Turner Construction has reported a rise in construction costs for the first three months of the year amid a drop in available labor, tough competition and price stability in materials and commodities.

Non-residential building construction costs is valued at 885 BCI, up 0.08 percent from the last quarter and 4.24 percent from the same period in 2013, the company said Thursday.

According to Turner, the increase in BCI (building cost index) is reflected in cost escalation for large projects in populated systems.

The Turner index is used by the government and the construction industry as a guide for price trends and building costs.