The survey, which was released at the OCS\u2019s 25th<\/sup>\u00a0Annual State of the Industry and Outlook Conference in Toronto during the first week of March, found that two-thirds of Ontario contractors say they are feeling positive about the future of Ontario\u2019s construction industry, with eight in 10 predicting stable or rising revenues in 2025 and more than a quarter expecting to increase the number of employees on their team.<\/p>\n That positivity rises\u00a0outside of the Greater Toronto Area, where 73 per cent were feeling good compared to only 56 per cent of GTA contractors.<\/p>\n Of course, the OCS survey was conducted in January, so prior to the trade war erupting with the United States, so the results do not reflect sentiments and possibly worries related to the tariffs and counter-tariffs being implemented, which OCS says will certainly present significant risk to the sector.<\/p>\n The OCS is planning to go back out to the industry to learn more about the tariffs and how they are impacting the sector, how contractors are feeling, what strategies are working, and which are not.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a lot of uncertainty in the market because of the current political and economic environment,\u201d stated Brian Barron, chief executive officer of the OCS. \u201cBut despite all that\u00a0is happening, Ontario is still building. There is a big project pipeline of roads, transit, schools and hospitals that is driving optimism in construction across all regions of the province.\u201d<\/p>\n The positivity is tempered by the outlook for 2025, however. The survey also revealed that more than a quarter of contractors are expecting less work in 2025, with more than a third remaining concerned about rising material costs and ongoing concerns in the industry around labour shortages, although the number of contractors worried about that dropped to 41 per cent in 2025, down seven percentage points from a year ago.<\/p>\n Other findings include a rise in the use of apprentices, with nearly two-thirds of contractors (64 per cent, up from 58 per cent in 2024) employing at least one apprentice. This is more pronounced among unionized contractors, with 80 per cent hiring apprentices, compared to 56 per cent in non-union companies.<\/p>\n The growing use of technology continues to play an important role in the industry, with 85 per cent of contractors saying the adoption of new tech is important for the future of their business. The number of contractors using advanced building materials increased to 41 per cent (from 35 per cent in 2024) and while the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still relatively low, its use is spreading rapidly. Some 18 per cent reported using AI; an increase of seven\u00a0percentage points from last year. One in five contractors anticipate using AI in the next five years.<\/p>\n AI is predominantly used for predictive analysis, but is also being used for generative design, safety monitoring and robotics and automation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe use of AI has exploded over the past couple of years, and construction cannot expect to be excluded from that,\u201d explained Barron. \u201cAs is typical, we are seeing many of the larger firms lead the way, but this is a number we expect will continue to grow over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n The OCS Contractor Survey polls the province\u2019s institutional, commercial and industrial construction sector to gauge business expectations and present views on salient issues impacting the industry. The survey was conducted via phone interview with 400 contractors in January 2025, including union and non-union companies.<\/p>\n The full survey is available online at\u00a0https:\/\/iciconstruction.com\/2025\/03\/04\/2025_contractorsurvey\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n www.iciconstruction.com<\/a><\/p>\n Print this page<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/www.on-sitemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2025-C-Survey_RPT-Cover1-696x899-FN.png\")
<\/a>Ontario non-residential building contractors remain confident\u00a0in continued business growth through 2025, despite an uncertain and sometimes tumultuous political landscape to start the year, says the Ontario Construction Secretariat based on its annual contractor survey.<\/p>\n