Despite an increase in construction costs, with regular gasoline averaging $4.35 per gallon in the United States, and diesel averaging $6.29 per gallon, there is some good news. Several states are seeing strong public construction activity. This is important because it shows you where the work is and, more importantly, where is the work that’s relevant to your company?
Hubexo’s latest Bid Ocean data gives us an opportunity-level view of the public construction market with over 39,000 active opportunities as of October.
Across that market, five states stand out:
#1: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is giving contractors a strong reason to watch public infrastructure activity closely. In September, the Commonwealth announced the first $250 million for 79 rapid-deployment road projects across 44 counties, part of $775 million expected to be deployed from the Motor License Fund over 18 months.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also anticipated approximately $4 billion in projects going out for bid in 2026, creating a particularly relevant signal for highway, paving, bridge, and civil contractors looking for public work.
Bid Ocean activity:
4,079 active public opportunities in Pennsylvania
Find out which Pennsylvania opportunities are actively available for your trade, geography and target project size.
#2: California
California continues to represent a substantial public infrastructure market.
The state’s 2026-27 spending plan includes $31.2 billion for transportation-related programs, including Caltrans, local streets and roads, the High-Speed Rail Authority and other programs.
In August 2026, the state also announced $2.7 billion for more than 150 transportation projects, including nearly $1.6 billion funded through the IIJA and another $542 million through California Senate Bill 1.
Bid Ocean activity:
3,435 active public opportunities in California
Identify which opportunities fit your trade, geography and target project size.
#3: Ohio
Ohio’s latest numbers show the scale at which public transportation construction is moving through the state. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation FY2026 Annual Report, ODOT invested $3.4 billion across 977 infrastructure projects during fiscal year 2026. The department also highlights the Brent Spence Bridge Companion Project and a $150 million investment in 33 truck-parking sites as major pieces of its current infrastructure work.
Bid Ocean activity:
2,288 active public opportunities in Ohio
#4: Texas
The Texas Department of Transportation describes its Unified Transportation Program as a 10-year roadmap that guides the development of thousands of transportation projects. Importantly, TxDOT explicitly says the UTP is not a budget or a guarantee projects will be built. Instead, it authorizes TxDOT and local partners to prepare projects for construction based on potential future cash flow. Draft 2027 planning materials showed $95 billion in total UTP funding.
Bid Ocean activity:
2,055 active public opportunities in Texas
Bid Ocean makes it easier to identify public projects when they have reached the opportunity stage.
#5: New York
The New York State Department of Transportation’s 5-Year Transportation Capital Program represents $32.8 billion in transportation improvements spanning highways, bridges, rail, ports, airports and transit infrastructure.
Bid Ocean activity:
1,906 active public opportunities in New York
What are public agencies actually buying?
Looking across the entire Bid Ocean market, Hubexo’s proprietary data shows the following trade groups seeing the greatest activity:
Top five trade groups
| Rank | Work Type Group | Opportunities |
| 1 | Building Trades | 30,708 |
| 2 | Specialty Trades | 20,986 |
| 3 | Purchase, Rental or Lease of Goods | 14,315 |
| 4 | Other Services | 14,007 |
| 5 | Utility Construction & Rehab | 13,804 |
Source: Hubexo Bid Ocean proprietary data, October.
How to find your next opportunity
Hubexo’s suite of construction solutions help you close the gap between you and your next opportunity.
With Bid Ocean, identify relevant public construction opportunities and narrow the market by factors including trade, geography and value.
Once you’ve identified the right opportunity, Quest connects the next stage of the process: accessing and bidding on public construction opportunities.
And finally, build the right bidder network with Pantera: Pantera supports ITBs and subcontractor prequalification, extending the opportunity workflow to building the team that can help deliver the project.
Find the work that’s relevant to you with Hubexo.
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