Construction materials span high-volume mineral aggregates, cement and wallboard inputs, structural steel, wiring metals, and lime. The latest U.S. figures show a sector supplied by large domestic production networks, with different levels of concentration and import reliance across materials.
Contents
- Aggregate output and use
- Cement supply, sales, and pricing
- Gypsum and wallboard inputs
- Steel supply and construction demand
- Copper in building construction
- Lime and mineral feedstocks
Aggregate output and use
Aggregates are the largest-volume construction inputs in this set of statistics. In 2024, U.S. crushed-stone production was estimated at 1.5 billion tons, with a value of $26 billion. The industry included an estimated 1,400 companies operating 3,500 quarries and more than 180 sales or distribution yards across all 50 States. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Stone (Crushed).)
Production was geographically concentrated. The 10 leading crushed-stone-producing States accounted for about 55% of U.S. output in 2024. The material mix was also uneven: about 70% of crushed stone was limestone and dolomite, 14% was granite, and 6% was traprock. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Stone (Crushed).)
Most crushed stone entered construction-related uses directly or indirectly. An estimated 72% was used as construction aggregate in 2024. Another 17% went to cement manufacturing and 6% to lime manufacturing. These use shares describe the reported distribution of crushed stone and should not be treated as a complete measure of the value added by downstream building products.
Construction sand and gravel added another major supply stream. U.S. production was estimated at 890 million tons in 2024, valued at $12 billion. Apparent consumption was also estimated at 890 million tons, with an average unit value of $13.90 per metric ton. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Sand and Gravel (Construction).)
The reported end uses of construction sand and gravel were led by portland-cement concrete aggregates at about 42%. Road base and coverings accounted for 20%, while construction fill represented 12%. As with crushed stone, output was concentrated among leading producing States: the top 10 accounted for about 53% of U.S. production in 2024.
| Material and measure | U.S. estimate | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone production | 1.5 billion tons; $26 billion | 2024 |
| Construction sand and gravel production | 890 million tons; $12 billion | 2024 |
| Crushed stone used as construction aggregate | 72% | 2024 |
| Sand and gravel used in portland-cement concrete aggregates | 42% | 2024 |
Cement supply, sales, and pricing
U.S. portland and blended cement production was estimated at 84 million tons in 2024, down 4% from 2023. Masonry cement production was estimated at 2.2 million tons, also down 4%. Cement was produced at 99 plants in 34 States and Puerto Rico. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025.)
Shipments to final customers, including exports, were estimated at 110 million tons valued at $17 billion in 2024. Apparent cement consumption was also estimated at 110 million tons and was unchanged from 2023. The matching shipment and apparent-consumption estimates provide a broad view of the market, but they do not describe the material demand of an individual project or region.
Ready-mixed concrete producers accounted for an estimated 70% to 75% of U.S. cement sales in 2024. Concrete-product manufacturers accounted for an estimated 12%, and contractors accounted for an estimated 8% to 10%. These categories indicate how strongly cement demand is tied to concrete production and construction delivery channels.
The estimated average U.S. cement mill unit value rose to $160 per metric ton in 2024 from $150 in 2023. This is a reported average mill value, not a retail quote for a bag of cement or a delivered price for a specific construction site. Transport, packaging, project scale, and local supply conditions can make a site-level purchase differ from the national estimate.
Gypsum and wallboard inputs
The gypsum figures use 2025 estimates and therefore should not be compared with the 2024 aggregate and cement figures as though they described one common measurement year. U.S. crude gypsum production was estimated at 20 million tons valued at about $260 million in 2025. Apparent consumption was estimated at 44 million tons, down from 44.9 million tons in 2024. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Gypsum.)
At the beginning of 2025, U.S. gypsum-panel manufacturing capacity was about 34 billion square feet per year. Wallboard product sales were estimated at 26 billion square feet in 2025. Capacity and sales are different measures: capacity describes potential annual manufacturing output, while sales describe products sold during the year.
The gypsum supply chain also included several distinct material categories. Synthetic gypsum production was estimated at 17 million tons in 2025, and calcined gypsum production at 18 million tons. Crude gypsum imports for consumption were estimated at 6.8 million tons, while crude gypsum exports were estimated at 38,000 tons.
Net import reliance for gypsum was estimated at 15% of apparent consumption in 2025. That measure is a national supply indicator; it does not show which product types, manufacturers, or local markets depended on imported material. It does show that domestic production and processing did not fully cover the reported apparent-consumption estimate.
Steel supply and construction demand
U.S. raw-steel production was estimated at 82 million metric tons in 2025, with sales valued at about $149 billion. Raw-steel production capacity was about 105 million metric tons per year at the beginning of 2025. Electric-arc-furnace steel was produced by 47 companies at 102 minimills in 2025. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Iron and Steel.)
Construction accounted for an estimated 31% of U.S. steel net shipments by market classification in 2025. This is a shipment classification rather than a tonnage statement that can be directly multiplied by total production. It identifies construction as a major destination within the reported steel market.
Indiana accounted for an estimated 19% of U.S. raw-steel production in 2025, followed by Ohio at 8%. The figures show the importance of particular producing States, while the national industry included both integrated and electric-arc-furnace operations.
U.S. steel-mill-product shipments were estimated at 82 million metric tons in 2025. Finished steel-mill-product imports were estimated at 19 million metric tons, while semifinished imports were 5 million metric tons. Apparent consumption of steel-mill products was estimated at 95 million metric tons.
The U.S. producer price index for steel-mill products was estimated at 290 on the 1982=100 base in 2025. Because this is an index rather than a dollar price, it is best used as a measure of the reported price level relative to the index base, not as a direct estimate of what a builder paid for a particular beam, sheet, or fastener.
Copper in building construction
U.S. recoverable copper mine production was estimated at 1.1 million metric tons of copper content in 2024, valued at about $10 billion. Arizona accounted for approximately 70% of U.S. copper mine output. Copper was recovered or processed at 25 mines, with 17 mines accounting for more than 99% of mine production. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Copper.)
Building construction accounted for 42% of U.S. copper and copper-alloy product use, according to the Copper Development Association estimate reported by the USGS. The period attached to this use share is the 2024 source report, and it is a use estimate rather than a direct measurement of copper installed in every building project.
Primary refined copper production was estimated at 850,000 metric tons in 2024, while secondary refined production from scrap was 40,000 tons. Apparent consumption of primary refined copper and copper from old scrap was estimated at 1.8 million metric tons. Refined-copper imports for consumption were estimated at 810,000 metric tons.
Recycling supplied an important part of the reported copper flow. Old post-consumer scrap supplied an estimated 150,000 tons of copper in 2024, while new manufacturing scrap supplied about 720,000 tons. Copper recovered from scrap contributed about 35% of U.S. copper supply in 2024. These categories distinguish older products returned after use from scrap generated during manufacturing.
Lime and mineral feedstocks
U.S. quicklime and hydrated-lime production was estimated at 15 million tons valued at about $4.0 billion in 2025. Production came from 24 companies operating 70 primary lime plants in 30 States. The five leading U.S. lime companies accounted for about 80% of lime production, indicating a more concentrated producer structure than the broad network reported for crushed-stone operations. (Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Lime.)
Apparent lime consumption was estimated at 15 million tons in 2025. Imports for consumption were estimated at 360,000 metric tons, while exports were estimated at 280,000 metric tons. Net import reliance was estimated at less than 1% of apparent consumption, so the reported national market was overwhelmingly supplied by domestic production.
The two principal product categories also had different reported average plant values. The estimated average U.S. quicklime plant value was $260 per metric ton in 2025. The estimated average hydrated-lime plant value was $280 per metric ton. These are plant values, not delivered project costs, retail prices, or installed construction costs.
For DIY planning, the material distinction matters. Aggregate statistics describe bulk inputs that commonly move into concrete, roads, fills, cement, and lime. Cement and gypsum figures describe processed construction products and manufacturing capacity. Steel and copper figures show how building demand connects to industrial metals, while lime illustrates a domestically supplied mineral feedstock with concentrated production. Each figure retains its own measurement year, definition, and source scope.