Materials Supply

A total of 48 firms, 16% of the response before weighting, but 20% after weighting, reported some delay in the supply of materials. The 16% figure is double that registered in the 1998 fourth quarter survey, but that was unusually low. Apart from that quarter, the average for the last three years has been a little over 14%.

For nearly half the firms the length of delay was no more than two weeks, but 18 said they were suffering delays up to two months, and seven reported having to wait over two months for some materials.

Not all firms reporting delays identified specific materials or products that were difficult to obtain. Of those that did, joinery products and treated timber were mentioned most often, with six firms reporting delays of more than two weeks. Four firms said that some types of brick were taking more than two weeks to obtain. The same number mentioned sanitary ware, with three of the four saying they had to wait more than two months.

Judging by written-in comments, the principal problem in respect of materials supply would appear to be the length of time taken for builders' merchants to obtain and items which they do not regularly stock.

First posted: 1 April 1999. Last modified: 27 July 1999.