FMB Cymru has released The Builders’ Manifesto for Wales 2026, ahead of the manifesto’s official launch at the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) tomorrow
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Cymru has released The Builders’ Manifesto for Wales 2026, laying out how the Welsh Government can empower the nations’ army of local builders, who will be vital to deliver key targets on new homes, upgrade existing dwellings and create high quality jobs.
The FMB Cymru Builders’ Manifesto for Wales calls for better support to:
- Tackle the housing crisis
- Decarbonise the nation’s ageing housing stock
- Tackle labour shortages
- Drive up competency in the industry
The manifesto calls for a rebalancing of the housing market through stronger support for local SME housebuilders
Once responsible for 40% of new homes in the late 1980s, SME builders now deliver just 9%.
FMB Cymru are urging the Welsh Government to set ambitious national housing targets across all tenures, mandate the allocation of small sites in Development Plans, raise the threshold for major developments to 50 units, and provide access to finance for the pre-planning phase of housebuilding.
The manifesto also focuses on existing homes with a clear need to develop a long term retrofit plan for the industry.
The sector needs an additional 2,200 skilled workers each year to meet demand
The manifesto warns that without decisive action, any realistic prospect of meeting housebuilding or retrofit ambitions will disappear, simply because there will not be enough people to do the work.
With one-third of workers over 45 and only 20% aged 16–24, the replacement pipeline is dangerously thin, with an estimated 300 workers leaving the profession annually. The manifesto sets out the need for a national construction skills strategy, a rebalancing of Welsh Government funding to provide incentives for SMEs to employ apprentices and a shift towards outcome-based funding that rewards successful progression into employment.
The manifesto also presses for the introduction of a licensing scheme to address the challenges posed by rogue builders, who undercut reputable builders, erode public trust, and devalue skilled work. FMB research found one in ten homeowners in Wales have been affected, over the last five years alone.
Ifan Glyn, FMB Cymru director said:
“A strong construction sector is fundamental to Wales’ future, and builders must be backed. A workforce of local, skilled tradespeople keeps our communities thriving and our economy moving. We need to train the next generation, offer secure careers, and provide clear pathways of opportunity for people entering the construction industry in Wales.
“The Builders’ Manifesto for Wales 2026 sets out a practical, pro-growth agenda to help deliver more homes, improve the current stock, raise standards of competence, and create high-quality jobs.”
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