Local builders in Northern Ireland (NI) saw an increase in workloads and enquiries in the last quarter of 2019, the only home nation to do so, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) NI.
The key results of the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q4 are:
- Small to medium-sized (SME) construction firms in Northern Ireland saw their workloads and enquiries rise by 10 percentage points to 9%, emerging out of negative territory in Q4 2019.
- Bricklayers overtake carpenters as the trade in shortest supply with over half of construction SMEs struggling to hire bricklayers (54%) and 53% struggling to hire carpenters and joiners.
- Around 84% of respondents foresee higher material costs over the next six months.
- A rise of 1 percentage point took the net balance for expected wages and salaries to +56.
Gavin McGuire, Director of FMB Northern Ireland, said: “Northern Irish builders have finished the year – and decade - on a high, as the only home nation to report an increase in workloads and enquiries going into Christmas. That means the summer slump that builders experienced here in Northern Ireland was thankfully bookended by growth. This is a positive message going into a new decade, and taken together with the Government in Stormont now sitting, I expect that builders will be feeling optimistic.”
McGuire concluded: “Northern Irish Master Builders have reported anecdotally that clients are becoming savvier when it comes to hiring a registered builder over someone without any accreditation. The result is growth among FMB members who are independently inspected and vetted. However, we need to do more to address the image of the industry among young people and their parents, and recruit more new entrants into the industry. More than half of builders are still struggling to hire carpenters and bricklayers which is hampering growth. With National Apprenticeship Week fast approaching, Master Builders will be out there talking to young people about the opportunities in construction.”
Notes to editors
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the largest trade association in the UK construction industry representing thousands of firms in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Established in 1941 to protect the interests of small and medium-sized (SME) construction firms, the FMB is independent and non-profit making, lobbying for members’ interests at both the national and local level.
The FMB is a source of knowledge, professional advice and support for its members, providing a range of modern and relevant business building services to help them succeed. The FMB is committed to raising quality in the construction industry and offers a free Find a Builder service to consumers.
