Welcome to building.co.uk. This site uses cookies. Read our policy.

Close menu
Typical selected rates
 UnitLow rate £Mean rate £High rate £
Excavate trenches; not exceeding 3 m wide; not exceeding 2 m deep m3 6.757.2510
Disposal off site m310.51516.50
Hardcore filling; exceeding 250 mm thick m32022.75 27
Plain insitu concrete in foundations m3727781
Reinforced insitu concrete in beds not exceeding 150 mm m3778590
Formwork to foundations 250-500 mm m1414.522
Mesh fabric reinforcement A193 (32 kg/m2) m2233.7
Medium quality facing bricks in half brick wall m2414350
100 mm lightweight aggregate blockworkm2172125
140 mm lightweight aggregate blockwork m221.52530
Structural steelwork – universal beams t715750900
50 × 100 mm sawn softwood floor members m3.33.654
13 mm hardwall plaster to walls m28.59.2511
One mist and two coats of emulsion paint to plastered surfaces m222.23.6
100 mm vitrified clay drainage pipe m4.56.57.5
Key indicators
 Percentage change over past 6 months (April to Oct 2003)Percentage change over past 12 months (Oct 2002 to Oct 2003)
Retail Prices   
Index headline rate (RPI)+0.8+2.6
All items excluding mortgage interest payments (RPIX) – government’s target index+0.7+2.7
All items excluding mortgage interest payments and indirect taxes (RPIY)+0.8+2.4
Harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) +0.6+1.4
Industry generally  
Materials and fuels purchased by manufacturing industry+1.3+1.8
of which materials+1.5+2.2
of which fuel–2.2–2.6
Materials and fuels purchased by manufacturing industry excluding food, beverages, tobacco and petroleum industries–1.1+0.4
Output prices of manufactured products +0.2+1.4
Output prices of manufactured products excluding food, beverages, tobacco and petroleum+0.3+1.3
Construction industry  
Construction materials+0.9*+2.9**
Housebuilding materials+0.9*+2.6**
Machinery and equipment (UK manufacture) +0.5+0.3
Electrical machinery and apparatus (UK manufacture)+0.2+0.3
Source: Office for National Statistics (October 2003 figures provisional)
* April to September 2003 (DTI figures) ** September 2002 to September 2003 (DTI figures)
Notes: The Office of National Statistics category of “machinery and equipment” includes mechanical engineering items such as pumps, taps, valves, lifts, cooling and ventilation equipment. “Electrical machinery and apparatus” includes electrical engineering materials such as electricity distribution and control apparatus, wires and cables and lighting equipment.
New earnings survey
The Office for National Statistics has published the results of its annual spot survey of earnings in Great Britain. The survey is taken in April each year. The following table shows average gross hourly earnings (including overtime pay and hours) of full-time males on adult rates for operatives in the construction industry from the April 2003 survey:
 £ per hour% increase
  2002/03
civil engineers15.466.3
mechanical engineers15.793.1
electrical engineers16.141.6
architects18.914.4
quantity surveyors15.098.6
electricians, electrical fitters11.223.6
steel erectors9.948.3
bricklayers, masons9.098.4
plumbers, heating and ventilating engineers10.624.4
carpenters and joiners9.247.7
glaziers, window fabricators and fitters7.778.6
floorers and wall tilers8.701.0
painters and decorators8.877.5
scaffolders, stagers and riggers10.229.1
road construction operatives9.057.3
rail construction and maintenance operatives10.654.7
labourers in building and woodworking trades7.735.0
Of the professions, quantity surveyors are the lowest paid but received the largest percentage increase this year. Of the skilled trades, the biggest increases were received by those trades generally regarded as being in the shortest supply i.e. scaffolders, bricklayers and carpenters. Steel erectors also received a substantial wage increase, following their national wage agreement.
Heating and ventilating wage rates
On 3 November 2003, the first part of a new three-year agreement for the Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Domestic Engineering Industry was agreed, raising basic rates and responsibility allowances about 3.5%.
The previous and new rates are summarised as follows:
 7 October 2002 £p/hr3 November 2003 £p/hr
foreman 11.61 12.02
senior craftsman 9.60 9.93
craftsman 8.80 9.11
operative 7.98 8.26
adult trainee 6.72 6.96
mate (over 18) 6.72 6.96
mate (17-18) 4.32 4.47
mate (up to 17) 3.12 3.23
Modern Apprentices junior 4.38 4.53
intermediate 6.18 6.40
senior 7.98 8.26
Responsibility allowances  
Craftsmen  
second welding skill or supervisory responsibility (one unit) 0.400.41
second welding skill and supervisory responsibility (two units)0.80 0.82
Senior craftsmen  
second welding skill 0.40 0.41
supervising responsibility 0.80 0.82
second welding skill and supervisory responsibility 1.20 1.23
Note: Travelling allowances have also increased by the same percentage. Abnormal conditions money remains at £2.99 per day. Lodging allowances have increased 2.9% and will be paid at £26.50 per night from 3 November 2003.