The short answer
For the industry as a whole, it's drying up. The S&P Global UK Construction PMI fell to 43.6 in October 2026, its 22nd month below 50, and house building hit 35.1 (S&P Global UK Construction PMI, 5 Nov 2026). Small builders' enquiries swung from +18 to -10 in the first half of 2026 (FMB/CIOB State of Trade H1 2026, 10 Nov 2026), and the CPA expects home improvement work to shrink 8% this year (CPA Autumn forecasts, 26 Oct 2026).
Some trades are still booked solid, though. Heat pump installs had a median wait of 14 weeks, and those waits were still getting longer (TradeMatch Wait-Time Index, 21 Apr 2026). And quieter doesn't mean plenty of people: 68% of small builders are still short of skilled trades (FMB/CIOB State of Trade H1 2026, 10 Nov 2026), and CITB says the industry needs 41,200 extra workers a year to 2030 (CITB Workforce Outlook, 17 Jun 2026).
Median wait for a heat pump install, the longest of any common home trade. The slowest 10% waited 22 weeks.
TradeMatch Wait-Time Index, 21 Apr 2026
Heat pump installers Busier
How far ahead are trades booked?
Median wait from accepting a quote to the tradesperson starting on site, UK, Q3 2025 to Q1 2026.
Source: TradeMatch Wait-Time Index, 21 Apr 2026. Based on 18,400 jobs on one platform, so treat it as indicative. How we use it.
Busier or quieter, trade by trade
Plumber
SteadyTradeMatch says general plumbing waits did not lengthen year on year (median 3 weeks), while FMB builders still rank plumbers/HVAC among the three hardest roles to fill.
Electrician
SteadyRewire waits were flat year on year per TradeMatch (median 4 weeks), but ECA says electrical apprenticeship starts fell 5.5% while demand from electrification grows.
Heat pump installer
BusierLongest wait of any common home trade (median 14 weeks) and lengthening year on year per TradeMatch; the CPA says heat pump activity is still growing while wider home improvement shrinks.
Gas engineer / boiler
No trend data yetMedian 5-week wait for a boiler swap (TradeMatch). We found no verified trend data specific to gas engineers.
Roofer
QuieterNFRC: only 29% of roofers saw workloads rise in Q1 2026, down from 37% in Q4 2025 and 48% a year before, though 58% still say labour shortages cap what they can take on.
Plasterer
No trend data yetNo verified wait-time figure. Plastering businesses fell 9% year on year in Markel's analysis; CITB needs 590 extra plasterers a year.
Bricklayer
No trend data yet29% of SME builders named bricklayers among the hardest roles to fill (FMB H2 2025). No trade-specific trend data; house building, their biggest market, is falling (PMI 35.1).
Carpenter / joiner
No trend data yetThe hardest role for SME builders to fill (30%, FMB H2 2025). CITB says 1,900 extra a year are needed, the most of any trade.
Builder / extensions
QuieterExtension waits were long (median 10 weeks, TradeMatch, to Q1 2026), but FMB's newer survey shows builders' workloads (-4) and enquiries (-10) turned negative in H1 2026.
Tiler
No trend data yetNo verified wait-time figure. CITB needs 430 extra floorers and wall tilers a year.
Painter / decorator
SteadyShortest wait of the common trades (median 2 weeks) and not lengthening, per TradeMatch. Painting businesses fell 6% year on year (Markel).
Landscaper
No trend data yetNo verified wait-time figure. 27% of BALI members rate staff recruitment extremely challenging.
Kitchen and bathroom fitter
No trend data yetMedian waits of 7 weeks (kitchens) and 5 weeks (bathrooms), TradeMatch. The CPA expects home improvement spending to fall 8% in 2026.
Scaffolder
No trend data yetCITB needs 400 extra a year, 1.7% of the workforce, one of the highest rates among trades.
Urgent repairs: how long you'll wait, by region
Average wait for a tradesperson to fix an urgent problem, from Markel Direct's homeowner survey.
Source: Fix Radio analysis of Markel data, 15 May 2026, from Markel Direct via Fix Radio, 15 Jul 2025.
Thinking of retraining?
A quieter market isn't the end of the story. The shortages are structural: CITB's biggest annual needs are carpenters and joiners (1,900), electricians (1,690) and plumbers/HVAC (1,570) (CITB Workforce Outlook, 17 Jun 2026). Each trade page lists the official routes, typical salaries and published course prices.