Monthly construction output is estimated to have grown by 1% in February 2026, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This follows an upwardly revised increase of 0.5% in January 2026 and a downwardly revised decrease of 1.3% in December 2025.
The increase in monthly output in February 2026 came from increases in new work and repair and maintenance, which grew by 1% and 0.9% respectively.
However, total construction output is estimated to have fallen by 2% in the three months to February 2026 – the fifth consecutive fall in the three-monthly series. Over the three-month period, new work fell by 3.4%, while repair and maintenance showed no growth.
Clive Docwra, managing director of McBains, said: “After new work fell by more than 3% in the three months to February, the industry will be encouraged that February saw an increase in new orders. But it’s a mixed bag – while private new housing work picked up more than we expected with growth of 4.3% in February, commercial orders were down 0.9% over the month.
“And despite the ceasefire in the Iran war, we shouldn’t fall into the trap of being over optimistic about the future. The impact of supply chain delays, rising manufacturing and transport costs, general inflationary pressures and costs of borrowing are progressively building in the market and it’s likely that these factors will have a deferred impact on tender prices and investor appetite for new opportunities. Ultimately, this will continue to frustrate project starts and completions.”
Richard Cook, senior economics director at Pegasus Group, added: “After four consecutive months of falling construction output figures, today’s numbers are a welcome tonic to an industry which has long struggled through mounting headwinds. The rise could, in part, be due to long-awaited changes to the NPPF, which are set to cut the extensive planning delays which have bogged down the industry for years. With further changes set to be announced in the summer, there’s a chance things might finally be changing for the better.
“Naturally, any green shoots will be contending with several crucial economy-wide pressures. The conflict in Iran, for example, will undoubtedly have a drastic effect on the UK economy, which would be passed onto the construction industry. If this leads to a UK recession, housebuilding in particular could face a substantial downturn, which would seriously hurt the government’s chances of building 300,000 homes a year – a target it is already struggling to hit.”
He continued: “While rising construction outputs is a good sign, the government must understand that past performance is not indicative of future results. Further intervention from the government is still needed to protect this crucial sector.”
