If you think of all the gallons of fuel associated with the construction of a house and the thin margins that builders and subcontractors are on with the huge real estate surplus in many areas this is not going to be a good building season.
One anecdotal observation I have been making is that I see a lot nicer and logoed contractor trucks in the morning hours at the local Home Depot. This indicates to me that the companies that had traditionally done new construction are doing more small remodel jobs.