Billings remained low despite a slight rebound in June from a score of 44.5 to 47.3. The American Institute of Architects’ AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) also indicated that while the majority of firms reported a decline in billings, fewer firms reported a decline than in May. At 41 months, this is currently the longest ongoing downturn in the ABI’s more-than-30-year history.
Backlogs at firms decreased during the second quarter of 2026, falling from an average of 6.3 months to 6.6 months in the first quarter. Smaller firms with annual billings of less than $250,000 experienced the largest drop in backlogs, plummeting from an average of 4.9 months to just 3.1 months. Firms specialized in multifamily residential work also saw backlogs dip from a 6.2-month average to a 5.3-month average. The South was the only region in the U.S. not to report a billings decline in June, while business conditions continued to soften in the Midwest. Firms of all specializations also reported declined billings for the second consecutive month.
The June ABI yielded some promising news as well. An uptick in inquiries into new work rose again in June following a small dip in May while the value of newly signed design contracts hovered just shy of a positive score of 50.
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