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Hot Rates
Unit London (£) Edinburgh (£)
Black mild steel tube, medium weight, screwed joints      
(rates include support)      
20 mm diameter m 13.25 8.25
25 mm diameter m 14.50 10.50
32 mm diameter m 16.50 11.25
40 mm diameter m 18.00 13.50
50 mm diameter m 19.75 15.00
Malleable iron fittings      
15 mm bend item 9.50 8.25
20 mm bend item 11.00 9.00
32 mm bend item 16.50 13.50
40 mm bend item 18.50 17.75
50 mm bend item 22.50 20.00
15 mm equal tee item 14.00 10.50
25 mm equal tee item 21.00 15.00
32 mm equal tee item 24.00 16.50
40 mm equal tee item 28.00 23.00
50 mm equal tee item 33.00 26.00
15 mm union navy pattern item 12.00 9.00
20 mm union navy pattern item 13.75 10.00
25 mm union navy pattern item 17.25 12.75
32 mm union navy pattern item 21.00 16.00
50 mm union navy pattern item 28.00 23.50
20 mm reducer (eccentric) item 10.50 6.75
25 mm reducer (eccentric) item 14.00 10.50
32 mm reducer (eccentric) item 16.25 12.00
Black mild steel tube, medium weight, butt welded      
(rates include supports)      
65 mm diameter m 24.25 17.50
80 mm diameter m 28.00 20.00
150 mm diameter m 47.00 38.00
Butt-welded fittings      
80 mm equal tee item 81.00 63.50
100 mm equal tee item 98.00 78.00
125 mm equal tee item 135.00 120.00
150 mm equal tee item 160.00 140.00
150 mm reducing tee item 180.00 170.00
65 mm reducer (eccentric) item 45.00 32.00
100 mm single flange item 46.00 40.00
Ancillaries      
15 mm bronze drain cock item 22.00 18.00
20 mm bronze drain cock item 30.00 23.00
32 mm strainer item 48.00 40.00
40 mm strainer item 60.00 50.00
65 mm strainer item 115.00 100.00
Aluminium foil clad mineral wool insulation      
15 mm diameter pipe m 3.75 3.00
20 mm diameter pipe m 4.00 3.50
32 mm diameter pipe m 4.50 4.00
65 mm diameter pipe m 6.80 6.50
80 mm diameter pipe m 7.40 6.90
100 mm diameter pipe m 9.25 8.50
Building materials - Price change
% change
since spring 2000*
Ready-mixed concrete +5
Reinforcement +6
Facing bricks +3
Concrete blocks +3
Clay roofing tiles +7.5
Concrete roofing tiles +5
Welsh slates +2
Roofing felt +2.5
Lead flashings +5
Structural timber +7
Structural steelwork +4
Sliding door gear +3
Plasterboard +3
Ceramic wall tiles +3
Quarry floor tiles +3
Vinyl floor tiles +1.5
Glass +8
Copper piping +5
PVCu pipes/fittings +3
PVCu drainage pipes +1
* since the publication of Spon’s 2001 price books
Building materials - Key indicators
% change
June-Dec 2000		 % change
Dec 1999-Dec 2000
Retail prices index,    
Headline rate +0.6 +2.9
All items, excluding mortgage interest payments – government’s target index +0.5 +2.0
All items, excluding mortgage interest payments and indirect taxes +0.6 +1.7
Industry generally    
Materials and fuel purchased by manufacturing industry +1.8 +5.7
of which: materials +0.5 +7.0
of which: fuel +13.3 –4.3
Materials and fuel purchased by manufacturing, excluding food, beverages, petroleum and tobacco industries +4.1 +2.7
Output prices of manufactured products +0.4 +2.4
Output prices of manufactured products, excluding food, beverages, petroleum and tobacco 0.0 +0.7
Construction industry    
Construction materials +1.0 +3.1
Housebuilding materials +1.0 +2.8
Machinery and equipment +0.5 +1.5
Electrical machinery and apparatus –0.2 –0.5
Source: Office for National Statistics. December 2000 figures are provisional. Machinery and equipment includes items such as pumps, taps, valves, lifts, and cooling and ventilation equipment. Electrical machinery and apparatus includes materials such as electricity distribution and control apparatus, wires, cables and lighting equipment.
Building costs and tender price - Packages where indices have risen more than 2%
Work category Index title % rise
July 2000-Jan 2001
3/21 Cladding and covering: lead 5.1
3/58 Pipes and accessories: copper 3.8
3/43 Finishes: bitumen, resin and rubber latex flooring 2.7
3/57 Pipes and accessories: plastics 2.7
3/35 Windows and doors: softwood 2.5
3/59 Pipes and accessories: aluminium 2.5
3/22 Cladding and covering: aluminium 2.3
3/56 Pipes and accessories: steel 2.3
3/55 Pipes and accessories: spun and cast iron 2.2
3/37 Windows and doors: steel 2.1
3/53 Site planting 2.1
Building costs and tender prices - Packages where indices have fallen
Work category Index title % rise
July 2000-Jan 2001
3/51 Pavings: coated macadam and asphalt –1.9
3/41 Glazing –1.6
3/15 Cladding and covering: glazed –0.9
3/32 Linings and partitions: self-finished –0.9
Labour: Electrical contracting - All-in hourly rates for craft and general operatives
    National standard rates (£)     London rates (£)
Shop Job Job Shop Job Job
  Transport provided Own transport    Transport provided  Own transport
Graded operatives            
Technician 9.45 10.10 10.53 10.07 10.74 11.20
Approved electrician 8.27 8.91 9.35 8.89 9.56 10.02
Electrician 7.54 8.18 8.62 8.16 8.84 9.28
Labourer 5.83 6.49 6.92 6.45 7.13 7.57
Senior graded electrical trainee 6.79 7.36 7.76 7.41 8.02 8.42
Adult trainee 5.83 6.49 6.92 6.45 7.13 7.57
Adult trainee (under 21) 4.37 4.87 5.19 4.99 5.51 5.84
1983 JIB training scheme            
Junior apprentice 2.65 2.86 3.32 3.00 3.21 3.67
Senior apprentice (Stage 1) 3.87 4.21 4.67 4.22 4.56 5.02
Senior apprentice (Stage 2) 5.59 6.10 6.56 5.94 6.45 6.91
Senior apprentice (Stage 2)            
– after one year 5.95 6.46 6.92 6.30 6.81 7.27
1999 JIB training scheme            
Stage 1 2.65 2.86 3.32 3.00 3.21 3.67
Stage 2 3.87 4.21 4.67 4.22 4.56 5.02
Stage 3 5.59 6.10 6.56 5.94 6.45 6.91
Stage 4 5.95 6.46 6.92 6.30 6.81 7.27
Labour: Electrical contracting - Dayworks
Operative Prime cost rate
per hour (£)
Building craft operative 7.76
Building general operative 5.79
Trained plumber 8.27
H&V senior craftsman 9.86
H&V mate 6.82
Approved electrician (national rate) 11.70
Approved electrician (Scotland) 11.45
Electrician (Scotland) 10.53
Labour: Electrical contracting - Wage agreement summary for major wage-fixing bodies
Operatives Agreement body Wage rates effective since Date of next review
Builders and civil engineering operatives Construction Industry Joint Council 26 June 2000 A three-year agreement was promulgated in June 2000. The second part of the agreement comes into effect on 25 June 2001
Building & Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC) 12 June 2000 11 June 2001
Plumbers The Joint Industry Board for Plumbing Mechanical Engineering Services in England and Wales 21 August 2000 Likely to be August 2001
Scottish and Northern Ireland Joint Industry Board for the Plumbing Industry 4 September 2000 Likely to be August 2001
Heating and ventilation operatives Electricians Joint Conciliation Committee of the Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Industry 2 October 2000 3 September 2001
The Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry 8 January 2001 Likely to be January 2002
Scottish Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry 8 January 2001 Likely to be January 2002