Monthly construction output edged ahead slightly in April, according to new data published by the Office for National Statistics - up by 0.1%.

This follows an increase of 1.5% in March 2026 and an increase of 0.5% in February 2026. April’s output increase came solely from a rise in repair and maintenance, which grew by 0.6%, while new work fell by 0.3%.

Total construction output is estimated to have grown by 1.6% in the three months to April 2026, this is the second consecutive increase in the three-monthly series.

Over the three-month period, both new work, and repair and maintenance, grew by 0.3% and 3.4%, respectively. At the sector level, six out of the nine sectors grew in the three months to April 2026; the main positive contributor to the increase was non-housing repair and maintenance, which grew by 3.5%.

Jo Streeten, managing director, Buildings & Places at AECOM, said: “Another increase in output is welcome news and suggests more projects are moving from the drawing board to the construction site. That said, contractors continue to grapple with geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures and relying on interest rates holding steady, prompting businesses to keep a close eye on costs.

“While many remain focused on navigating these immediate challenges, there is also an important longer-term question about the industry's capacity to deliver future demand, with Skills England estimating that more than one million construction workers will be needed to support the government's ambitious infrastructure plans.”

Tough market conditions for the construction sector are also echoed in the latest data published by independent built environment and property management consultant Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB UK).

It says the 2026 construction sector recovery is being delayed by uncertainty over the Middle East in its latest Construction Market Intelligence (CMI) Q2 report.

The report tells of a shifting and increasingly uncertain market environment, shaped by evolving global and domestic pressures. Against this backdrop, construction activity has shown mixed signals with a softer start to 2026, with new-build output falling compared to Q4 2025, and new orders declining at a point in the year when an uplift would typically be expected.

But RLB says there are signs of underlying stability, with resilience in refurbishment and maintenance activity, alongside a late increase in monthly output in March.

Paul Beeston, partner, head of industry and service insight at RLB, said: “We are seeing increasing divergence in forecasts based on project sector, size and geography. Where pipelines are resilient, input costs are pushing tender prices significantly ahead of our all-in forecast; where pipelines are softening, there is increased absorption of input costs through the supply chain.

“Taken together, the data suggests that the recovery anticipated for 2026 is being pushed further out, with heightened inflation, weaker growth and reduced pipeline momentum creating a more challenging near-term outlook for the UK construction market.”

Click here to read the full report.