{
  "query": "UK construction cost trends 2024-2026 steel industry benchmarks",
  "raw_results": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/engineering-and-construction/engineering-and-construction-industry-outlook.html",
      "title": "2026 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook",
      "content": "Recent tariffs, especially on steel and aluminum, reaching up to 50%5—have sharply raised construction material costs.6 The effective tariff rate for construction goods climbed to a 40-year high of 25% to 30% in 2025.7 The financial impact is evident: Material prices have risen steadily from May through August 2025.8",
      "score": 0.80014634,
      "raw_content": null
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/uk-construction-market-analysis/",
      "title": "UK Construction Market Size, Trend Analysis by Sector ... - GlobalData",
      "content": "The construction industry in the UK is expected to grow in real terms by 2.2% in 2026, supported by investments in housing and commercial projects. Improvements in the business environment is also likely to boost the construction industry’s growth. As evident, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the total construction company insolvencies in England and Wales fell by 2.4% YoY during the first eleven months of 2025, falling from 3,747 in January-November 2024 to 3,657 in January-November 2025. However, elevated inflation rates, and high government debts are likely to hinder the UK’s construction industry’s growth over the short to medium-term. According to the ONS, public sector net debt excluding public sector banks estimated at 95.5% of GDP at the end of December 2025, [...] GlobalData’s Construction in the UK – Key Trends and Opportunities to 2030 (Q1 2026) report provides detailed market analysis, information, and insights into the UK's construction industry, including –  \n• The UK's construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity  \n• Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, as well as an analysis of key risks and opportunities in the UK's construction industry  \n• Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, focusing on development stages and participants, in addition to listings of major projects in the pipeline.\n\n## Scope\n\nThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in the UK. It provides – [...] 3078371\n1\nStandard\n\n# UK Construction Market Size, Trend Analysis by Sector, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2030 (Q1 2026)\n\nPowered by GD logo\n\nAll the vital news, analysis, and commentary curated by our industry experts.\n\nBuy Report\nDownload FREE Resources\n\nPublished: March 20, 2026\nReport Code: GDCN1812MR-ST\n\nShare\n\n Share on Twitter\n Share on LinkedIn\n Share on Facebook\n Share on Threads\n Share via Email\n Copy Link\n\n Report Overview\n Table of Contents\n Table\n Figures",
      "score": 0.75312227,
      "raw_content": null
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/building-materials-and-components-statistics-march-2026/construction-building-materials-commentary-march-2026",
      "title": "Construction building materials: commentary March 2026 - GOV.UK",
      "content": "Exports of construction materials:\n\n decreased by £46 million in Quarter 4 2025 compared with Quarter 3 2025, from £2,246 million to £2,201 million, a decrease of 2.0%\n increased by £315 million in 2025 compared with 2024, from £8,545 million to £8,860 million, an increase of 3.7%\n\nImports of construction materials:\n\n decreased by £369 million in Quarter 4 2025 compared with Quarter 3 2025, from £5,772 million to £5,403 million, a decrease of 6.4%\n decreased by £314 million in 2025 compared with 2024, from £22,900 million to £22,586 million, a decrease of 1.4%\n\nThe trade deficit of construction materials: [...] | Material price indices | February 2025 to February 2026 | January 2026 to February 2026 |\n --- \n| New housing | 3.4 | 0.1 |\n| Other new work | 1.1 | 0.6 |\n| Repair and maintenance | 2.7 | -0.1 |\n| All work | 2.1 | 0.4 |\n\nDownload data for table 1: construction material price indices, year-on-year and month-on-month percentage change\n\nThe material price index for ‘All work’:\n\n increased by 2.1% in February 2026 compared with February 2025\n increased by 2.0% in January 2026 compared with January 2025\n increased by 0.4% in February 2026 compared with January 2026\n decreased by 0.1% in January 2026 compared with December 2025\n\n#### Table 2: construction materials experiencing the greatest price increases and decreases in the 12 months to February 2026, UK [...] | Construction materials | (% change) |\n --- |\n| Imported sawn or planed wood | 7.6 |\n| Gravel, sand, clays and kaolin - incl aggregate levy | 7.3 |\n| Plastic doors and windows | 5.6 |\n| Precast concrete: blocks, bricks, tiles and flagstones | -2.3 |\n| Imported plywood | -6.7 |\n| Concrete reinforcing bars (steel) | -7.2 |\n\nDownload data for table 2: construction materials experiencing the greatest price increases and decreases in the 12 months to February 2026, UK\n\nThe aggregated construction material price indices hide larger price movements for some specific products and materials, table 2 shows the 3 largest increases and the 3 largest decreases.\n\nThe price data used for this publication predates the current hostilities within the Middle East, which commenced on 28 February 2026.",
      "score": 0.72559077,
      "raw_content": null
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.arcadis.com/en-gb/insights/perspectives/europe/united-kingdom/uk-construction-market-view-spring-2026",
      "title": "UK Construction Market Outlook Spring 2026 - Arcadis",
      "content": "## The state of the construction market in the UK\n\nThe UK construction sector has entered 2026 facing an uneven recovery. After a promising start to 2025, activity slowed significantly in the second half of the year, with new build output declining even as the pipeline of future work continued to grow.\n\nAffordability pressures, regulatory complexity, and delayed investment decisions are slowing the conversion of projects from planning to delivery, particularly in the residential sector. At the same time, other parts of the market—including commercial development and infrastructure investment—are showing early signs of renewed momentum. [...] The Spring 2026 Arcadis UK Market View examines the forces shaping the UK construction market, from shifts in sector performance and regional activity to emerging cost pressures and long-term infrastructure investment.\n\n## UK construction industry trends, growth, and inflation insights\n\nThe Spring 2026 Arcadis UK Market View provides a data-driven perspective on the forces shaping the UK construction sector. The report combines market research and analysis, sector insights, and forward-looking forecasts to help industry leaders navigate an uncertain recovery.\n\nConstruction growth and sector performance analysis—how residential, commercial, infrastructure, and public sectors are diverging in a two-speed recovery. [...] Download report  (4.53 MB)\n\n## UK Market View Archive\n\nArcadis downloads  download\\_items\n\n## Stay ahead of UK construction sector trends\n\nConstruction markets are evolving quickly. From shifts in the construction pipeline and infrastructure investment to changes in labour availability and material and energy costs, industry conditions can change rapidly from quarter to quarter. Staying informed is essential for organisations planning projects, managing risk, and making investment decisions.",
      "score": 0.71040785,
      "raw_content": null
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.tmhcc.com/en/news-and-articles/thought-leadership/uk-construction-sector-report-december-2025",
      "title": "UK Construction Sector Report - Tokio Marine HCC",
      "content": "Meanwhile, data from the ONS shows that new order inflow has started to pick up, pointing towards increased building activity in 202615. “All new work” expanded by almost 30% y/y in Q3 2025, the fastest rate of expansion since late 2021. “Private commercial” (up by 48.6% y/y) and “private industrial” (+100.8% y/y) saw even more rapid new order inflow but data tends to be volatile so it is too early to be overly optimistic. Positively, after a period of contraction between Q2 2022 and Q3 2024 (when new order inflow was negative in y/y terms in seven out of nine quarters), new orders have been rising in three out of the past four quarters now.\n\nSeasonally Adjusted New Orders for Construction ( y/y change in volume terms)\n\nSource: ONS [...] Source: Insolvency Service\n\nEncouragingly, this positive trend continued in the first eight months of 2025. Data from the government’s Insolvency Service shows that in January to August, 2,707 construction companies became insolvent, down by 3.8% y/y. The construction sector also performs better than the national trend which has seen a stagnation in business failures in England and Wales in a y/y comparison (from 16,359 to 16,363 failures)19. [...] Worryingly, while material price inflation has moderated in recent years, construction companies’ operating costs are still under pressure because of rising wages (see Labour Market chapter below). In addition, in absolute terms, the early 2025 “all work” construction price index reading of 151.8 points compares very unfavourably with the 2020-value of 110.6 points, highlighting a persistent rise in building costs since Covid2 .\n\nUK Construction Materials Price Indices (y/y change)\n\nSource: ONS",
      "score": 0.7043437,
      "raw_content": null
    }
  ],
  "formatted": "Source: 2026 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook\nURL: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/engineering-and-construction/engineering-and-construction-industry-outlook.html\nRecent tariffs, especially on steel and aluminum, reaching up to 50%5—have sharply raised construction material costs.6 The effective tariff rate for construction goods climbed to a 40-year high of 25% to 30% in 2025.7 The financial impact is evident: Material prices have risen steadily from May through August 2025.8\n\n---\n\nSource: UK Construction Market Size, Trend Analysis by Sector ... - GlobalData\nURL: https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/uk-construction-market-analysis/\nThe construction industry in the UK is expected to grow in real terms by 2.2% in 2026, supported by investments in housing and commercial projects. Improvements in the business environment is also likely to boost the construction industry’s growth. As evident, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the total construction company insolvencies in England and Wales fell by 2.4% YoY during the first eleven months of 2025, falling from 3,747 in January-November 2024 to 3,657 in January-November 2025. However, elevated inflation rates, and high government debts are likely to hinder the UK’s construction industry’s growth over the short to medium-term. According to the ONS, public sector net debt excluding public sector banks estimated at 95.5% of GDP at the end of December 2025, [...] GlobalData’s Construction in the UK – Key Trends and Opportunities to 2030 (Q1 2026) report provides detailed market analysis, information, and insights into the UK's construction industry, including – • The UK's construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity • Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, as well as an analysis of key risks and opportunities in the UK's construction industry • Analysis of the mega-project pipeline, focusing on development stages and participants, in addition to listings of major projects in the pipeline. ## Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in the UK. It provides – [...] 3078371 1 Standard # UK Construction Market Size, Trend Analysis by Sector, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2030 (Q1 2026) Powered by GD logo All the vital news, analysis, and commentary curated by our industry experts. Buy Report Download FREE Resources Published: \n\n---\n\nSource: Construction building materials: commentary March 2026 - GOV.UK\nURL: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/building-materials-and-components-statistics-march-2026/construction-building-materials-commentary-march-2026\nExports of construction materials: decreased by £46 million in Quarter 4 2025 compared with Quarter 3 2025, from £2,246 million to £2,201 million, a decrease of 2.0% increased by £315 million in 2025 compared with 2024, from £8,545 million to £8,860 million, an increase of 3.7% Imports of construction materials: decreased by £369 million in Quarter 4 2025 compared with Quarter 3 2025, from £5,772 million to £5,403 million, a decrease of 6.4% decreased by £314 million in 2025 compared with 2024, from £22,900 million to £22,586 million, a decrease of 1.4% The trade deficit of construction materials: [...] | Material price indices | February 2025 to February 2026 | January 2026 to February 2026 | --- | New housing | 3.4 | 0.1 | | Other new work | 1.1 | 0.6 | | Repair and maintenance | 2.7 | -0.1 | | All work | 2.1 | 0.4 | Download data for table 1: construction material price indices, year-on-year and month-on-month percentage change The material price index for ‘All work’: increased by 2.1% in February 2026 compared with February 2025 increased by 2.0% in January 2026 compared with January 2025 increased by 0.4% in February 2026 compared with January 2026 decreased by 0.1% in January 2026 compared with December 2025 #### Table 2: construction materials experiencing the greatest price increases and decreases in the 12 months to February 2026, UK [...] | Construction materials | (% change) | --- | | Imported sawn or planed wood | 7.6 | | Gravel, sand, clays and kaolin - incl aggregate levy | 7.3 | | Plastic doors and windows | 5.6 | | Precast concrete: blocks, bricks, tiles and flagstones | -2.3 | | Imported plywood | -6.7 | | Concrete reinforcing bars (steel) | -7.2 | Download data for table 2: construction materials experiencing the greatest price increases and decreases \n\n---\n\nSource: UK Construction Market Outlook Spring 2026 - Arcadis\nURL: https://www.arcadis.com/en-gb/insights/perspectives/europe/united-kingdom/uk-construction-market-view-spring-2026\n## The state of the construction market in the UK The UK construction sector has entered 2026 facing an uneven recovery. After a promising start to 2025, activity slowed significantly in the second half of the year, with new build output declining even as the pipeline of future work continued to grow. Affordability pressures, regulatory complexity, and delayed investment decisions are slowing the conversion of projects from planning to delivery, particularly in the residential sector. At the same time, other parts of the market—including commercial development and infrastructure investment—are showing early signs of renewed momentum. [...] The Spring 2026 Arcadis UK Market View examines the forces shaping the UK construction market, from shifts in sector performance and regional activity to emerging cost pressures and long-term infrastructure investment. ## UK construction industry trends, growth, and inflation insights The Spring 2026 Arcadis UK Market View provides a data-driven perspective on the forces shaping the UK construction sector. The report combines market research and analysis, sector insights, and forward-looking forecasts to help industry leaders navigate an uncertain recovery. Construction growth and sector performance analysis—how residential, commercial, infrastructure, and public sectors are diverging in a two-speed recovery. [...] Download report (4.53 MB) ## UK Market View Archive Arcadis downloads download\\_items ## Stay ahead of UK construction sector trends Construction markets are evolving quickly. From shifts in the construction pipeline and infrastructure investment to changes in labour availability and material and energy costs, industry conditions can change rapidly from quarter to quarter. Staying informed is essential for organisations pla\n\n---\n\nSource: UK Construction Sector Report - Tokio Marine HCC\nURL: https://www.tmhcc.com/en/news-and-articles/thought-leadership/uk-construction-sector-report-december-2025\nMeanwhile, data from the ONS shows that new order inflow has started to pick up, pointing towards increased building activity in 202615. “All new work” expanded by almost 30% y/y in Q3 2025, the fastest rate of expansion since late 2021. “Private commercial” (up by 48.6% y/y) and “private industrial” (+100.8% y/y) saw even more rapid new order inflow but data tends to be volatile so it is too early to be overly optimistic. Positively, after a period of contraction between Q2 2022 and Q3 2024 (when new order inflow was negative in y/y terms in seven out of nine quarters), new orders have been rising in three out of the past four quarters now. Seasonally Adjusted New Orders for Construction ( y/y change in volume terms) Source: ONS [...] Source: Insolvency Service Encouragingly, this positive trend continued in the first eight months of 2025. Data from the government’s Insolvency Service shows that in January to August, 2,707 construction companies became insolvent, down by 3.8% y/y. The construction sector also performs better than the national trend which has seen a stagnation in business failures in England and Wales in a y/y comparison (from 16,359 to 16,363 failures)19. [...] Worryingly, while material price inflation has moderated in recent years, construction companies’ operating costs are still under pressure because of rising wages (see Labour Market chapter below). In addition, in absolute terms, the early 2025 “all work” construction price index reading of 151.8 points compares very unfavourably with the 2020-value of 110.6 points, highlighting a persistent rise in building costs since Covid2 . UK Construction Materials Price Indices (y/y change) Source: ONS"
}