Demand for tradespeople has risen by 50% in the past two years but increased costs are also taking their toll, according to latest research by Rated People.
In total, 62% of UK tradespeople said 2021 was the ‘busiest year they’ve ever had’ and 86% expect to be ‘very busy’ in 2022.
Carpentry was the busiest trade during this time, while 72% of plumbers experienced increased homeowner demand in 2021.
The surge in demand since the start of the pandemic has brought about huge opportunities for tradespeople but they also been hit with a series of challenges, the research found. Almost nine in 10 tradespeople (89%) say their costs increased in 2021, 84% experienced materials supply issues and just under half (44%) had workforce shortages.
As a result, 83% of tradespeople had to increase their prices and almost two thirds had to delay or cancel jobs.
Materials shortages were experienced most by plasterers, with 96% experiencing issues compared with 77% of plumbers and 85% of bathroom fitters.
Heating engineers, meanwhile, were among those tradespeople increasing their prices over the coming year, with 97% responding as such. This compared to 84% of plumbers and 77% of electricians.
All bathroom fitters and tilers expected to be “very busy” in 2022, compared with 82% of heating engineers and 86% of plumbers.
Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, said: “The last two years have been challenging for many reasons, but it’s great to see just how much homeowner demand has increased for all things home improvement and renovation.
“The volume of work completed in 2021 is a testament to how well tradespeople and homeowners worked together, because in a Covid and post-Brexit landscape, material supply issues, cost increases and labour shortages affected home improvement work across the UK.
“This year, it’s clear there are massive opportunities for tradespeople as a result of this high demand, and we want to help tradespeople make the most of this time for their business success.”