Stability Benchmarks for Construction Businesses
In February 2026, Rightworks surveyed 733 decision-makers from small and medium-sized businesses to find out what it truly takes to build stable, resilient infrastructure. Here’s how construction companies stack up against the broader SMB landscape.
Construction stability snapshot
Construction companies are keeping pace with the broader SMB landscape but haven’t quite pulled ahead of the pack. With an overall stability score of 46%, the industry falls within Stage 1 of the 5 Stages of Business Stability. Here’s how construction stacks up and compares to SMBs as a whole.
Here’s what stands out:
Strength: Cloud-comfortable
70% are already fully in the cloud or would be comfortable moving all data/apps to the cloud.
On point: IT outsourcing
24% of construction SMBs fully outsource IT—above the 17% SMB average, suggesting awareness of internal limitations.
Gaps: Data backups
Regular data backups are significantly lower for construction (60%) compared to all SMBs (71%).
Where they’d like to level up
When asked what would have the biggest impact, three themes emerged.
- Growing revenue without adding headcount (28% vs. 36% for SMBs overall)
- Attracting better clients who value their work (25% vs. 23% for SMBs overall)
- Getting paid faster (23% vs. 19% for SMBs overall)
What’s keeping them up at night?
We asked construction businesses to share their top concerns over the past year. The top three selected include:
43% of construction SMBs flagged profitability as a top concern—right in line with the SMB average of 41%.
42% are concerned about the overall economy, closely mirroring the broader SMB landscape (41%).
40% cite growing revenue and their customer base as a priority which is consistent with SMBs overall.
Cloud migration: A clear fit for a mobile, job-site-driven workforce
Top cloud challenge: Lack of technical expertise (36%). Top benefit: Remote access from anywhere (45%).
Security: The biggest gap in the industry
Thirty-three percent of construction businesses have suffered a breach, which is nearly double the overall SMB average of 18%.
Despite this, two-thirds (66%) feel confident in their current security measures, slightly less than the total SMBs surveyed (70%).
33% of construction businesses have suffered a security breach—nearly double the 18% SMB average.
Rightworks’ 2026 Business Stability Report
AI adoption: Construction is behind the curve
Top concerns: Data privacy (60%) and inaccuracy (44%). Top benefits: Time savings (54%) and task automation (45%).
Business management needs a boost
Construction companies show room for growth in business management, particularly around payments and marketing.
- Electronic payments: 61% accept most payments electronically, vs. 73% of SMBs overall.
- Marketing strategy: 45% follow a marketing plan, compared to 58% of SMBs.
Resources for Construction Businesses
Find out if you’ve got everything you need to keep your business going strong.
Explore the full findings from Rightworks’ 2026 SMB Technology Survey.
