Builders and homeowners across Birmingham and the wider Midlands are being encouraged by Gilmore Building Supplies to plan brick, block and lintel requirements earlier when organising extensions, refurbishments and repair projects.
Gilmore Building Supplies, a Birmingham-based building merchant, says early material planning is becoming increasingly important for smaller building projects, particularly where existing brickwork needs to be matched or structural openings need to be prepared for windows, doors, bifolds and extensions.
The advice follows recent government building materials data showing continued pressure in core masonry product categories. According to the latest GOV.UK building materials commentary, brick deliveries fell by 4.4% in May 2026 compared with May 2025, while concrete block deliveries fell by 9.1% over the same period. The same update reported that the construction material price index for “All Work” increased by 5.4% year-on-year.
Repair and maintenance are key industry drivers
The figures come at a time when repair and maintenance work remains an important part of the construction market. ONS data for April 2026 showed that monthly construction output increased by 0.1%, with the rise coming solely from repair and maintenance, which grew by 0.6%, while new work fell by 0.3%.
In Birmingham, repair and maintenance is also a major local issue. Birmingham City Council confirmed that from 1 July 2026, repairs, maintenance and planned improvements to council homes would be carried out by WPS, Mears and Equans. Construction Enquirer previously reported that the long-term programme covers around 60,000 council homes across the city.
A spokesperson for Gilmore Building Supplies said: “On smaller building projects, delays often come from practical decisions being left too late. Brick matching, block quantities and lintel requirements can all affect how smoothly a job progresses, especially on extensions, repairs and refurbishment work where the new materials need to work properly with the existing structure.”
Check requirements early
Birmingham and the wider Midlands have a varied housing stock, including Victorian terraces, interwar homes, post-war properties and newer developments. Gilmore says this can make brick matching more complex, particularly where homeowners want extensions or repairs to blend naturally with the original building.
The company advises builders and homeowners to check brick colour, size, texture, age, weathering and mortar colour before placing orders. Where possible, samples should be compared against the existing property in natural light, rather than relying only on online images or product descriptions.
Block requirements should also be confirmed early, particularly where different wall build-ups, insulation details or load considerations may affect the type and quantity of blocks needed.
Lintels can also become a source of delay if they are not checked before work begins. Openings for windows, doors, bifolds and extensions may require specific lintel types depending on the wall construction, cavity width and load requirements.
The spokesperson added: “It is always better to check key materials before the job reaches the point where they are urgently needed. For local builders, that means confirming brick availability, checking the right blocks are being used and making sure lintel requirements are understood before an opening is created or a delivery is needed at short notice.”
The wider construction market remains under pressure. Reuters reported that the UK construction sector was still in contraction in June 2026, with the S&P Global UK Construction PMI rising only slightly to 38.4, still well below the 50.0 no-change mark. Gilmore says that while national market conditions vary by sector, local builders can still reduce avoidable disruption by checking core materials earlier in the project.
Gilmore Building Supplies provides bricks for extension and refurbishment projects and general building materials to trade and domestic customers across Birmingham and the wider Midlands area.
The company says early planning is especially important for refurbishment and extension projects, where delays can affect multiple trades and create additional pressure for both builders and customers.
The Gilmore Building Supplies spokesperson continued: “Good material planning does not just help avoid delays. It also helps produce a better finished result. When bricks are properly matched, blocks are ordered correctly and lintels are checked in advance, the project is much more likely to run smoothly from start to finish.”
Gilmore recommends that builders and homeowners speak to their supplier as early as possible when planning local extensions, repairs or refurbishment projects, particularly where brick matching or structural openings are involved.
