Construction News

Tue March 19 2024

Related Information

FMB survey shows confidence on the rise

24 Apr 17 Small construction firms saw their workloads continue to rise in the first quarter of 2017, despite growing concerns over the cost of labour and materials, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The FMB’s state of trade survey for Q1 2017, which is the largest quarterly assessment of the UK’s SME construction sector, show that half of member firms expect workloads to grow in the coming months and just 5% predict a decrease in activity. However, there is a near universal expectation that material prices will rise in the next three months.

Other survey responses show recruitment challenges continue, with 58% of firms struggling to hire carpenters and 60% having problems finding bricklayers.

The graph of key indicators – workload, enquiries and employment – shows all three lines heading firmly north, with expectations high for the second quarter of 2017.

Related Information

FMB chief executive Brian Berry said: “The first three months of 2017 proved to be very positive for construction SMEs, which reported strong growth, underpinned by continuing resilience in the home improvement sector. Workloads rose in every part of the UK, with particularly positive results in the devolved nations. Given the concerns that wider consumer confidence might be weakening, it’s encouraging that smaller construction firms aren’t sensing any drop-off in demand for their services. Indeed, despite Article 50 being triggered and the growing likelihood of a hard Brexit, these latest results demonstrate that builders are increasingly confident about the immediate future, with one in two forecasting higher workloads during the next quarter.”

Mr Berry continued: “The survey covers the period before the announcement of a snap General Election, which may well cool consumer demand in the coming months. The results are also tempered by a clear rise in output costs for construction companies. Material prices and wages rose markedly in the first three months of this year, with larger numbers of construction SMEs believing that all three will rise further during the next quarter. Indeed, although only 20% of construction products and materials used in the UK are imported, the depreciation of sterling since the referendum last June has seen material prices shoot up – with 85% of builders predicting further rises – this pressure on margins looks set to continue. Such cost inflation presents clear challenges to the profitability of smaller building firms and in many cases, builders will be forced to pass these price increases onto their customers.”

He concluded: “The combined effects of rising material costs and the ever-worsening construction skills crisis will therefore be reason enough for SME construction firms to be cautious in their optimism. If growth in real household income remains flat, and if consumer confidence is shaken by the impending snap general election and the triggering of Article 50, there are plenty of potential pitfalls for builders to navigate. Nevertheless, as of yet, the much anticipated ‘Brexit effect’ has yet to hit what is considered to be the bellwether sector of consumer confidence and wider economic health.”

Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk

MPU
MPU

Click here to view latest construction news »