Texas HVAC & Sheet Metal Economic Dashboard — Austin and San Antonio. Prepared by Román Economics, LLC for MCA-SMACNA of San Antonio, this interactive dashboard tracks the operating environment for HVAC and sheet metal contractors across Central and South Texas. It pulls together the indicators that most directly shape contractor margins and pipeline visibility: steel mill and copper input prices, HVAC equipment PPI, Texas housing permits, San Antonio and Austin specialty-trade employment, and the 30-year mortgage rate. Series run from 2018 through the most recent monthly release and are sourced from FRED, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, FHFA, IMF, and Freddie Mac. Tariff and policy events — Section 232 duties, the Inflation Reduction Act, and Federal Reserve rate decisions — are annotated inline so contractors can read cost pressure and demand signals in context. Data through July 2026. Prepared by Belinda Román, PhD, Associate Professor of Economics at St. Mary's University.[Launch Dashboard →]
For informational purposes only — not business, financial, legal, or tax advice. Prepared by Román Economics, LLC.