← The Builders' BlueprintBrief #25 · June 22, 2026 · Cost Management
Metals Are Heating Up Again: Protecting Medical Buildout Budgets From the Tariff Squeeze
Quick Answer
Copper, steel, and electrical gear are climbing again under a 50% metals tariff. Lock long-lead electrical against dated quotes and cap material-escalation clauses before buyout—not after the change order lands.
Justin J. WatermanPMP, LEED AP BD+C · Founder, Waterman Consulting Services
“Built on the Rock. Engineered for the Future. Forward Always.”
Justin J. Waterman is a Houston-based construction manager and owner’s representative who builds the systems the work actually runs on — commercial and medical build-out programs, predictive intelligence for drilling, and the AI infrastructure underneath both. He writes The Builders' Blueprint each week for the people doing the work, not the people describing it.
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