A change in the UK construction industry structure: implications for estimating

Abstract

The paper illustrates the extent to which use of sub-contractors has grown in recent years in the UK by reviewing the growth of small firms, who in the main act as sub-contractors. In five years, 1979 to 1984, the number of one-man firms has grown by 136%, and the value of work done by them has grown by 254%. Furthermore, all firms employing seven or less workers have grown by 94% in number and the value of their work has grown by 143%. The value of work being undertaken by firms employing seven or less workers represents 24.7% of the total of private contractors’ work undertaken in 1984 compared with 14.1% in 1979. The effects of this change on the estimator are described with particular reference to attendances, materials wastage and disruptions. The conclusion is that the estimators’ task has been made more difficult by the changes in industry structure.