Building materials back to pre-Covid levels

21 September 2023

Following its summer break, the September meeting of the Construction Leadership Council’s Product Availability working group reports that the supply of most building materials has returned to pre-Covid levels. This includes bricks, blocks, boilers, plaster and timber products.

Co-chairs John Newcomb, CEO of the Builders Merchants Federation, and Peter Caplehorn, CEO of the Construction Products Association, say that due to the sharp fall in house building over the past year, brick stocks have recovered and availability is no longer a key issue.  

However, some concerns persist around the supply of semi-conductors particularly for certain electrical components, despite the increase in worldwide capacity.

The proper surveys of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete historically used in construction and which has a limited lifespan) in certain public buildings are ongoing to assess any need to replace, repair or remediate those materials. The CLC has formed an RAAC industry response group and has not detected any supply chain concerns yet.  

The reports finds that price inflation has stabilised, largely due to a stagnation of demand, particularly the ongoing decline in housebuilding activity over the last six months. 

And on a less positive note, the working group says that with the availability and cost of financing options increasingly limited, commercial behaviour is likely to harden putting pressure on lower tiers and SME companies and reducing cash-flow capacity. Indeed, it is seeing an increase in the number of insolvencies and administrations. 

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