The UK doesn’t have enough houses, so the Government promised we would build some more.  What are the challenges?

Most new houses are built by a small number of large developer.  They need somewhere to build, permission to build and then labour and materials to get the job done.  Government is working to make planning permission easier to obtain, so what are the challenges in building?

Materials and supply chain

As we saw in 2020 and 2021, the building materials supply chain is finite and can be slow to respond to increasing demand.  When everybody spent their money on home improvements instead of holidays the price of basic building materials soared, when they were even available.

Skilled tradespeople

Since the 1990s the UK education system has aimed for 50% of young people to go to university.  The emphasis on academic education inevitably took young people out of vocational training and apprenticeships.  Fewer apprentices 20 years ago means there are fewer experienced, skilled tradespeople now.  A high proportion of those who are experienced are now looking towards retirement.  Can we fix it?  Not quickly.  Traditional apprenticeships take two years or more; longer for electricians and plumbers.  Rushing people through will reduce quality, leading to the need for re-work.

Generally, house builders do not employ tradespeople.  They contract with them for each job.  So a shortage of trained people increases competition for those who are available.  If the materials to complete the work are not on site, workers will find other work, which increases the delay when materials are available.

Changes in regulations

Construction must comply with the building regulations.  These have changed in recent years to mitigate climate change – for example, exterior walls now require 150mm of insulation instead of 100mm; fossil fuel burning boilers are banned.  Some changes are straightforward, but others require new skills – a heat pump and a gas boiler have different installation requirements.  This again causes difficulty in finding skilled workers.

Careful planning

These challenges can be met by careful scheduling of deliveries and engaging with the workforce.  Getting this right will avoid delays and keep the project within budget.  Digital tools, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), can help but there are still factors outside the builder’s control, such as poor weather, that must be allowed for.