The cost of building work has risen since the start of the pandemic as the price of building materials has soared in response to the demands of booming housing markets.
We rely heavily on imported clay and cement with approximately 85% of all come from the EU. Covid and Brexit have significantly intensified brick shortages. The shortage of construction materials for bricks, concrete blocks and roofing tiles are currently threatening to destabilise the industry. The industry stockpiled for a while but soon had to reduce the production of bricks by closing their factories. British brickmakers were forced to close their plants and reduce their workforce by half.
According to statistics, the average home has 5,180 bricks. It is estimated that 300,000 homes are needed to be built every year to relieve the housing shortage. This means that 1.4 billion bricks would be needed.
Local and national housing plans such as Greater Manchester’s Places For Everyone and the Government’s ‘Help to Buy’ scheme are trying to help fund and build the housing shortage.
However, this has contributed to the growing brick demand and continues to outstrip the availability. People across the country are needing bricks for their construction needs. The country has been at a halt for the past 18 months, with the lack of material imported bringing a stop to the brick production industry in the UK.
As the demand for bricks intensifies in response to the booming housing markets, you can always rely on Manchester Brick Specialists for your developments. We have a variety of brick types for whatever the project is. Check out what’s available here to help you choose the right type of brick for your construction.
