Brickonomics

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• Contractors are bagging a third less new work than at peak

  The latest new orders figures provide a sobering injection of reality after the barrage of "it's okay the recession is over" talk that seems rife. Yes the rate of collapse has slowed. But it's the level that really matters at the moment... Posted Oct 01 2009, 11:47 AM by Brickonomics Filed under: construction firms, construction output, construction orders

• £9 billion owed in trade debt to UK's building specialists

  It's a risky time to be owed money. Contractors and clients in the property world are falling like flies. So it was quite disturbing to calculate that £9 billion is outstanding in trade debt to the UK's building specialist contractors. And that... Posted Aug 25 2009, 01:36 PM by Brickonomics Filed under: construction industry, construction firms, risk, payment, trade credit, specialist contractors

• How to stop suicidal bidding: punish the abusers

  Let's start with an assertion: Suicidal bidding in construction is not consistent with fair trade and is not in the best interests of the consumer, the client, the industry or the long-term prosperity of the nation. It's a view. It has merit,... Posted Aug 11 2009, 11:08 AM by Brickonomics Filed under: OFT, construction industry, construction firms, contractual abuse, suicidal bidding, cover pricing, dumping

• The orders figures and public spending fears point to industry chaos ahead - need it be so?

  The good news is that after the monstrous distraction over the past month cause by raking over expense claims made by MPs we are getting back to debate about things that really will shape our lives - notably how much dosh there is (or rather isn't... Posted Jun 11 2009, 02:20 PM by Brickonomics Filed under: RICS, construction industry, construction firms, construction output, construction orders, redundancies, ONS, public spending

• What revalations are there in the insolvency figures

  If Pestilence is the diseased financial system War is contractual and trade disputes Famine is the lack of orders Then Death must be measured by the insolvency figures . And they do look a bit on the pale side. The base figures show a 56% increase in... Posted May 01 2009, 12:11 PM by Brickonomics Filed under: construction firms, construction orders, company collapses, administration, receivership, property, insolvency

• NSCC survey of specialists highlights strategic industry problems

  I was passed a draft copy of the latest state of trade survey undertaken by the specialist contractors' body NSCC . It covers the first quarter of this year and tells pretty much the story you'd expect - orders and inquiries down and firms working... Posted Apr 23 2009, 01:44 PM by Brickonomics Filed under: construction firms, construction output, construction orders, NSCC, payment, contractual abuse, late payment, trade credit

• Construction gains 47,000 jobs in 2008 - it may be official but I don't believe it

  Apparently there were 2,285,000 or so jobs in construction in the final quarter of last year up 47,000 on a year earlier and just 1,000 down on the quarter before, which appears to be the peak in this economic cycle. Puzzled? Wondering where these jobs... Posted Mar 18 2009, 10:01 AM by Brickonomics Filed under: construction industry, construction firms, construction output, job losses, jobs, employment

• Are the leaders of the contracting industry fit for purpose?

  My attention was drawn to a letter sent yesterday by the Construction Products Association's chairman Adrian Barden to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform regarding the current plight of the construction industry... Posted Mar 07 2009, 08:42 AM by Brickonomics Filed under: Construction Products Association, OFT, bid rigging, government spending, Information Commissioner's Office, construction industry, Economic League, construction firms, construction output, lobbying, Michael Heseltine, main contractors

• Plunging building materials imports shows speed of downturn

  The cash spent on imported building materials plunged in the final quarter of 2008 despite the huge drop in the value Sterling providing a clear indicator of the rapid decline in construction activity. In cash terms the value of imports in the fourth... Posted Mar 04 2009, 10:37 AM by Brickonomics Filed under: construction industry, construction firms, Sterling, exchange rates, commercial sector, house building, imports, exports