Tariffs have become an unavoidable reality for many industries, and few feel their effects as deeply as the construction sector. The impact of these tariffs is widespread, from rising prices on imported materials like steel, aluminum, and lumber to extended lead times and shifting supplier relationships. If you’re in construction, you’ve likely already felt the squeeze on your project budgets, timelines, and profit margins. But there’s good news: modern cloud ERP systems offer a flexible, powerful way to respond to these challenges. 

The Real-World Impact of Tariffs on Construction 

Recent tariffs have driven up the cost of many core building materials. These changes ripple through every phase of a construction project—from bidding to procurement to delivery. Here’s what many businesses are facing: 

• Budgets are harder to manage. Sudden price changes make it difficult to stick to original estimates. 

• Projects are more likely to face delays. Supply chain uncertainty and limited availability mean materials may not arrive on time. 

• Bids are becoming less competitive. Higher costs reduce flexibility, making it harder to win new jobs. 

These pressures don’t just affect your bottom line—they affect your team’s ability to plan accurately and execute efficiently. Construction firms are finding that spreadsheets, outdated software, and manual processes simply aren’t up to the task anymore. What’s needed is a system that can bring everything together in one place, with up-to-the-minute information. 

How Acumatica Helps Construction Firms Stay Resilient 

Acumatica Construction Edition is a cloud-based ERP platform built specifically with construction in mind. It delivers real-time visibility into your operations, improves communication, and empowers your team to act on data, not guesswork. Here’s how it helps construction businesses navigate today’s tariff-driven landscape: 

1. Track Material Costs in Real Time 

With tariffs creating constant price fluctuations, it’s critical to stay informed about current material costs. Acumatica automatically syncs vendor pricing and allows you to create alerts when costs exceed certain limits. This level of visibility enables you to adjust estimates and bids on the fly, so you’re not caught off guard by sudden price increases. 

2. Improve Project Budgeting and Forecasting 

Planning is key when markets are volatile. Acumatica allows you to model different scenarios and track how material and labor cost changes affect your overall project performance. With this insight, you can build more accurate budgets, adjust timelines, and make room for contingency planning. 

3. Streamline Procurement and Inventory Management 

When you’re working with multiple vendors across different regions, the logistics can become overwhelming. Acumatica simplifies procurement with built-in tools for vendor management, purchase order automation, and real-time inventory tracking. This means you can avoid overordering, reduce waste, and keep your projects on track—even when supply chains are unpredictable. 

4. Enhance Vendor and Subcontractor Collaboration 

Construction projects rely on tight coordination between your business, vendors, and subcontractors. When tariffs cause delays or change delivery schedules, everyone needs to adapt quickly. Acumatica makes this easier by offering centralized dashboards and mobile access to project data. This ensures that everyone stays aligned and has the latest information at their fingertips—whether they’re in the office or on the job site. 

5. Make Informed, Data-Driven Decisions 

When material prices spike or delivery times slip, how do you decide your next move? Acumatica gives you detailed insights into your costs, margins, and project progress. Whether you need to renegotiate contracts, substitute materials, or reprioritize jobs, you’ll have the data to back your decisions and keep your business moving forward. 

6. Boost Overall Agility Across the Business 

Perhaps the biggest advantage of Acumatica is how it brings flexibility into every area of your operations. Because it’s cloud-based, your team can access the system from anywhere—enabling remote project updates, instant reporting, and faster issue resolution. That level of agility is a must-have in today’s environment. 

“Now that we run our business in the cloud, we can easily share data between the office and field. This means every decision made in the field can incorporate accounting data, and every back-office decision can consider what’s happening in the field. The result is smart, strategic decisions that drive our business towards profitable growth.” 

– Jackie Patterson, Controller, Focus Design Builders