Construction Market Data

Fri March 29 2024

Related Information

Sub-contractor Pay Trends May 2017

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 10 regions.

As anticipated, earnings have bounced back from last month’s dramatic fall, although only up to a point.

On the one hand, freelance builders in every region other than Wales were better off during May, with an average increase of 2.2%.  But weekly earnings of £819 on average, represent a noticeable drop from the February and March highs of £842.

Hudson Contract Managing Director, Ian Anfield believes the reversal is only temporary. “Are earnings going backwards?” he asks. “I think not. You have to take into account the two bank holidays in May, which made for a shorter working month than in February and March.  Had this not been the case, then earnings would likely have reached a peak for 2017.”

National Weekly Average Earnings May 2017:  £819

Region May 2017 Average Change from April 2017
North East £696.00 0.86%
North West £730.00 3.42%
Yorkshire & Humber £754.00 2.66%
East Midlands £828.0 2.66
West Midlands £838.0 0.24%
Wales £691.0 -2.465%
East of England £898.00 2.23%
London £834.00 3.24%
South East £841.00 1.90%
South West £756.00 1.32%

Individual trades – winners and losers:
Nationally this month’s winners are:

  • Steel & Timber Frame Erection:  +11.6%

Demand growing in the East Midlands

  • Joinery+7.4%

Strong gains in Wales and London

  • Scaffolding & Lifting+6.1%

Going up particularly in the North-West

At the other end of the scale only two trades report overall reductions:

  • Insulation:  -2.8%

Slowdown in the East and South-West

  • Bricklaying-0.2%

Plenty of work in West Midlands, which defied the trend

Looking at the national picture, the latest IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index reports that May saw the strongest sign of expansion in the industry for 17 months.   All three sectors – civils, commercial and housing – showed solid rises, with housebuilding growing at its fastest since December 2015.

Ian Anfield adds:  “Of course, all these statistics are pre-election, and we are now waiting to see what impact the hung parliament will have on the industry and Brexit.

“Uncertainty is never good for construction, and it has yet to emerge whether the outcome will have an impact on pipeline infrastructure projects.  Nevertheless, today’s construction industry is both flexible and resilient.  Client confidence remains high.”

North East

NORTH EAST Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £837  £867  £773  £773
ELECTRICAL  £694  £637  £746  £671
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £546  £439  £466  £514
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £687  £737  £732  £719
INSULATION  £708  £670  £654  £715
PLASTERING  £642  £619  £594  £561
ROOFING  £586  £501  £854  £916
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £411  £449  £381  £351
SHOP FITTING  £733  £696  £614  £724
SPECIALIST TRADES  £665  £661  £505  £631

North West

NORTH WEST Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £690  £683  £688  £669
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £737  £721  £679  £720
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £826  £750  £699  £723
ELECTRICAL  £791  £813  £749  £800
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £740  £765  £671  £804
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £752  £740  £780  £757
INSULATION  £1,307  £1,069  £1,266  £1,225
JOINERY  £780  £766  £727  £742
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £569  £607  £515  £502
PLASTERING  £733  £550  £515  £536
PLUMBING  £791  £760  £588  £709
ROOFING  £869  £830  £772  £745
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £524  £518  £496  £561
SHOP FITTING  £930  £1,040  £918  £857
SPECIALIST TRADES  £839  £760  £734  £712
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £671  £880  £650  £561
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £579  £593  £548  £624

Yorkshire & Humber

YORKSHIRE & HUMBER Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £612  £642  £660  £647
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £728  £725  £670  £681
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £546  £535  £486  £523
ELECTRICAL  £850  £910  £799  £814
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £822  £876  £893  £938
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £760  £756  £707  £745
JOINERY  £932  £926  £760  £791
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £940  £968  £943  £978
PLASTERING  £695  £706  £692  £735
PLUMBING  £702  £706  £685  £697
ROOFING  £646  £636  £635  £636
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £552  £535  £513  £516
SHOP FITTING  £1,037  £1,012  £1,111  £1,302
SPECIALIST TRADES  £951  £915  £954  £934
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £949  £821  £927  £813
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £821  £819  £748  £706

East Midlands

EAST MIDLANDS Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £776  £771  £712  £738
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £631  £663  £583  £605
ELECTRICAL  £973  £989  £930  £927
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £903  £1,093  £915  £981
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £1,010  £987  £969  £975
INSULATION  £728  £780  £696  £689
JOINERY  £843  £849  £752  £770
PLASTERING  £721  £738  £693  £705
PLUMBING  £886  £906  £867  £870
ROOFING  £844  £853  £756  £892
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £729  £757  £724  £767
SHOP FITTING  £1,156  £1,040  £1,465  £1,303
SPECIALIST TRADES  £893  £940  £887  £916
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £1,039  £1,269  £862  £1,209
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £798  £828  £740  £774

West Midlands

WEST MIDLANDS Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £699  £571  £691  £889
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £869  £854  £835  £842
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £676  £666  £685  £696
ELECTRICAL  £1,153  £1,170  £1,126  £1,079
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £918  £949  £854  £939
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £844  £819  £818  £809
INSULATION  £738  £726  £624  £816
JOINERY  £815  £795  £804  £888
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £816  £723  £705  £696
PLASTERING  £710  £766  £616  £680
PLUMBING  £1,288  £1,223  £980  £1,218
ROOFING  £550  £528  £557  £478
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £795  £631  £696  £679
SHOP FITTING  £1,305  £1,405  £1,086  £1,314
SPECIALIST TRADES  £943  £907  £959  £935
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £781  £811  £736  £686

Wales

WALES Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £693  £706  £671  £660
ELECTRICAL  £617  £705  £697  £617
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £1,381  £1,204  £1,221  £1,183
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £808  £771  £742  £752
JOINERY  £420  £476  £341  £533
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £545  £539  £427  £512
PLASTERING  £1,200  £1,163
PLUMBING  £824  £817  £840  £769
ROOFING  £459  £496  £520
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £639  £679  £620  £568
SPECIALIST TRADES  £709  £915  £698  £709
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £706  £621  £596  £600
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £1,453  £1,329  £1,830

East of England

EAST OF ENGLAND Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £706  £720  £706  £714
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £838  £831  £775  £799
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £627  £650  £653  £638
ELECTRICAL  £1,258  £1,286  £1,224  £1,266
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £881  £941  £910  £913
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £876  £870  £838  £840
INSULATION  £1,220  £1,259  £1,210  £1,131
JOINERY  £1,115  £1,152  £1,094  £1,207
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £915  £950  £886  £989
PLASTERING  £962  £917  £1,006  £881
PLUMBING  £1,428  £1,442  £1,358  £1,409
ROOFING  £709  £694  £703  £719
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £788  £807  £753  £813
SHOP FITTING  £1,149  £1,215  £1,253  £1,184
SPECIALIST TRADES  £970  £1,024  £950  £892
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £688  £659  £626  £642
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £685  £681  £621  £652

London

LONDON Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £672  £709  £673  £685
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £797  £783  £730  £765
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £820  £655  £465  £677
ELECTRICAL  £918  £942  £912  £953
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £1,317  £1,371  £1,512  £750
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £925  £905  £887  £907
INSULATION  £811  £903  £830  £821
JOINERY  £928  £1,003  £918  £1,139
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £1,076  £1,136  £1,041  £1,044
PLASTERING  £932  £1,272  £1,104  £1,138
PLUMBING  £937  £937  £905  £863
ROOFING  £671  £744  £769  £657
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £1,149  £1,084  £1,098  £1,166
SHOP FITTING  £765  £858  £963  £841
SPECIALIST TRADES  £982  £982  £900  £976
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £718  £740  £639  £732
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £425  £1,558  £1,403  £475

South East

SOUTH EAST Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £720  £760  £741  £731
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £748  £738  £695  £724
DEMOLITION & WRECKING  £1,276  £1,280  £1,161  £1,163
ELECTRICAL  £1,236  £1,236  £1,186  £1,167
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £812  £838  £745  £751
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £829  £846  £790  £799
INSULATION  £725  £800  £692  £816
JOINERY  £1,017  £974  £978  £1,005
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £994  £1,120  £1,011  £1,089
PLASTERING  £687  £699  £637  £716
PLUMBING  £1,048  £1,092  £1,016  £955
ROOFING  £683  £688  £663  £693
SCAFFOLDING & LIFTING  £773  £786  £746  £773
SHOP FITTING  £1,148  £1,265  £1,255  £1,279
SPECIALIST TRADES  £742  £776  £744  £814
STEEL & TIMBER FRAME ERECTION  £789  £741  £700  £708
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £768  £780  £716  £798

South West

SOUTH WEST Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17
BRICKLAYING  £450  £500  £300  £300
CIVIL ENGINEERING  £696  £693  £647  £687
ELECTRICAL  £666  £687  £668  £718
EQUIPMENT & OPERATOR HIRE  £627  £595  £532  £551
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION  £824  £794  £774  £796
INSULATION  £1,364  £1,298  £1,198  £1,112
JOINERY  £1,131  £1,204  £1,063  £1,096
MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING  £711  £635  £557  £614
PLASTERING  £688  £691  £756  £791
PLUMBING  £1,090  £1,142  £1,137  £1,228
ROOFING  £709  £729  £730  £748
SHOP FITTING  £1,428  £1,184  £1,203  £808
SPECIALIST TRADES  £1,017  £1,069  £1,072  £1,267
SURFACING CONTRACTORS  £635  £683  £613  £670