabama.

Most developers who get burned in North Alabama skip the same 5 checks before closing on land.

1. Jurisdiction confirmation -- city or county? Two different permit processes, different timelines.
2. Utility availability -- call the utility before you call the engineer. In some markets, will-serve is not guaranteed.
3. Pre-application meeting -- free, not binding, surfaces surprises before you spend money on design.
4. Wetland screening -- any parcel near streams or low areas could have jurisdictional wetlands.
5. Zoning alignment -- permitted by right vs. requiring a rezoning is a 45 to 90 day difference.

These five checks cost less than a month of carrying costs.

First project? Call us at (256) 248-9634 before you sign the contract.