Hudson Contract has revealed this year’s winners and losers across 10 regions and 17 trades in its annual Construction Pay Trends Index with plumbers enjoying biggest pay rise in 2017 while electricians have experienced a pay drop. The index shows that self-employed builders in England and Wales have seen a year-on-year increase in average weekly earnings of 3.8% – with …

The construction sector has come together to warn the Government of the dangers of the industry facing a ‘cliff edge’ regarding EU workers.

Responding to the Budget, the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has welcomed recognition by the Chancellor that housebuilding needs to be one of the Government’s main priorities.

Ryan Abell of building services company, Abbell Building Services, describes how working in a range of building trades has helped him to instantly recognise a house builder that is great to work with.  In this article, he explains what makes a house builder stand out. Skills Perhaps the most important attribute of an excellent builder is their level of skill.  …

Whatever type of hammering jobs you have to do, the Hultafors Tools range of hammers is said to deliver all the power and precision you’ll need. The new generation range features Ball Hammers, Carpenters’ Hammers, T-Block Hammers, Electrician’s Hammers, Sledge Hammers, Dead Blow Hammers and even Copper Hammers. The tools are designed to handle the toughest work, delivering the best possible …

MSA Safety is challenging the perception of fall protection with its new V-SHOCK self-retracting lifeline for building contractors.

Wearable technology which could reduce risks to drivers and lone workers has been trialled by highways engineers working for service provider Amey. Biometric and location devices which detect when the body is under stress and help workers raise instant alarms at the touch of a button were piloted on a technology maintenance contract, where working in higher risk environments is …

Michael Holmes, property expert and spokesperson for The Northern Homebuilding & Renovating Show (3-5 November 2017, HCC, Harrogate), offers some thoughts on the state of the UK housing market. “The cause of the housing crisis in the UK is simple enough for any GCSE economics student to understand: there are too many people chasing too few homes to either buy …

The Prime Minister announces measures to enable councils to build a new stance on house building and end the growing housing crisis.

The CITB has one last chance to fundamentally reform and start facilitating quality training en masse among the construction industry’s smaller firms, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB has announced its qualified support for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) as part of the consensus process, submitting its official letter to the CITB’s Chief Executive Sarah …

Floor laying is a job that many builders hand over to the specialist but Roger Bisby explains why he is reluctant to kiss goodbye to what can be a good earner and shares his favourite tools for the job. My customer was fairly adamant that they didn’t want scotia or quadrant around the edge of their new oak flooring because …

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) says its supports Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable’s call on the Government to allow local councils to borrow to build. Responding to the Party Leader’s speech at the Liberal Democrats’ Party Conference, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Mr Cable is absolutely correct in saying the Government must be bold if it …

A lack of available small sites and a lack of finance top the list of barriers to SME house builders increasing their delivery of new homes, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB). Key results from the FMB’s House Builders’ Survey 2017, the only annual snapshot of SME house builders, include: Over half of small house …

The London Housing Strategy’s focus on bringing forward more small sites will help solve the housing crisis by opening up the market to SME house builders, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) London. Commenting on the draft London Housing Strategy, published on Wednesday, Barry Mortimer, Director of FMB London, said: “If we’re to build the number of new …

A construction company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a sub-contracted joiner suffered life-changing injuries. Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard that construction company Mager Homes Ltd. had been contracted to complete a house build in Tetney, Grimsby. In December 2016, the worker was on the first floor level installing joists and flooring. Whilst laying a floorboard, he stepped back and …