Latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply show that the total construction activity index rose from 57.8 to 58.2 in December, well above the 50 no-change level.
This bucked the four-month drop in the rate of growth between June and September. The survey put the faster growth down to a strong performance in the housing sector. Almost one-third of respondents reported higher levels of residential activity than in the previous month.
The volume of new orders across all sectors also rose, with one-third of respondents reporting fuller order books. Business confidence remains high. Half of all respondents expected activity to rise over the year.