NEW research from construction and property management consultant Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) has found that the Scottish market is ‘holding strong’.
In its Construction Market Intelligence Q3 report, RLB reveals that Scotland’s construction market continues to benefit from a strong base of public sector and infrastructure investment, with energy, defence and data centres all important long-term drivers of activity.
These sectors are said to be supporting workloads and tender pricing, although funding approvals and delivery timescales will continue to determine how quickly the pipeline translates into work on site. Commercial and residential development remains more subdued, however, with viability pressures contributing to stalled projects and deferred investment decisions.
The report also reveals that tender prices for infrastructure have held up ‘robustly’ as pricing levels have been driven by strong pipelines and input cost pressures. Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, input cost inflation is expected to fall heading into 2027.
Martin McConnell, RLB partner, Scotland, said, “Looking towards 2027, there are reasons for cautious optimism as input cost pressures are expected to ease, but labour availability in civil engineering and specialist trades, especially in remote locations, will remain an important consideration.”
Click here to read RLB’s full Construction Market Intelligence Q3 report.
