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Published: 13/08/2026
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes monthly estimates of the amount of construction output chargeable to customers for building and civil engineering work in Great Britain, split by sector and type of work(1).
New work contraction maintains annual downturn in monthly construction output
Monthly construction output increased in July 2026, rising by 0.1% on June 2026, according to the latest ONS data.
New work was down by 0.4% on the month, while repair and maintenance (R&M) increased by 0.8%. The biggest monthly changes were in public housing R&M, up by 5.5%, and private new housing, down by 4.9%.
On an annual basis, total construction output fell by 2.5% in July 2026. New work declined by 5.1% compared with July 2025, while repair and maintenance (R&M) output increased by 1.0%.
Infrastructure was the only new work sector to see an annual increase in output, with a 0.4% rise. The largest year-on-year decrease was in public housing work, which recorded a 22.2% decline.
In R&M, public housing increased by 11.7% on the year while private housing output fell by 1.9%.
| Sector | Change in July 2026 compared with | |
| June 2026 | July 2025 | |
| New work | ||
| Public housing | 3.2% | -22.2% |
| Private housing | -4.9% | -7.5% |
| Infrastructure | 3.4% | 0.4% |
| Public other | 0.5% | -5.0% |
| Private industrial | 1.0% | -8.7% |
| Private commercial | -0.4% | -0.5% |
| All new work | -0.4% | -5.1% |
| Repair and maintenance | ||
| Public housing | 5.5% | 11.7% |
| Private housing | 1.7% | -1.9% |
| Non-housing | -1.1% | 1.3% |
| All R&M | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| All work | 0.1% | -2.5% |
Source: ONS – Output in the construction industry, Table 2a
Source: ONS – Output in the construction industry, Table 2a
Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: ‘The persistent downturn in new construction work in the UK is symptomatic of a weakening economy. Optimism suggested in data and sentiment surveys at the start of the year has quickly been countered by uncertainty. The conflict in the Middle East continues to weigh heavily on prices and business confidence, lowering appetite to invest.
‘New work has been particularly affected due to its reliance on levels of investment which in turn are impacted by the cost of capital. ONS data suggest that contractions in new work are not isolated but evident across most sectors. The viability challenges undermining private housing development are well known, but the figures indicate that weak appetite and limited capacity to build extend beyond the residential market alone.
‘We also know from our industry panel commentary that contractors have become more eager to tender in recent months. At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest they are willing to take on more risk, but that could change if the current picture of softer demand persists beyond the Autumn Budget and into next year.
‘Contractors will want to strengthen their pipelines, which could intensify competition and potentially increase the risk of insolvency, particularly within supply chains that lose out as larger contractors struggle to secure enough work.’
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(1) Office for National Statistics – Output in the construction industry - here
