Construction Market Data

Thu March 28 2024

Related Information

Sub-contractor Pay Trends February 2019

Hudson Contract delivers the most accurate indications of pay trends across the construction industry, using payroll data for over 2,200 construction companies to publish the average pay for a spectrum of 17 different trades now split across ten regions.

It’s been a good month for self-employed construction workers across the country, with average earnings of £890 a week, up by £61 on the January figure.

The West Midlands is construction’s current hot spot with subbies earning £947 a week, with those in East England and London above the £900 a week benchmark.

Hudson Contract Managing Director Ian Anfield comments: “Like most aspects of construction, earnings are cyclic. So after a return-to-work over the New Year – when plenty of self-employed builders took some unpaid leave – the upturn is no surprise. More importantly, when you compare the year-on-year figures, the underlying trend shows a steady increase – up by 2.7%, and well above inflation.”

National Weekly Average Earnings February 2019: £890

Region February 2019 Average Change from January 2019
North East £765.00 +6.27%
North West £784.00 +2.93%
Yorkshire & Humber £841.00 +7.13%
East Midlands £913.00 +6.90%
West Midlands £947.00 +9.82%
Wales £816.00 +3.68%
East of England £945.00 +6.56%
London £913.00 +7.23%
South East £878.00 +4.90%
South West £787.00 +6.61%

Ian Anfield adds: “Despite construction’s ongoing uncertainty over Brexit, the healthy earnings demonstrate there is still plenty of demand for subbies on the sites. Many of our clients continue to be really busy, and have projects in the pipeline. In particular, we’re getting very positive feedback from those working on utilities and civils projects.”

“This isn’t to say that the impact of Brexit isn’t being felt” Ian added. Across the wider industry statistics, the latest IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index shows a dip for the first time since the ‘Beast from the East’ played havoc last year. 

Fragile order books, risk aversion, decision-making delays, and the non-replacement of voluntary PAYE leavers all point to reduced confidence. And while housebuilding was the strongest sector, evaporating confidence in the housing market itself is leading to a slowdown in phases being released and sites being put on hold.

Hudson Contract’s ‘Window on the Construction Industry’ gives you hard figures and data that is not available from any other source, with pay averages that reflect the amounts paid by a sample number of businesses – large and small – to specific trades during February 2019.

North East

NORTH EAST Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
CIVIL ENGINEERING £838 £962 £785 £845
ELECTRICAL £834 £847 £801 £749
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £587 £683 £619 £656
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £773 £863 £710 £758
INSULATION £713 £805 £708 £747
PLASTERING £615 £634 £624 £668
ROOFING £1,177 £1,133 £746 £1,031
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £427 £446 £431 £456
SHOP FITTING £674 £700 £643 £690
SPECIALIST TRADES £726 £809 £640 £552

North West

NORTH WEST Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £836 £792 £753 £780
CIVIL ENGINEERING £782 £816 £732 £747
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £812 £845 £761 £709
ELECTRICAL £911 £941 £821 £860
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £748 £779 £897 £689
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £803 £840 £785 £806
INSULATION £1,383 £1,333 £1,043 £1,246
JOINERY £1,205 £1,219 £952 £1,196
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £1,200 £1,223 £978 £1,148
PLASTERING £690 £796 £670 £632
PLUMBING £826 £937 £793 £853
ROOFING £847 £889 £844 £800
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £617 £676 £542 £611
SHOP FITTING £1,163 £1,333 £958 £994
SPECIALIST TRADES £891 £880 £882 £910
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £705 £732 £705 £622
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £827 £897 £729 £752

Yorkshire & Humber

YORKSHIRE & HUMBER Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £752 £756 £670 £715
CIVIL ENGINEERING £831 £860 £777 £827
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £605 £634 £569 £614
ELECTRICAL £947 £941 £938 £1,008
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £882 £893 £823 £866
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £839 £855 £775 £828
JOINERY £790 £765 £841 £739
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £950 £1,029 £889 £1,025
PLASTERING £808 £910 £820 £797
PLUMBING £661 £775 £629 £689
ROOFING £673 £660 £661 £644
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £621 £579 £567 £579
SHOP FITTING £1,363 £1,366 £1,170 £1,377
SPECIALIST TRADES £1,007 £1,021 £825 £997
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £920 £803 £943 £1,030
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £888 £926 £811 £917

East Midlands

EAST MIDLANDS Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
CIVIL ENGINEERING £849 £861 £790 £833
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £822 £817 £736 £767
ELECTRICAL £1,072 £1,061 £882 £993
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £716 £773 £978 £874
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £1,055 £1,031 £936 £1,036
INSULATION £864 £813 £817 £901
JOINERY £865 £853 £890 £834
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £1,524 £1,833 £1,459 £1,596
PLASTERING £687 £754 £685 £717
PLUMBING £994 £1,015 £1,078 £1,120
ROOFING £947 £895 £885 £935
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £820 £814 £788 £810
SHOP FITTING £1,040 £841 £887 £1,379
SPECIALIST TRADES £842 £849 £868 £923
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £643 £654 £1,246 £1,002
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £907 £916 £796 £863

West Midlands

WEST MIDLANDS Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £939 £899 £769 £825
CIVIL ENGINEERING £981 £1,051 £866 £967
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £612 £790 £594 £607
ELECTRICAL £1,202 £1,305 £1,096 £1,207
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £892 £858 £809 £864
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £912 £930 £831 £902
INSULATION £826 £940 £750 £901
JOINERY £1,205 £1,065 £993 £1,109
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £1,261 £1,163 £1,294 £1,184
PLASTERING £703 £718 £676 £661
PLUMBING £1,207 £1,053 £1,017 £1,097
ROOFING £604 £633 £546 £616
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £651 £654 £646 £720
SHOP FITTING £1,289 £968 £1,053 £965
SPECIALIST TRADES £953 £982 £680 £869
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £838 £851 £703 £771

Wales

WALES Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
CIVIL ENGINEERING £801 £780 £748 £756
ELECTRICAL £930 £1,038 £824 £924
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £1,346 £1,157 £1,298 £1,383
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £861 £863 £845 £927
PLASTERING £1,170 £1,284 £1,203 £1,366
PLUMBING £892 £1,109 £820 £949
ROOFING £517 £459 £452 £431
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £716 £648 £757 £736
SPECIALIST TRADES £788 £963 £805 £747
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £730 £779 £843 £834
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £1,281 £1,146 £888 £1,244

East of England

EAST OF ENGLAND Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £806 £808 £757 £750
CIVIL ENGINEERING £935 £934 £884 £914
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £743 £752 £724 £742
ELECTRICAL £1,306 £1,281 £1,117 £1,320
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £903 £956 £918 £904
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £954 £969 £888 £946
INSULATION £1,060 £1,042 £938 £1,000
JOINERY £1,309 £1,091 £1,134 £1,329
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £1,054 £1,100 £986 £1,018
PLASTERING £914 £995 £818 £901
PLUMBING £1,404 £1,356 £1,186 £1,350
ROOFING £733 £781 £725 £778
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £894 £969 £813 £853
SHOP FITTING £1,309 £1,409 £965 £1,338
SPECIALIST TRADES £872 £897 £832 £912
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £761 £724 £638 £693
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £756 £749 £669 £738

London

LONDON Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £739 £771 £670 £713
CIVIL ENGINEERING £836 £854 £801 £835
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £588 £656 £786
ELECTRICAL £1,102 £1,058 £987 £1,098
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £750 £731 £718 £942
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £975 £1,012 £890 £1,004
INSULATION £881 £876 £780 £866
JOINERY £1,087 £1,231 £909 £1,113
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £1,066 £1,269 £1,058 £1,115
PLASTERING £1,180 £1,244 £994 £1,320
PLUMBING £1,029 £968 £902 £999
ROOFING £721 £717 £918 £905
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £1,169 £1,140 £1,097 £1,152
SHOP FITTING £1,113 £1,306 £944 £1,136
SPECIALIST TRADES £1,129 £1,142 £955 £1,125
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £694 £700 £853 £987
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £719 £593 £500 £425

South East

SOUTH EAST Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £788 £788 £725 £749
CIVIL ENGINEERING £818 £836 £770 £793
DEMOLITION & WRECKING £1,262 £1,124 £1,013 £1,210
ELECTRICAL £1,242 £1,109 £1,082 £1,104
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £843 £887 £791 £847
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £872 £873 £827 £845
INSULATION £957 £1,473 £1,131 £729
JOINERY £952 £1,025 £892 £1,037
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £1,024 £1,162 £1,071 £1,015
PLASTERING £892 £819 £769 £756
PLUMBING £1,135 £1,159 £1,059 £1,105
ROOFING £801 £834 £735 £738
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING £830 £854 £752 £817
SHOP FITTING £1,268 £1,388 £1,183 £1,367
SPECIALIST TRADES £791 £816 £787 £856
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION £746 £798 £680 £754
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £947 £1,031 £796 £832

South West

SOUTH WEST Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19
BRICKLAYING £1,477 £600 £1,318 £1,543
CIVIL ENGINEERING £761 £804 £673 £725
ELECTRICAL £706 £788 £753 £624
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE £763 £1,028 £737 £761
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION £878 £957 £770 £860
INSULATION £1,524 £1,417 £1,313 £1,340
JOINERY £1,117 £1,066 £991 £992
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING £622 £689 £616 £616
PLASTERING £747 £753 £741 £765
PLUMBING £1,309 £1,489 £1,461 £1,188
ROOFING £825 £799 £805 £839
SPECIALIST TRADES £648 £817 £927 £723
SURFACING CONTRACTORS £653 £630 £620