California’s September Iron Index is 25 (Weak). The September 29 letting recorded $1.13 million across two preservation and safety contracts. Elevated West Coast diesel adds cost pressure. This small confirmed cycle does not represent all California construction.
One score summarizing project activity, demand, capacity, operating pressure, and near-term opportunity.
Two September 29 contracts total $1.13 million in confirmed awards.
Bridge protection and roadside safety define the latest completed cycle.
West Coast diesel was $7.357 per gallon in the week of September 28.
For readers who want the detail behind the score, signals, regional outlook, and operating recommendations.
Executive read: California’s September Iron Index is 25 (Weak), Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary assessment. The latest completed letting contains two preservation and safety contracts. Elevated regional diesel warrants disciplined pricing. This small confirmed cycle does not represent all California construction.
Contract 05-1P2404 carries $508,374.40 for bridge scour protection near Boulder Creek on Route 236. Caltrans awarded it to CORCUS CONSTRUCTION, INC. on October 20. Confirm material movements and the prime contractor’s current schedule directly.
Contract 06-1C3404 carries $617,722.00 for concrete barrier, crash cushion and rock slope protection near Corcoran on Route 43. Caltrans awarded it to SPLICE CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. on October 14. Excavation, backfill and rock-placement items warrant package-level inquiry; total contract dollars are not hauling revenue.
West Coast diesel was $7.357 per gallon for the week of September 28, 16.3% above its recent reference level. This regional benchmark is not a California pump price. Include fuel adjustments, return mileage and delay terms in quotes.
California’s seasonally adjusted construction employment was 883,800 in September, down from 888,600 a year earlier. This suggests modestly looser conditions in the employment-based capacity proxy. It does not measure available trucks; verify local equipment availability directly.
This edition assesses completed letting activity, work mix, September regional fuel and September construction employment. Project Pipeline and Broker Opportunity are not scored because comparable forward-project dollar coverage is unavailable. This inaugural edition has no month-over-month Index trend.
The activity assessment uses the September 29 completed cycle and confirmed prior awards. A September 23 cycle remains incomplete because contract 04-2W6604 had no posted award as of October 28. This report does not measure every municipal, county, private or separately procured construction project.
Prepared October 28, 2026. Letting openings, fuel and employment observations are anchored to September; award confirmation extends through October.
The Iron Index is Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary market assessment, built from public DOT, EIA and BLS data. The scoring derivation is proprietary and is not published.
Hauler Capacity is an employment-based proxy, not a measurement of truck supply. Scores describe observed conditions and are not forecasts or guarantees. Award values are not hauling revenue or confirmed loads.
Use the market signals above to grow your network, plan capacity, and find better-fit work in California.