Blog>News>Building costs continue to fall according to latest industry figures
Last updated: 29 July 2025
Building costs continue to fall according to latest industry figures
There is good news for homeowners as the cost of key building jobs continue to fall for the second quarter in a row.
Fast Facts
Checkatrade data shows a drop in costs for key ‘home upgrade’ work, including bathroom, bedroom and kitchen fittings
Larger scale building work prices also fall - with general building costs down by a fifth
The figures mark the second quarter in a row where significant falls have been recorded, with Checkatrade CEO believing costs are ‘returning to normal’ which could ‘stimulate the industry for the remainder of the year’
Demand for air conditioning sky-rockets year-on-year as Brits try and stay cool in the heat
This is according to the latest figures from the Checkatrade Home Improvement Index, the most comprehensive overview of home services work carried out in the UK based on data recorded from nearly 4 million job enquiries.
Bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchens become more affordable
Bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchens are often key areas of focus for homeowners looking to update their home - and all have fallen over the past six months.
Bathroom fittings have dropped significantly - in Q4 2024 the average cost was £6,062. However, this fell to £5,758 in Q1 2025 and further to £5,525 in Q2. This marks a decline of 9% over the six months.
It’s a similar story in the kitchen. In Q2 2025, the average kitchen fitting job was £6,803. This is a 7% reduction from Q4 2024, where the average cost was £7,337.
Meanwhile, there has been an even sharper fall for bedroom fitting costs - with prices falling from £4,016 in the first quarter of this year to £3,631 in Q2, a drop of 10%.
Other areas decreasing include painting and decorating - which is down 13% over the past two quarters and window and door fitting has seen a similar fall of 12% over the same period. Plastering costs have also fallen by 10% over the past six months.
Bigger builds coming down
Larger-scale building jobs have also seen a significant fall in recent months. During Q3 2024, the average cost of a building job on Checkatrade was £15,358. But data from the last quarter shows that costs have fallen back to £12,369 - a large reduction of a fifth (19%).
Furthermore, the cost for groundworks - the initial construction activities carried out on the land before the actual building work takes place - have fallen from £7,804 in Q4 2024, to £7,045 in Q1 2025 and further to £6,499 in Q2. This represents a drop of 17%. This all points to costs for larger construction-led jobs such as extensions falling significantly for consumers.
Outside costs come down in time for summer
The second quarter of the year is often a popular time for outdoor work to take place ahead of summer. Those who have undertaken outside work in the past quarter are likely to have enjoyed falling costs. For example, costs for patio and driveway work have declined by 10% over the past two quarters, from £6,813 to £6,131.
Meanwhile, over the past three months alone, landscaping costs have fallen by a significant 15% from £6,130 to £5,180. The cost for general gardening work has dropped even further - by 30% - albeit this decline is over six months.
What’s behind the fall in price?
Just as rising material costs led to increases last year, costs falling back are likely to be the key reasons behind declining prices for work. Overall material prices have lowered year-on-year for the first time since mid-2022 according to Government figures. Energy-intensive materials like steel have seen pronounced year-on-year drops of around 10%.
Demand for air conditioning heats up
One area many consumers will be particularly pleased to see costs fall is in air conditioning. Demand for this has gone through the roof, with the UK recording three heat waves so far this year, increasing by a quarter (23%) year-on-year when comparing Q2 2024 with Q2 2025.
Falling prices are making it a more attractive option for many - costs have dropped by over a fifth (21%) in the past quarter alone, from an average of £3,617 to £2,850. Recent data from Zoopla - which has just announced a strategic partnership with Checkatrade - has shown that, if sold in summer, air conditioning can add £4,925 to a property’s value. This suggests, it could be a smart investment to make, with the UK facing ever-hotter summers.
Reacting to the data, Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade, says: “The latest figures are brilliant news for homeowners. Last year we saw rising costs in the industry, propelled by high material and labour costs. A reduction in material costs in particular now appears to be having an impact on reducing the wider cost of work and we are starting to see a return to more normal levels.
“With costs down across so many key areas, now is a good time for homeowners to look to get work carried out on their home. It is likely this could lead to a good increase in demand, helping to stimulate the domestic building industry for the remainder of the year..”
To help consumers know what they should be paying for jobs around the home in the face of changing costs, Checkatrade has launched its Job Estimate Calculator. The free-to-use tool draws on data from 1.5 million jobs completed by the platform’s 50,000 vetted trade businesses to immediately generate highly accurate quotes for any home improvement project. Checkatrade’s smart tool even factors in location, seasonal demand and the option to include material costs to give an accurate price range.
To find out more on prices for home improvement and repair jobs visit the Job Estimate Calculator
NOTES TO EDITORS
Methodology: Data compiled by Checkatrade in July 2025 based on all jobs carried out in the platform in Q2 2025 versus previous quarters, as specified in the copy. Data is based on job enquiries - the vast majority of which lead to completed jobs. This provides the most accurate possible view of the market via data.
For more information, please contact: checkatrade@goodrelations.co.uk