SANTO DOMINGO - The most recent report of the Direct Cost Index for Housing Construction (ICVD)revealed a 5.43% increase in blacksmithing, making it the main driver of the recorded increases, according to the National Statistics Office (ONE).
The report notes, however, that this month's ICVD averaged 235.73, registering a decrease of -0.43 points, compared to the previous month's 236.16.
Among the cost subgroups that also contributed to the increase were electric generators, vaulted ceilings, and elevators, each with a variation of 0.70%, while machinery saw an increase of 0.24%. In contrast, tools and labor showed no price changes.
Despite a slight monthly decrease of -0.18%, the index maintains an accumulated variation of 3.53% and a year-on-year increase of 1.12%, when comparing the results of June 2025 with those of June 2024.
Regarding the variation by type of housing, the index showed a decrease of -0.19% in single-family homes of one and two levels, -0.10% in multi-family homes of four levels and -0.25% in multi-family homes of eight levels or more.
The ICVD was 238.52 points for two-story single-family homes and for one-story single-family homes; 231.94 for four-story multi-family homes and 231.15 for those with eight or more stories.
Reductions were observed in the materials group, with wood showing the most significant decrease at -2.30%, followed by wires, nails, zinc, and other materials (-1.46%), steels (-1.26%), PVC pipes and fittings (-1.09%), and electrical wires (-0.95%). This resulted in a negative variation of -0.42% in the overall materials group.
The index is calculated using a basket of inputs with base prices from October 2009 and measures exclusively the direct costs associated with housing construction in the National District and the province of Santo Domingo.
