London’s construction sector is facing growing pressure due to a shortage of skilled tradespeople, significantly affecting housing projects and repairs.
Polling from Fix Radio’s 2025 National Construction Audit indicates that more than 10% of Londoners have waited over a year for a handyman or electrician.
Access to roofers and bricklayers is even more limited, with fewer than 5% and 3% of residents, respectively, able to secure services within a month.
The shortage has delayed newbuild completions, with 13% of respondents reporting that they postponed moving into new homes due to construction delays.
A similar proportion opted for older properties when told their new builds would take longer than anticipated.
Meanwhile, 10% were forced to withdraw from purchases altogether after mortgage offers expired because of project delays.
Clive Holland of Fix Radio explained: “The shortage of skilled trades in London is having a noticeable impact on the pace of building, repairs and maintenance across the capital.”
Holland highlighted challenges facing tradespeople, including higher daily charges, operating costs, theft risks, and safety concerns, which have led many to relocate to other regions like the Midlands or Bristol.
The Mayor of London has been tasked with delivering 88,000 new homes annually but oversaw just 11,600 last year.
Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copley has described a skills crisis, citing insufficient trained workers and educators to train the next generation.
Holland also warned that fast-track schemes for new tradespeople cannot always provide the depth of experience needed for critical roles, impacting overall housing quality.
“While efforts to bring more young people into the trades are positive, fast-track schemes can struggle to provide the depth of experience required in safety-critical roles such as electrical and gas work,” he said.
Holland called on the Mayor to reduce operational costs for tradespeople, such as ULEZ and congestion charges, and improve enforcement against tool theft.
“Anything that makes it easier, safer and more viable for tradespeople to operate in London is likely to speed up building and repairs, and that could have a meaningful impact on easing delays across the city’s housing system,” he concluded.
A government spokesperson emphasized that £625 million in funding has been allocated to create up to 60,000 additional skilled workers by 2029 through the Plan for Change initiative.
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