Windows that are not delivered, thus delaying the completion of a house for several months, a shortage of tiles that blocks the repair of a roof, or even sharply increasing estimates: these are the obstacles currently encountered by all those who wish to have work carried out in their accommodation.
The council of the order of architects as well as the professional federations of the building sector have recently sounded the alarm bell: 50% of construction sites are experiencing delays due to difficulties in supplying materials, with time overruns ranging between 10% and 30%.
The obstacles are also financial: 66% of the architects questioned consider that the calls for tenders for works they had launched in the last six months have cost 10% to 30% more than what was planned, and 60% of architects find that their clients plan to modify their projects to reduce the cost. “The disorganization linked to the pandemic added to the increase in energy costs, a consequence of the war in Ukraine, has created growing tension on the availability of the materials necessary for the construction sites and these are slowed down”confirms Jean-Christophe Repon, president of the Confederation of crafts and small building companies (Capeb).
For now, the Capeb does not see a total shortage of materials, but they arrive late. In addition to the inconvenience for individuals to see their site drag on, the amount to be paid has been greater in recent months. For Renovation Man, a work broker who helps households find craftsmen, quotes have increased by 5% to 10% since the start of 2022.
Difficult situation for steel and tiles
The Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc) specifies, in a study of April 2022, that products requiring very energy-intensive processes such as steel, aluminum or concrete have increased 80%, 60% and 7% respectively compared to January 2020. However, Crédoc recalls that all materials are affected by this inflation, in particular wood, for which global tension is high.
This situation could worsen if the war in Ukraine continues, particularly for steel, since Ukraine and Russia are the main suppliers of this raw material to the European Union. “The situation is also difficult for tiles: French production is very insufficient to meet demand”warns Fabio Rinaldi, chairman of the management board of BigMat France, whose business is the sale of building materials.
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