Compliance confusion puts building sector Success at risk, survey reveals

Results of a new survey of UK timber frame manufacturers, published today by MEDITE SMARTPLY and the Structural Timber Association, reveal a sector with growing pressure on its shoulders — and diminishing clarity about how to meet it. The full report of results, Framing the future: The state of timber frame construction, is available now on the MEDITE SMARTPLY website.

The survey captures responses from over 80 timber frame manufacturers working across residential, social housing and education. Although there is a clear desire to meet higher performance standards, many respondents pointed to a disconnect between policy ambition and the practical realities of delivery.

The urgency of net zero targets adds to the complexity. UK law requires net zero emissions by 2050, and homes currently account for 20% of all emissions. The Future Homes Standard (FHS), set to be introduced by 2025, will require new-build homes to incorporate low-carbon heating and energy efficiency. The expectation is that homes built to the FHS will produce 75–80% fewer carbon emissions compared to previous regulations (Approved Document L 2013), with a strong focus on airtightness and high-performance building fabric—including walls, floors and roofs.

Chief among the concerns is the confusion surrounding Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV), a metric central to many Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) funding models. Nearly half of all survey respondents declined to disclose their PMV score, pointing to unclear definitions, a lack of relevance to smaller-scale operations or uncertainty about how the figure is even calculated. While Homes England and other government programmes incentivise high PMV through funding—such as capital grants for developments achieving 55% PMV or more—there remains no standardised industry process for calculation.

Compounding this is the perception that policy frameworks like the Future Homes Standard are increasingly geared toward volume developers. This is leaving smaller manufacturers, many of which are already building above-regulation, struggling to see where they fit into the picture.

“The industry isn’t short on innovation or intention, but a lack of clarity is knocking confidence,” said Roly Ward, Head of Business Development at MEDITE SMARTPLY. “We’re hearing a clear message from the sector: manufacturers are being asked to move fast without clear footing. That’s not sustainable.

“Fire safety is a prime example. It remains the number one challenge for almost half of respondents, yet testing regimes aren’t clearly defined and insurers still lack confidence. That’s a risky bottleneck. If we want MMC to scale, we need regulatory clarity, joined-up standards, and products that simplify the compliance journey, not complicate it further.”

The survey also highlights broader systemic pressures. 73 percent of manufacturers are facing skilled labour shortages, with concerns raised about the availability of apprenticeships, local training pathways, and the general appeal of construction careers to younger workers. This presents a serious challenge as demand for low-carbon housing rises.

Despite the concerns, product development needs show an industry still striving for innovation. 81 percent called for OSB panels with integrated fire resistance, with 43 percent naming fire performance as their number one challenge. Many manufacturers also expressed interest in multi-functional solutions that reduce the need for layered materials and on-site adaptations by streamlining compliance across airtightness, thermal performance and buildability. The full report is now available to download via the MEDITE SMARTPLY website.