Construction’s New Reality: Tariffs, Labor Woes, and Tech Overload

Author

Owen Drury
June 09, 2025

Construction’s New Reality: Tariffs, Labor Woes, and Tech Overload

🚨 US slaps 50% tariffs on aluminum and steel — construction braces for impact.

🏗️ Skanska’s 2025 Market Trends Report predicts project costs increasing 5–15%.

📈 Domestic suppliers feel the squeeze as demand strains US manufacturing capacity.

🏘️ Labor shortages deepen, and housing IRRs are headed south fast.


But that’s not all:

Patric Hellermann dives into how forward-deployed engineering (think Palantir for AEC) could reshape construction tech.

Dustin DeVan explains why the real winners in this mess might just be… private equity firms.

And the team breaks down how tighter immigration is quietly reshaping the labor market (and construction costs).


🎧 Listen now for:

  • Why tariffs are a stealth tax on your next project.

  • How a 20B contractor is partnering (not just buying) with startups.

  • How AI + custom workflows could kill 100+ point solutions

  • The quiet migration crisis impacting construction labor.


🗣 Bonus: Some personal highlights

  • Dustin ran 6 miles before recording — all while plotting Ediphi’s next move.

  • Patric's chair upgrade is stealing the show.

  • Martin’s engineering firm is booming — and no one knows why.

  • Owen’s contemplating a podcast just for construction conspiracy theories