Applications for building permits, a gauge of future construction, declined 3.9 percent to an annual rate of 902, 000.

NPR: US Housing Starts Surpass 1 Million In March

Earnings of other companies like Lowes and Home Depot will provide additional feedback on the state of the construction sector, while Wal-Mart and Target will help gauge the strength of the consumer.

FORBES: Fastenal's Earnings Growth Shows Construction Still Has A Pulse

Construction spending rose in December, aided by the recovering housing sector, while a gauge of consumer confidence from the University of Michigan unexpectedly was revised up for January.

WSJ: Economy Adds 157,000 Jobs

James and his welders machined, riveted and hammered 18-gauge steel and razor-thin aluminum into a space-age-looking vehicle, applying some of the same construction methods Airstream uses in its shiny luxury trailers.

FORBES: Magazine Article