Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The UK roofing products market remained level in 2025 after two years of negative growth as weak housebuilding activity, cost pressures and low market confidence continue to weigh on demand, according to an industry report by Barbour ABI.
The market recorded a marginal 1% decline in 2023, followed by a further 4% fall in 2024. In 2025, the market remained broadly stagnant, with an estimated 1% increase in value, reflecting lower project volumes and reduced contractor activity.
The UK roofing products market is estimated to be worth around £1.3bn at manufacturers’ selling prices in 2025.
Ed Griffiths, Barbour ABI head of business and client analytics, said: “The roofing products market can be seen a proxy for construction as a whole. After all, every building needs a roof, and the signs are not good. The slowdown we have been seeing has been driven by the decline in residential housebuilding across the UK. Despite government efforts to accelerate planning reform and increase housing delivery, current new-build activity remains muted, particularly in the public housing sector.”
“However, there are reasons to be positive for businesses in this sector. The evolving regulatory landscape is making this sector quite dynamic, and there are opportunities to profit from new technologies and solutions for those agile enough to adapt. Ambitious businesses would do well to focus on the likes of solar technologies, green and blue roofs, recycled materials, offsite roof components, drone surveys, BIM and digital measurement tools to name a few.
“Meanwhile, demand for new housing remains high and while this is the situation, it is likely that developers will continue to build reasonable numbers of new homes and create a steady market for roofing products.”
