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01 / Going up

â–² Specialist joinery
â–² Architectural metalwork
â–² Internal stone floor and wall finishes

02 / Staying level

â–¶ Sprinklers
â–¶ Concrete works
â–¶ Structural steel frames
â–¶ Brickwork
â–¶ Cladding (reconstituted stone)
â–¶ Cladding (natural materials)
â–¶ Metal panellised cladding
â–¶ Curtain walling
â–¶ Atrium roofs
â–¶ Asphalt/membrane roof finishes
â–¶ Profiled metal roof finishes
â–¶ Brickwork
â–¶ Blockwork
â–¶ Drylining
â–¶ Metal doors
â–¶ Demountable partitions
â–¶ General joinery
â–¶ Raised floors
â–¶ Suspended ceilings
â–¶ Decorative wall covering
â–¶ Non-standard passenger lifts
â–¶ Escalators
â–¶ Electrical packages
â–¶ Ductwork
â–¶ Security systems
â–¶ Logistics services
â–¶ Soft floor finishes
â–¶ Mechanical packages
â–¶ Hard landscaping

03 / Going down

â–¼ Pre-cast piling
â–¼ Controls

04 / Lead times summary

Rotary piling â–¶ lead times have not changed this quarter and remain at 12 weeks, demand for rigs is becoming an issue and the lead-in for prefabrication of pile reinforcement is increasing. Pre-cast piling â–¼ appears to be in less demand with lead times reducing by a further two weeks to five weeks.

The previously forecast increase for concrete works â–¶ has not materialised this quarter, with lead times remaining at 10 weeks. Structural steel frames â–¶ lead times remain at 14 weeks.

Cladding – natural material ▶ lead times remain at 39 weeks following the four-week increase last quarter. Companies continue to be busier with enquiries and workload and so expect increases.

Cladding – metal panellised system ▶ lead times remain at 45 weeks following the six-week increase last quarter. Contractors report being busier with work and enquiries and anticipate further increases to lead times are anticipated in the next six months.

Cladding – curtain walling system ▶ lead times remain 43 weeks, but contractors anticipate lead times increasing over the next six months.

Atrium roof ▶ lead times remain at 31 weeks and roof finishes – asphalt / membrane ▶ lead times at seven weeks. Roof finish – profiled metal ▶ lead times have remained at 14 weeks for a year.

Facade cleaning equipment â–¶ lead times remain at 33 weeks, companies continue to be busier but anticipate no lead time increase in the next six months.

Brickwork â–¶ lead times remain at 11 weeks and blockwork at seven weeks. Companies do not expect lead times to increase over the next six months.

Drylining â–¶ lead time remains at 12 weeks with further increases anticipated in the next six months.

Demountable partitions â–¶ lead times remain at 11 weeks, no further increases are anticipated over the next six months.

General joinery â–¶ lead times remain at 16 weeks following one week increase last quarter. Specialist joinery â–² has increased by two weeks to 25 weeks.

Raised floors â–¶ lead times remain at six weeks despite being busier with workload and enquiries. Suspended ceiling â–¶ lead times remain at 13 weeks.

Architectural metalwork â–² lead times have increased by one week to 12 weeks due to increased workload.

Decorative wall covering â–¶ lead times remain at four weeks with no change anticipated in the next six months.

Internal stone floor and wall finish â–² lead times have increased by a further one week to 34 weeks due to greater workload forecast last quarter.

Further increases are anticipated over the next six months.

Soft floor finish â–¶ lead times remain at 11 weeks following increases last quarter, but further increases are anticipated over the next six months.

Passenger lift – non standard ▶ lead times remain at 30 weeks. Escalator ▶ lead times remain at 19.

Electrical package â–¶ lead times remain at 17 weeks. Contractors are busier and enquiries and workload are up but lead times are not forecast to increase in the next six months. Following a period of steady increase mechanical packages â–¶ lead times remain at 21 weeks this quarter.

The lead time for ductwork â–¶ remains at eight weeks and sprinklers â–¶ lead times remain at eight weeks, and contractors do not forecast an increase for either over the next six months.

Security systems â–¶ lead times remain at six weeks.

Controls â–¼ lead times have reduced by two weeks to eight weeks as anticipated last quarter, and no further reductions are forecast.

IT infrastructure equipment â–¶ lead times remain at nine weeks. Data and voice cabling â–¶ lead times remain at 13 weeks with no change forecast.

Fire detection and voice alarm systems â–¶ lead times remain at 11 weeks for the second quarter with no change forecast.

Hard landscaping â–¶ lead times remain at 15 weeks with no change forecast in the next six months.

Logistics services â–¶ lead time remains at five weeks. Despite being busier with enquiries and workload, there is no change forecast in the next six months.

Following a period of lead times increasing due to increased enquiries and workload there are signs that lead times are levelling off with only three trades forecasting an increase and two trades decreasing their lead times. The increased lead times are predominantly in the fit-out and finishing trades including architectural metalwork, joinery and internal stone and wall finishes.

Data capture and analysis by Mace Business School. For more details on the article and contributors, please visit