Roofing Megastore publishes research into building materials price growth

17 November 2021


Online roofing product sales platform Roofing Megastore has completed its own building materials pricing research showing the huge spikes in timber and steel prices in the past year.

Its ranking of building material price growth year-on year to October 2021 puts imported sawn or planed wood at the number one position with a 74% price rise, followed by fabricated structural steel with a 73% growth.

Ranked third is particleboard with 65% growth, followed by concrete reinforcing bars (+62%); imported plywood (+56%). Lowest in its top 10 ranking is flexible pipes and fittings at 8%.

Its research – which draws on its internal sales data, ONS statistics and industry sources – also charts the growth in the price of various kinds of building work during the period.

It ranks repair and maintenance work at number one with a 25.9% year-on-year increase, with new housing ranked in fourth with a 22.4% price growth.

The research also cites a global shortage of concrete, causing a 30% drop in the production of concrete roof tiles in Britain in Q3, 2021 when compared to Q3 2020, and an even greater drop of 40% when compared to 2019.

“As an online building supplies merchant, we’re all too aware of the effects these crises are having across the industry,” said Gian-Carlo Grossi, managing director of Roofing Megastore.

“For such a core sector of the economy, there needs to be significant co-operation between the government and businesses within construction supply chains to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.”

More details on the research can be found at: RESEARCH