New FMB research reveals constituency-by-constituency scale of the crisis of rogue builders, with Gloucester, Plymouth and Bournemouth among the hardest hit
Homeowners across the South West have lost nearly £500 million over five years to unqualified and rogue builders, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) reveals, with 1 in 12 households across the region falling victim.
The FMB’s landmark constituency-level research, published alongside an interactive map shows the scale of the crisis in every corner of the South West, from Cornwall to Wiltshire.
Gloucester tops the regional table with £9.9 million lost, followed by Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (£9.7m), Bournemouth West (£9.6m), Filton and Bradley Stoke (£9.5m) and Swindon South (£9.5m). Even the lowest-hit constituencies, Christchurch and Frome and East Somerset have each seen losses of more than £7.6 million.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said:
“Nearly half a billion pounds lost in the South West alone. That is the price of an unregulated industry that lets anyone pick up a trowel and call themselves a builder. Every one of those pounds represents a family who trusted someone with their home and was badly let down. Government must introduce a mandatory Licence to Build now.”
Iain Kirtley, FMB Director for the South of England, said:
“These figures are staggering. From Bristol to Bournemouth, from Truro to Taunton — no part of the South West is immune. Tens of millions of pounds are being lost by families who had no way of knowing whether the builder they hired was qualified or not. A Licence to Build would change that overnight.”
FMB member Patrick Coll, Managing Director of Collstone Developments & Project Management in Warminster, has seen the human cost first-hand:
“Over the past year, we have assisted in resolving two projects in which rogue builders took more than £2 million from homeowners and developers before abandoning the work. The financial, emotional and practical consequences have been severe. A Licence to Build scheme would give homeowners the assurance that the person they are hiring is competent, qualified and trustworthy.”