Chris Hall, technical innovation manager at NHBC, looks back at his UK house building career and what to expect in the future as new legislation comes into effect
The UK house building sector stands at a pivotal crossroads. With challenging sustainability targets ahead, evolving building standards, and a rapid acceleration in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), the industry is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. As we navigate this changing landscape, understanding the key drivers of innovation becomes essential for everyone involved in delivering tomorrow’s homes.
Just this month, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner reinforced the Government’s commitment to ensuring 1.5 million homes are built by 2029. She announced a series of measures, including reinstating mandatory housing targets for local councils, reforming planning regulations to facilitate development on reclassified “grey belt” land and investing an additional £350 million in affordable housing. This ambitious target will require not only innovative construction methods but also a significant expansion of our workforce.
From inspection to innovation
My journey with innovative construction methods began when I was an inspection manager at NHBC, overseeing construction systems being trialed by major builders across Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire. These systems, now known as category one modular homes, were manufactured by pioneers such as Ilke Homes and Legal & General Modular Homes.
At that time, information was limited regarding how these systems should be constructed and installed in accordance with NHBC Standards (our technical requirements and performance standards for the design and construction of new homes registered with us). These innovative methods represented a significant departure from traditional construction techniques, primarily consisting of bricks and mortar. These factory-made homes presented new challenges for quality assurance and inspection.
Fast forward to 2021, I moved into a commercial/technical role running NHBC Accepts, our certification service designed specifically for innovative construction systems. This flagship service, approaching its fifth anniversary in July 2025, has evolved significantly to meet the changing needs of the industry. Rather than focusing on individual products, we concentrated on whole home systems – roofs, floors, walls, and integrated components.
As the industry continues to evolve, so has my role. Now, as we prepare for the Future Homes Standard, I lead a team focused on the entire construction products terrain, serving as the bridge between manufacturers, builders, and on-site operations. We’ve shifted from a reactive certification approach to proactively managing technical risk at a national level, becoming the landing pad for all innovation inquiries within the business.
Supporting new standards
One of the most significant challenges facing innovative construction is the absence of established standards. In the UK, national and international standards bodies often struggle to keep pace with rapidly developing products, materials and systems. Innovators in timber, concrete, steel, and integrated home systems frequently outpace the standard-setting process.
NHBC actively collaborates with the sector to develop knowledge and increase understanding, working closely with organisations such as the British Standards Institute. More immediately, we continually enhance the NHBC Standards through a process of continuous improvement.
January 2025 marked a milestone with the publication of Part 11 – the first UK warranty standard for Category One and closed panel Category Two construction forms. This groundbreaking standard addresses the major components that are becoming increasingly common in new homes. This represents the first entirely new section in the NHBC Standards in nearly a decade, signaling the significance of these innovations in modern house building.
Our approach extends beyond just developing the NHBC Standards. For innovative solutions lacking established criteria, such as ultra-high performance concrete or integrated solar facades, we develop positions based on thorough technical evaluation. This allows us to provide clear guidance on what we will and won’t underwrite, enabling innovation while managing risk.
Technology transforming house building
Looking ahead, the construction landscape will undergo dramatic changes over the next five years. Major builders are significantly shifting their production models, with more components manufactured in off-site environments.
The contrast between Scotland and England illustrates the potential for change – 95 per cent of new Scottish homes are built using timber frame, compared to just 12 per cent in England. Major builders including Barratt, Redrow, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Bellway have all invested in timber frame manufacturing facilities, signaling a clear direction of travel.
This shift towards closed panel timber frame construction will likely be accompanied by lighter weight façade solutions, moving away from traditional brickwork towards more diverse cladding options for low- and mid-rise homes.
The most transformative change may be in how we power our homes. We anticipate a definitive shift towards gas-free developments, necessitating significant investment in the UK power grid to support an all-electric model. The £35bn ‘Great Grid Upgrade’ project represents a critical infrastructure investment to facilitate this transition.
Meanwhile, homes themselves are evolving to become more sophisticated living environments. Rather than basic shelters, they’re becoming machines for living, featuring integrated solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps, and potentially achieving Passive House standards with near-zero energy requirements.
Developers are increasingly incorporating ‘zero bills’ packages, allowing homeowners to potentially eliminate gas and electricity costs. While this might increase initial home prices, the savings over a 25-year mortgage period could reach £50-60,000, representing significant long-term value.
The workforce challenge
While the industry has the workforce to deliver current build levels, meeting the Government’s ambitious target of 1.5m homes by 2029 will require a 25% increase in recruitment – equal to 224,900 additional workers. This workforce expansion presents perhaps one of our most pressing challenges.
According to the Home Building Federation’s recent ‘State of Play’ report, 35 percent of SME home builders already cite skills shortages as a major barrier to housing supply. As construction output increases, we need to ensure the recruitment and training framework is in place to allow the workforce to grow proportionally.
The scale of this challenge becomes clear when we consider the HBF’s prediction that for every 10,000 additional new homes built, 30,000 new recruits are needed. This includes, but is not limited to, 2,500 bricklayers, 2,500 groundwork/plant operatives, and 1,000 carpenters per 10,000 homes.
If the Government can address broader barriers to housing delivery, these workforce requirements will become increasingly pressing. This makes our focus on both traditional skills development and adaptation to new technologies even more critical. That’s why NHBC announced late last year that we will be supercharging house-building training with a £100m investment in a new national network of multi-skill apprenticeship training hubs. These will help address the house-building industry’s growing skills shortage by producing an additional 3,000 skilled and site-ready tradespeople each year.
Collaborative quality assurance
Ensuring quality in MMC systems requires unprecedented collaboration between manufacturers, developers, and regulatory bodies like NHBC. Our approach is multifaceted, focusing on writing standards that align with industry demand while working alongside organisations such as the New Home Quality Board and considering regulations like the Consumer Duty Act.
NHBC works directly with manufacturers who are certified by NHBC Accepts, conducting Construction Quality Reviews in factories and maintaining the largest network of building inspectors for on-site assessments. Our support extends beyond inspection to include technical building consultants, a dedicated support line, and comprehensive training facilities across the UK.
Skills for the future
The construction sector’s workforce challenges require more than just increased numbers – they demand evolving skill sets. Traditional skills must adapt to new methods. Bricklaying expertise may evolve towards brick slip and lightweight cladding installation. Carpentry skills could be reapplied to framed construction, facilitating quicker installation of the whole building envelope – increasingly important in our changing climate.
The workforce will need to develop abilities to work with hybrid construction methods that combine traditional and innovative techniques.
Digital literacy will become essential, with Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital workflows, and eventually advanced technologies playing larger roles. The construction worker of tomorrow must naturally adapt to new technologies – digital twins, drones, robotics, and automation systems – all of which can enhance productivity.
To nurture this pipeline of talent, we need earlier engagement in education. The introduction of Construction GCSEs could help establish technical foundations sooner, attracting young people to the industry and preparing them for lifelong learning in an evolving sector.
Join the conversation at BEYOND ’25 LIVE
At the upcoming BEYOND ’25 LIVE event, I’m particularly looking forward to engaging with SME builders which believe they’re too small to implement innovative construction methods. This is a common misconception that needs addressing – innovation isn’t exclusive to large developers.
The event provides an opportunity to dispel myths and demonstrate that innovative construction has moved beyond the pilot stage to become an established reality. The industry is experiencing a definitive shift in production models, and builders of all sizes need to prepare for this transformation.
BEYOND ’25 LIVE represents an opportunity to communicate what successful innovative construction looks like and provide builders with the tools to innovate effectively. As the house-building sector faces the need to think bigger, bolder and beyond what we know, this national conference brings together leading experts to explore regulations, innovation and construction quality.
Join us at BEYOND ’25 LIVE to stay ahead in our rapidly evolving industry and be part of building a more sustainable, efficient future for UK housing.
BEYOND ’25 LIVE is NHBC’s national conference for everyone involved in the construction of new homes. To book your place and join the conversation about the future of house building, visit https://www.nhbc.co.uk/awards-and-events/beyond
