Cost update: March 2003 | Features

Brickwork and blockwork
Brick/block walling	Unit	Typical low rate £	Typical mean rate £	Typical high rate £
Facing brickwork (machine-made, medium quality) in half brick wall	m²	43	48	51
Lightweight aggregate concrete block wall
100 mm thick	m²	13	16	18
140 mm thick	m²	17	19	23
Aerated concrete block wall
100 mm thick	m²	15	18	20
140 mm thick	m²	19	22.5	25
Extra for fair face one side	m²	1	1.7	2.5
Closing cavities with blockwork; 140 mm thick	m	3	3.5	4
Closing cavities with insulated cavity closer such as Thermabate; 100 mm cavity	m	7	8	9
Accessories/sundry items for brick/block walling
Forming cavities in hollow walls with stainless steel wall ties	m²	1.25	2.5	3.5
with full fill mineral fibre insulation; 80 mm wide	m²	5.5	6	6.5
Bitumen polymer dampproof course	m²	5.75	7.5	9
cavity tray	m²	7.5	9.5	11
stepped cavity tray	m²	10	13	15
Vertical movement joints hydrocell or expandafoam filler with mastic sealant	m	4	4.5	5
Sills/lintels
Precast concrete lintel; 140 × 150 × 1200 mm long	item	21	25	30
Precast concrete padstone; 450 × 140 × 225 mm	item	13	15	18

Price changes
	% change since spring 2002
Sand and gravel	+2.5
Insitu concrete	+5
Formwork for insitu concrete	+3.5
Reinforcement	+8
Bricks	+3
Mortars	+3
Structural steelwork	+3
First fix joinery items (roof members and the like)	+4
Plywood	–3
Stainless steel sheet roof coverings	+2.5
Fibre cement goods	+3
Plasterboard partitions and linings	+3
Hardwood wood strip flooring	+6
Standard timber flush doors	+5
Standard timber window frames	+5
Glazing (generally)	+2
Changing cubicles	+5
Ceramic tiles	–3
Painting (generally)	+3
Sanitary appliances	+2
Insulation	+5
Ironmongery	+3.5
Bitumen macadam surfacing	+2
Fencing	+4
Wires and cables	–2
Gas oil fuel	+13

Key indicators
	% change May 2002-January 2003	% change January 2002-January 2003
Retail Prices Index
Headline rate (RPI)	+1.2	+2.9
All items excluding mortgage interest payments (RPIX) – government’s target index	+1.1	+2.7
All items excluding mortgage interest payments and indirect taxes (RPIY)	+1.5	+2.9
Harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP)	+0.2	+1.4
Industry generally
Materials and fuels purchased by manufacturing industry	+2.4	+3.6
of which materials	+1.7	+5.4
of which fuel	+9.1	–7.5
Materials and fuels purchased by manufacturing industry excluding food, beverages, tobacco and petroleum industries	+1.6	–0.7
Output prices of manufactured products	+0.5	+1.6
Output prices of manufactured products excluding food, beverages, tobacco and petroleum	+0.5	+1.0
Construction industry
Construction materials	+0.9	+4.2
Housebuilding materials	+0.5	+3.7
Machinery and equipment (UK manufacture)	+0.1	+0.4
Electrical machinery and apparatus (UK manufacture)	–1.0	–0.5
Source: Office for National Statistics. January 2003 figures are provisional. The ONS 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.

Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry
Grade	National Standard Rates		London Rate
	Transport provided £/hour	Own transport £/hour	Transport provided £/hour	Own transport £/hour
Technician or equivalent specialist grade	11.05	11.61	11.98	12.58
Approved electrician or equivalent specialist grade	9.75	10.32	10.66	11.26
Electrician or equivalent specialist grade	8.95	9.50	9.86	10.43
Electrical improver	8.05	8.56	8.94	9.46
Labourer	7.10	7.63	7.95	8.51
Senior graded electrical trainee	8.05	8.56	8.94	9.46
Adult trainee	7.10	7.63	7.95	8.51
Adult trainee (under 21)	5.33	5.72	6.14	6.56

Wage agreement summary for major wage-fixing bodies
Operatives	Agreement body	Wage rates effective since	Details in	Date of next review
Builders and civil engineering operatives	Construction Industry Joint Council	24 June 2002	Cost Update, 31 May 2002 Spon’s Architects; and Builders’ Price Book 2003	Negotiations under way – likely to be June 2003
	Building & Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC)	10 June 2002	Cost Update 31 May 2002 Spon’s Architects; and Builders’ Price Book 2003	9 June 2003
Plumbers	The Joint Industry Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services in England and Wales	2 December 2002	Spon’s Architects and Builders’ Price Book 2003 Cost Update, 6 December 2002	Likely to be September 2003
	Scottish and Northern Ireland Joint Industry Board for the Plumbing Industry	28 October 2002	Cost Update, 6 December 2002	7 April 2003 (fourth and final part of two-year agreement)
Heating and ventilation operatives	Joint Conciliation Committee of the Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Industry	7 October 2002	Cost Update, 13 September 2002 Spon’s Mechanical and Electrical Services Price Book 2003	Likely to be October 2003
Electricians	The Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry	6 January 2003	Spon’s Mechanical and Electrical Services Price Book 2003 See table 'Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry'	5 January 2004 (third part of three-year agreement)
	Scottish Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry	6 January 2003	See table 'Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry'	5 January 2004 (third part of three-year agreement)