Industry Insights & News

Pay-per-lead marketplaces aren't fraud — but the way the model is structured causes real, measurable harm to new UK sole traders who don't yet know what a fair lead actually costs. Here is the honest maths, the five red flags, and the alternatives worth considering.

The CITB now expects 47,860 extra construction workers a year between 2025 and 2029, with plumbing/heating short by 59,000 and electricians by 9,365. Here is what the gap means for SME builders pricing 2026 work, and the levers that actually move the needle.

From 1 May 2026, Section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished, fixed terms convert to periodic tenancies and break clauses fall away. Tenant retention quietly becomes a maintenance question — and a contractor question. Here is the landlord playbook.

From 6 April 2026, the Construction Industry Scheme tightens up again — monthly nil returns are mandatory, public bodies fall outside scope, and HMRC can pursue contractors who 'knew or should have known' a payment was tied to fraud. Here is what changes and how Midlands contractors can stay clean.

MTD for Income Tax goes live for sole-trader contractors over £50,000 turnover from 6 April 2026. Here's who's in scope, the four quarterly deadlines, the software that'll get you filing in twenty minutes, and the one option that takes the whole thing off your desk.

Six pain points that stall UK trade contractors in their first two years — first clients, IR35/CIS compliance, late invoices, MTD ITSA admin, insurance and scheduling chaos. Each pain point with a specific signal, why it stalls, and the back-office fix that gets you moving again.

Every project starts as an idea. But as complexity grows, so does the temptation to cut costs. We explain why quality and service — not price — should be the measure of every decision from day one.

From the 18th Edition wiring regulations to EV charging installation, we break down the qualifications that clients look for when hiring electrical contractors.

With major infrastructure projects in the pipeline and government housing targets looming, we look at what the rest of the year holds for construction contractors.