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Since 2020, tradespeople have had to balance record demand for their services with rising costs and materials shortages.

Against a backdrop of rising inflation and a cost of living crisis, the latest data shows that businesses are still having to turn down work due to problems with materials.

Read on to find out which trades are most affected, the hardest materials to source, and the biggest price rises since 2021:

 

Majority of tradespeople struggling to source key items

A survey by IronmongeryDirect found that 78 per cent of tradespeople have struggled to source materials they need for work in the last year.

Paint, timber, and steel are the hardest materials to get hold of across all trades. The table below shows the most difficult item to source by trade:

Trade

Hardest material to source

Bricklayer

Bricks

Builder

Timber

Building surveyor

Steel

Carpenter

Timber

Electrician

Semiconductors

Joiner

Coatings

Landscaper

Timber

Painter decorator

Paint

Plasterer

Cement

Plumber

Steel

Roofer

Ceramics

Scaffolder

Blocks

 

 

The impact of rising costs on materials

A combination of high inflation, the war in Ukraine, and ongoing supply chain issues isn’t only making materials harder to source, but also more expensive.

Inflation in the UK reached 10.1 per cent in July and it’s forecast to rise to 18 per cent next year, so things could get worse before they get better.

But the rising cost of materials is nothing new. A Simply Business survey in autumn 2021 revealed that 83 per cent of tradespeople had experienced rising costs for materials, making it the biggest challenge they faced at the time.

According to IronmongeryDirect’s study, rising inflation is the most common reason for materials shortages. Over a fifth (22 per cent) of tradespeople surveyed said they have noticed a significant rise in the cost of materials over the last 12 months.

Analysis of the Prices Indices of Construction Materials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy shows the materials that have increased the most in cost over the last year:

Material

Increase in cost between June 2021 and June 2022

Concrete reinforcing bars (steel)

58%

Fabricated structural steel

46%

Precast concrete products

28%

Doors and windows

24%

Imported, sawn, or planed wood

24%

Paint (non-aqueous)

23%

Gravel, sand, clay, and kaolin

22%

Insulating materials

22%

Ready-mixed concrete

20%

Builders' woodwork

19%

 

Tradespeople turning down work due to materials challenges

Trouble sourcing materials and high prices are causing tradespeople to delay work or turn projects down.

IronmongeryDirect’s survey found that 33 per cent have had to delay work due to shortages, while 18 per cent have had to turn work down.

The five most likely trades to refuse jobs due to shortages are: 

  • roofers
  • joiners
  • building / builders / Surveyors
  • scaffolders
  • electricians

Despite record levels of demand, our research from 2021 found that 70 per cent of tradespeople had to turn down work over the summer due to rising costs and materials shortages.  This cost the average UK tradesperson £5,598, with one in five businesses losing more than £10,000.

 

How can tradespeople reduce the impact of materials shortages?

 There have been signs that issues with materials have been ‘easing slightly’ in recent weeks, according to Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect.

 However, with inflation set to rise further in the coming months, expensive materials are likely to remain a problem for tradespeople.

 Here are some of the things you can do to minimise the impact of scarce and costly materials:

 raise awareness – explain the challenges you’re facing to customers from the outset and they’re likely to be more understanding

  • communicate regularly – keep your customers up to date with any delays or issues and keep in regular contact with suppliers for updates
  • don’t compromise on quality – even if you have to delay projects or extend timelines, using quality materials is better for your customers and your long-term reputation
  • shop around – you may be able to get a better deal without compromising on quality as competition between suppliers is likely to remain high
  • increase your prices – although it can be a difficult decision, increasing your prices at the right time could help you financially
  • be organised – keep up your customer service by taking a long-term view of projects so you know what you can and can’t do, and the materials you’ll need

 

This research does not include typical Trade tools/machinery, which has suffured delays and availability due to supply chain issues, BREXIT, prices increases etc

 

How have materials shortages affected your business? 

 

 (source article: SimplyBusiness.com)

 

 

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Replies

  • from what i hear a lot of companies are stopping trying to inport materials from europe because of the paperwork that is involved and the delays 

    ps i dont knoe why scaffolders would be short of blocks or what they would be short of 

  • PRO

    The only time I can remember there being a scaffolding shortage was when the Falkland War started and huge amounts of scaffolding was required to work on ships in the dry docks, I was working on a new housing site in Cheltenham and scaffolding was actually taken down from around partly built houses to be taken to the docks.

    The scaffolders went with the scaffold to the docks, it was the bricklayers and other trades on site who were stopped from working.

    • PRO

      This is the most fascinating random bit of information I've read today

  • PRO

    Recently, four week wait for fence panels. My god the price!!

    During covid, cement. Couldnt believe the messing about trying to get some.

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