Latest News Wed, Oct 27, 2021 6:50 AM
The majority of builders have had to delay or cancel jobs because of a lack of skills or materials.
A shocking 89% of local builders have reported having to delay jobs due to a lack of materials or skilled tradespeople, according to the latest State of Trade Survey from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Adding to the pressure facing the industry, 97% of builders have reported skyrocketing material prices and expect this to continue into the last quarter of 2021, with 78% passing this increased cost on to the consumer.
Builders have been forced to hit pause on some jobs, in the face of increasing difficulty to hire tradespeople, such as general labourers and plasterers, with 42% and 37% respectively of builders struggling to get them to a job. Despite a slight easing, near half of FMB members are also facing pressure to find carpenters/joiners and bricklayers.
The FMB State of Trade Survey, which is released quarterly, is the only survey of its kind to track the experience of small to medium-sized (SME) construction firms in the UK. It found:
Delays and cancellations
Skills shortages
Price rises
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, described the survey as a damning situation for the building industry. “The Government should use the Budget and Spending Review to tackle the growing skills gap,” he said.
“Effective efforts to help the haulage industry ease the supply of materials are also needed. This will help our members get back to building and help the post pandemic economic recovery.
“Our data shows the combination of long delays and rising prices mean consumers are also starting to feal the heat. Changing quotes, delays to jobs, and price hikes may lead to some homeowners being pulled in by unscrupulous builders hoping to make a quick buck.
“A good builder is a busy builder and it is important for consumers to be patient when selecting a builder.”
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