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2027 AEC Outlook Survey

1.Critical Issues Facing Your Firm Today

Please review the categories below and rate how concerned you are with the identified issues on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 signifying “not concerned,” 3 signifying “neutral,” and 5 signifying “extremely concerned.”

Staffing Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
Recruitment of New Staff
Retention of Existing Staff
Wage Growth
Cost of Benefits
Retirement of Key Staff
2.Economic Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
Impact of Tariffs
Political Uncertainty
Ability to Obtain New Projects
Inflationary Pressures
Continued High Interest Rates
Changing Set-Aside Contract Regulations
3.Project Delivery Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
Delivering Projects Already Under Contract
Lack of Material Availability
Competitive Pressures – Reduced Profitability
Changing Project Delivery Models (design-build, progressive design-build, IPD, CMAR, P3, etc.)
Need to Improve Operational Efficiencies
4.Ownership/Leadership Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
The Missing Middle – Lack of Mid-Career Professionals
The Missing Top – Lack of Senior-Level Staff
Lack of Leadership Candidates
Lack of Ownership Candidates
5.Professional Development Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
Need to Better Train Staff
Lack of Internal Knowledge Causing Quality Issues
Multi-Generational Workforce Issues / Changing Demographics
Staff Resistance to Working Overtime
“Quiet Quitting” – Feeling that You’re Not Getting 100% from Some Staff
6.Technology Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
Ability of Firm/Staff to Keep Up with Technological Changes
Integrating Automation & Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity Concerns – Potential Disruptions to Firm
Cost of Technology
7.Additional Issues(Required.)
1
Not Concerned
2
3
Neutral
4
5
Extremely Concerned
Differentiating from the Competition
Increased Rate of Regulatory Changes
State of R&D Tax Credits
Evolving Impact of Private Equity in AEC Market Space
Managing Company Growth
Effect of Work from Home vs. In-Office vs. Hybrid
Moving from a "doer" firm to an "advisor" firm as AI handles more internal tasks
Effectively implementing value-pricing model
8.Compared with 2025, how do you anticipate your 2026 revenues will finish the year?(Required.)
9.Compared with your backlog at the beginning of 2026, how is your current backlog as we approach the end of the year?(Required.)
10.Do you expect an economic recession within the next year?(Required.)
11.Do you anticipate a downturn in firm revenues over the next year?(Required.)
12.If you answered “yes” to either of the previous two questions, what steps are you taking to position your company for a downturn? (check all that apply).(Required.)
13.Are you currently considering acquiring another firm?(Required.)
14.Do you anticipate that your firm will be acquired by another company?(Required.)
15.How would you describe the current value of your firm in comparison to last year?(Required.)
16.Where do you envision the greatest opportunity to implement automation and artificial intelligence? (check all that apply)(Required.)
17.How would you describe the measurable improvement in business performance that your firm has experienced through the implementation of artificial intelligence tools?(Required.)
18.How do you anticipate the following market sectors will perform in 2027? (answer all that apply; based on US Census Bureau market definitions)(Required.)
Significant Decline
Moderate Decline
No Change
Moderate Growth
Significant Growth
Lodging
Office (including data centers)
Commercial / Retail / Warehouse
Health Care
Educational (K-12, Higher Ed)
Religious
Public Safety / Correctional
Amusement / Recreation
Transportation (facilities)
Communication
Power / Energy
Highway & Street
Sewage / Waste Disposal
Water Supply
Conservation / Development / Dam
Manufacturing
Single Family Residential
Multi-Family Residential
19.Which category best describes your firm?(Required.)
20.Which markets does your firm serve (US Census Bureau Categories – select all that apply)(Required.)
21.In which regions do you operate? (select all that apply)(Required.)
22.What is the current size of your firm?(Required.)
Thank you for taking the time to fill out our survey! Make sure you register for our upcoming webinar here where you'll be able to hear the results!
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