The latest Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report shows builders’ merchants’ like-for-like total value sales in November 2025 were -0.4% lower than the same month in 2024. With one less trading day in November 2025, unadjusted value sales were -5.1% down year-on-year, while volume sales fell -8.5% and prices rose +3.7%.
Year-on-Year
By value, unadjusted for trading day differences, five of the twelve categories sold more in terms of value compared to November 2024. Renewables & Water Saving (+5.1%) and Workwear & Safetywear (+4.0%) were the best performing categories. Of the two largest categories, Timber & Joinery Products (-2.4%) sold less but did better than Total Builders Merchants, while Heavy Building Materials was the weakest category overall (-8.4%).
Month-on-Month
November’s like-for-like value sales, adjusted to remove the impact of trading days, were down -2.0% compared to October. With three less trading days this month, unadjusted value sales were -14.8% lower. Volume sales fell -19.3%, and prices increased +5.7%. All categories sold less, however Workwear & Safetywear (-0.2%) and Kitchens & Bathrooms (-3.8%) fell less than the others. Of the three biggest categories, Timber & Joinery Products (-13.5%) performed better than Total Builders Merchants, Heavy Building Materials (-16.8%) declined more, and seasonal category Landscaping (-25.2%) was weakest.
The BMBI’s Latest 12 months
In the 12 months December 2024 to November 2025, like-for-like value sales were up +1.1% compared to the previous 12-month period (December 2023 – November 2024). Without the adjustment for one less trading day in the most recent 12 months, total value sales were +0.7% higher. Volumes increased +1.9% and prices came down -1.2%. By value, nine categories sold more with Renewables & Water Saving (+4.3%) the front runner. Timber & Joinery Products (+1.1%) and Heavy Building Materials (+0.1%) grew more slowly. Decorating (-2.8%) was the weakest.
With two less trading days, like-for-like value sales for the year-to-date (January to November) were +1.4% higher than the first eleven months of 2024. Unadjusted, total value sales year-to-date were up +0.6%.
Matt Williams, Managing Director at Polypipe Building Products and the BMBI Expert for Plastic Plumbing for Hot and Cold Water Systems, comments…
“I see the Future Homes Standard (FHS) and the national drive for decarbonisation as the biggest growth opportunity our sector has ever faced.
“The UK’s housing stock is aging and inefficient – with the median Energy Performance Certificate for housing in England and Wales sitting at around Band D. To meet the goal of Net Zero by 2050 while delivering the 1.5 million new homes required, simply maintaining the status quo is a recipe for failure. The market demands radical innovation.
“The key to success is forging deep, strategic partnerships with housebuilders and developers. The requirement for new homes to use low carbon heating systems forces an industry-wide switch to heat pumps, underfloor heating and pre-insulated piping.
“This isn’t just a component swap; it requires a wholesale redesign of a building’s operational core. Developers need partners such as ourselves who can co-engineer the transition.
“We need to move beyond being simple suppliers to become integrated system designers. Our focus must be on creating advanced pipework and integrated systems that guarantee the optimal, low-temperature performance required by heat pumps, ensuring rapid, risk-free installation on-site.
“Furthermore, true partnership means tackling the embodied carbon of construction materials. Developers face stringent new reporting requirements, and we must provide transparent data on the lifecycle of our products, utilising recycled content and low-carbon manufacturing to help them meet their whole-life carbon targets.
“By working together – manufacturer and developer – to deliver high-performance, low-carbon, and easily installed solutions, we not only comply with the new standards but outperform the market and secure a sustainable future for our industry.”
About the BMBI
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