There's a whirlwind of changes happening in the construction industry. From AI and robotics to prefab and automation, the tools shaping how we work are evolving faster than ever.
The question is, which trends and tools are worth investing in? And how can construction firms keep up with the pace of change?
Here to discuss the top construction trends of 2025 are Ariel Castillo, the Innovation Director at Miller Davis Company, and Brad Buckles, VP of Technology and Innovation at CPPI. In this episode, we dive into the most pressing industry trends, dissect what's hype versus what's real, and talk about how leaders can manage change.
We discuss:
Not all trends or tools are suited for immediate adoption. Are some of them hyped up? Sure. But it's still important to see what's out there.
As Brad puts it, "We have to make sure we're seeing these trends and understanding the innovation opportunities out there. We need to select the right tools for the job so they can be force multipliers and help our people deliver the project on time, on schedule, and on budget."
Ariel, for his part, remarks that trends serve as a valuable lens for introspection and planning.
"We need to have this conversation about trends not only to understand the industry but as a way to benchmark ourselves as a company. What is the competition doing? What's available to you in the market, and what can you do to grow as a company? That's why trends are important."
No conversation about tech trends would be complete without AI. While artificial intelligence has been leading industry conversations for years now, the AI landscape continues to evolve, and construction firms should evaluate its practical applications.
Miller Davis Company recognizes the importance of adopting AI as long as it's implemented in a way that aligns with staff readiness.
"We believe in the technology; we just need to make sure that it's ready for our staff to use," says Ariel.
To that end, Miller Davis started hosting "grilling sessions," which allow staff, from superintendents to interns, to test AI tools in real-world scenarios by asking questions and challenging its responses.
"Grilling sessions are when we get our operation staff or superintendents to sit in front of the technology and start asking questions. See, when you've been exposed to AI for longer than others, you get pretty good at what kind of prompts you put into it. But you never know what a superintendent will come up with."
Ariel continues, "You want to have them in the same room and start grilling the AI, asking all these questions to try to understand the answers you're getting and if they're accurate.
Brad has a similar sentiment and adds that taking a measured approach to AI adoption is critical to ensuring security and practicality.
"We've taken a cautionary approach to implementing AI. We want to make sure that we're protecting our intellectual property. So, we've put some governance around implementing AI at CPPI and leaning towards trusted partners like Autodesk."
As teams grapple with higher levels of risk and project complexity, navigating preconstruction trends becomes even more important.
Preconstruction—the phase where planning, design, and estimating occur—lays the groundwork for project success. As such, construction firms are increasingly recognizing the need for streamlined workflows.
The good news? We're on our way to bridging the gaps and automating preconstruction processes.
"The preconstruction world as a whole has been disjointed. But we're seeing multiple companies bridging that gap and creating a better connection between the different systems. So, I believe that this year, we'll see substantial changes in the solutions out there for precon."
Over at CCPI, Brad says they're focusing heavily on automating preconstruction workflows.
"Automation will be a major focus in 2025 as we work to tie these tools together. Our goal is to create a more streamlined approach that brings everything into a cohesive system. Ultimately, we want to tie everything up in a neat bow and deliver it efficiently to our potential clients."
Speaking of which, both Ariel and Brad think that automation is a must for any organization that wants to maximize efficiency.
Ariel's advice is simple—talk to your team and understand what is slowing them down.
"Meet with your staff and ask them about the mundane or repetitive tasks they do on a daily basis. It's good for you to understand what they're struggling with. In doing so, you're going to run into things that you probably have never thought about."
Meanwhile, Brad emphasizes the need for integrated and automated systems. He uses the metaphor of dominoes, which illustrates how connecting tools can create a chain reaction of efficiency.
"We stack up all of these dominoes in different places, but if we line them up, we can tip one, and the rest of them will fall. That's how my mind works when it comes to technology and setting up automations."
He continues, "At CCPI, we're currently working on a web front end for all of these various tools—from CRM to our estimating software, to our accounting software, and obviously to our project management software.
"That way, we can start lining up those dominoes and then tip the first one over so that the rest falls, and we don't have to manually create those projects."
On the question of one trend or technology that they're excited about for the next 5 to 10 years, both Brad and Ariel bring up robotics.
"We love the idea that one day in the future, we're going to have robots do things that we don't want to do or that are too dangerous," says Brad.
"One of the challenges we're currently running into with these robots is battery power and consumption. How long can you keep these things going? I think that's going to be the challenge for these robotic engineers to overcome if we're truly going to resolve some of our labor crisis."
That said, striking a balance between leveraging robotics and maintaining a human workforce will be key. As Brad points out:
"We love talking about robotics, but we all need a job. So, we must figure out that balance between working with AI, technology, and robotics."
For Ariel, robotics represent a game-changing opportunity to address labor shortages.
"The reality is that if we can have a robot, let's say 15 years down the road, where they can work on a job site 24 hours—that's a big difference. We are going to address issues when it comes to schedules and costs. So, I think that's going to be interesting."
With so many changes happening in the industry, it's all too easy for teams to feel overwhelmed or resistant. Brad describes this issue perfectly in just two words: change fatigue.
So, what can companies do to overcome it?
Brad says it should start with employee training.
"There are always new enhancements coming out, but at the end of the day, if we're not providing the resources and training to those who are consuming the software daily, then all of our work is for nothing. We've got to make sure we're creating an impact on the construction process out in the field.
He adds, "Yes, people get tired of change, but when they start seeing the value behind our decisions, they're going to be on board. And so, it is my job to ensure that we're delivering a value proposition and providing the training to minimize change fatigue."
Ariel makes an excellent point, saying that while change is necessary, pushing too much at once can overwhelm teams and hurt progress.
"What we're shooting for is ensuring the industry as a whole is integrated. That includes our people in marketing, accounting, owners, subcontractors, and everything that's flowing upstream and downstream."
He continues, "We need to be mindful of not pushing too much at once. It's actually something that can hurt you. Also, with so many things changing at once, the rate of change is something you'll want to track."
Digital Builder is hosted by me, Eric Thomas. Remember, new episodes of Digital Builder go live every week.
