National Audit Office

Cost effectiveness of timber frame

The 2005 National Audit Office (NAO) report into modern methods of construction has delivered a powerful endorsement of timber frame construction. It states:

Timber frame delivers a financial boost to public and private sector developers in England and Wales of up to £35 per square metre. (See Table 9, Page 15)
Timber frame is already cost comparable to traditional brick and block construction methods. Open panel timber frame construction in England and Wales currently costs £798 per square metre, compared to £799 per square metre for traditional brick and block construction.
Housebuilders have the capacity to build one additional house per week with exactly the same cost and resources if they swap to a modern method of construction such as timber frame.
Registered social landlords and housing associations using timber frame construction and similar modern methods of construction benefit from earlier rental income streams and can draw down Social Housing Grant earlier, which reduces interest payments on capital to fund developments.
Snagging costs are reduced by a third compared to masonry homes because of the tighter quality control of factory-produced components.
The need for on-site inspection decreases as the amount of off-site work increases.
Timber frame construction (both open and closed panel systems) requires 20% fewer on-site labour days than masonry construction, and ensures a significantly faster construction period overall.
Timber frame homes are weathertight in almost half the time, leading to important quality, efficiency and health and safety benefits.
There are no high risks associated with open panel timber frame, compared to traditional construction which is perceived to be at high risk of price fluctuations, delays due to bad weather, lack of key trade skills, service installation faults, health and safety hazards, construction errors and other defects at handover.
Multi-storey buildings favour modern methods of construction like timber frame because the costs of complying with stringent building regulations for high-rise buildings increase faster for brick and block construction than for off-site manufactured elements.
Timber frame systems are also particularly suited to brownfield sites with poor soil conditions (sites that favour lighter buildings), and sites with restricted access.

Click here to download a copy of the NAO report ‘Using modern methods of construction to build homes quickly and efficiently’