Pile driving contractors could be in demand as new-start blip evens out
If you’re going to need the services of pile driving contractors in the next few months, it might be wise to make a booking sooner, rather than later.
The latest housing figures from Communities and Local Government show a drop in new project starts in the first quarter of 2012.
Between January and March, 24,140 new houses began construction, with the early stages of a project understandably the point at which piling rigs and pile driving contractors are most in demand.
This is an 11% fall over the previous quarter, and a 15% drop year-on-year.
However, the first quarter of 2011 had been unusually active, with 18% quarterly growth, while October-December 2011 also saw a quarterly increase in starts, taking market activity higher by 3%.
While it’s impossible to be certain, the latest report could just be a blip in a swiftly recovering market – and if the April-June quarter overcompensates, it’s likely that piling rigs and contractors alike will face renewed levels of demand.
Perhaps most tellingly of all, completions were up across the board by 6%, even when seasonal effects were taken into account – hinting that there is still life in the house construction market.