Analysis from the BMF (Builders Merchants Federation), found the West Midlands was also a top performer in the first quarter of 2025 when compared to Q1 last year, with a jump of 5.9% in sales.
The BMF’s quarterly Building Materials Building Index (BMBI) evaluates building materials sales on a quarterly basis and is considered to be a key bellwether for the national economic picture.
James Hipkins Managing Director at Emerys Timber and Builders Merchants is the BMF’s West Midlands Regional Chair. He said: “These are very encouraging figures for the start of the year and far better than we anticipated.
“The general feel on the ground is quietly confident and hope it continues!”
The BMF’s BMBI is drawn from 88 per cent of builders’ merchants sales throughout the country, using GfK’s point of sale tracking data to make it one of the most reliable measures of sales activity for the sector.
BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “The building materials sector is critical to the lifeblood of the UK economy and reflects the ‘mood of the nation’ – particularly around home repair, maintenance and improvement.
“On a national level in March, the total volume of sales was +11.2% that at the same time last year - a clear increase in demand for building materials, aided by a fall in prices of -3.6% when compared to March 2024.
“When comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2024, total volume sales were +3.9% and prices were -2.9% down
“With a jump of 14.8% sales in March and 5.9% in Q1, the West Midlands is one of the top performers in terms of building materials sales so far in 2025.”