Recent figures from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) reveal that deliveries of bricks and concrete blocks in the United Kingdom are declining — with bricks dropping by 0.5% in September 2025 compared with September 2024, and blocks falling by 4.2% over the same period. This downward trend underlines a growing supply-chain concern for the construction sector, as reliable access to masonry materials is fundamental to delivering residential, commercial and infrastructure projects on time and within budget.

Headline Figures and What They Show

According to the DBT commentary published in November 2025:

Deliveries of bricks decreased by 0.5% in September 2025 compared with September 2024.
Deliveries of concrete building blocks dropped by 4.2% in the same year-on-year period.
On a month-on-month basis, for bricks there was a modest uptick of 1.3% from August to September (seasonally adjusted), but this rebound exists in the context of a long-term decline from pre-pandemic levels.
Stocks of bricks stood at approximately 499.2 million units at end-September, the highest level since June 2024, up 4.4% on the same month a year earlier.
Stocks of concrete blocks at end-September rose modestly over the year, despite the fall in deliveries.

These numbers show that the drop in deliveries is not necessarily caused by an acute shortage of material, but rather by a complex mixture of demand, production and stock-holding changes. For example, higher stocks of bricks suggest that supply is being maintained, but demand or dispatch may be weakening.

Why ‘Brick and Block Deliveries’ Matter

Here’s why this measure is so meaningful:

Proxy for construction activity: Because bricks and blocks are foundational building materials, their delivery volumes often reflect the level of building work underway—especially in residential housing. A sustained drop can signal a cooling construction pipeline.
Supply-chain health indicator: Variations in deliveries can highlight manufacturing bottlenecks, logistics delays, or inventory mismatches. For example, if deliveries fall while production continues, it may imply stock-pile accumulation or weaker orders downstream.
Cost and timing risk: For contractors, developers and material merchants, slower deliveries may lead to longer lead times, inflation in material costs, or substitution of less-ideal products. That can affect project margins and scheduling.
Policy & investment barometer: Government, industry analysts and investors use such data to gauge the supply-chain resilience of key building materials, making it a useful early-warning signal for potential disruptions, supply constraints or changing construction trends.

In short, when brick and block deliveries decline, it is more than a simple statistic—it can reflect emerging fragilities in the building materials ecosystem. Firms who monitor this metric can act earlier to mitigate risks.

What’s Driving the Decline?

Several inter-linked factors are contributing to the drop in brick and block deliveries. While no single cause explains the full story, the combined effect is creating headwinds for material flows.

Manufacturing & Production Constraints

Brick and concrete block manufacturers are vulnerable to rising energy costs, input price inflation and labour shortages. For example, the production of bricks in the UK has fallen from earlier peaks, meaning less capacity head-room when demand surges.

One analyst observed that “manufacturers have to adjust their own output in line with demand… there’s clearly an element of production responding to a cooler market.” In other words, rather than supply running out, this may reflect an intentional scaling back of manufacture in response to weaker orders.

Logistics, Distribution & Stock Adjustments

Even where manufacturing remains robust, the downstream logistics network—transport from factories to merchant yards, followed by onward delivery to site—can be affected by labour constraints, fuel/transport inflation, and scheduling issues. These problems may dampen delivery volumes.

In addition, the fact that brick stocks have increased suggests merchants and manufacturers are carrying higher inventories. While this might seem prudent, it also signals that some deliveries are not being drawn down as quickly as in past periods. For blocks too, stock levels are modestly higher despite weaker deliveries. This suggests the issue lies more with demand or dispatch than absolute production constraints.

Demand Softening in Construction Activity

A key driver behind lower deliveries is likely a quieter construction pipeline: fewer new starts, delayed projects and slower build-rates in certain sectors. If clients postpone orders for masonry units, deliveries will consequently fall.

Industry commentary supports this. The macro environment remains uncertain—political instability, interest rate pressures, supply-chain jitters and labour shortages all weigh on developer confidence. For example, a survey by S&P Global found UK construction activity contracting at its fastest pace in five years in October 2025.

Market Normalisation Post-Pandemic Surge

Another possibility is that the industry is simply normalising after a period of unusually high demand, stock-build and activity during the pandemic and early recovery phase. For bricks, the DBT noted that deliveries in September 2025 were still 29.7% lower than in September 2019.

This suggests the sector remains in a longer-term adjustment phase, rather than rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. In that context, lower delivery volumes may reflect recalibration, rather than immediate crisis.

Implications for Construction Firms and Developers

The decline in brick and block deliveries may look modest in isolation—just 0.5% for bricks and 4.2% for blocks year-on-year—but the implications are meaningful for construction firms, developers, materials merchants and supply-chain managers. Here are the key considerations.

Project Planning & Procurement

When deliveries are weaker, contractors must become more proactive in procurement. This means:

Giving longer lead times for masonry unit orders.
Negotiating flexibility in contracts to cover delayed deliveries or substitution options.
Assessing whether buffer stock should be held, particularly if project programmes are tight or rely heavily on bricks/blocks.

Failure to anticipate slower deliveries may lead to site delays, cost escalation or forced use of alternative materials with inferior performance or aesthetic outcomes.

Risk-Management & Alternative Sourcing

Given the shift, firms should consider risk-management strategies such as:

Identifying alternative masonry suppliers or material systems (e.g., lightweight concrete blocks, prefabricated wall systems) in case of traditional supply bottlenecks.
Monitoring material stocks and delivery commitments on a weekly or bi-weekly basis rather than monthly.
Building contingency into budgets and programme for material cost escalation or ordering delays.

Given that the drop in deliveries may indicate demand softness rather than pure supply disruption, firms that maintain robust supply-chain visibility may gain competitive advantage by locking in favourable terms ahead of peers.

Sector-and Project-Type Sensitivities

Some parts of the construction sector are more exposed to masonry supply risk:

Residential housebuilding: Builders relying heavily on traditional brick or block walls face higher risk if deliveries slow or cost rises accelerate.
Large-scale commercial or infrastructure projects: These may be less exposed to simple brick/blocks (often using steel, concrete frames etc), but still depend on reliable block/brick supply for secondary works, cladding or finishes.
Projects with tight margins and phased builds: These are especially vulnerable to material supply and cost disruption, making early procurement strategy critical.

Outlook for the Masonry Material Supply Chain

What does the future hold for brick and block deliveries? The current data alone cannot predict a reversal, but several plausible paths exist.

Stabilisation Scenario

The most optimistic scenario is that the decline in deliveries reflects a transitional phase rather than a structural collapse. As the construction pipeline rebuilds and new projects come on stream, demand may increase, allowing delivery volumes to stabilise and grow. The modest month-on-month increase for bricks in September (1.3%) could hint at early signs of this.

If supply chains, logistics and manufacturing maintain capacity, then the industry may benefit from a more predictable materials environment going forward.

Prolonged Softness Scenario

Alternatively, if demand remains weak, or if clients continue to defer projects, then the decline in deliveries could deepen. The downward trend in concrete block deliveries (down 4.2% year-on-year) is a stronger sign of this.

In this context, manufacturers may further scale back output, stock may accumulate, and delivery volumes could remain subdued for the medium term. This scenario poses risks of suppliers consolidating or shutting plants, which could reduce flexibility should demand pick up again.

Disruption Risk Scenario

A third scenario is an abrupt disruption: for example, cost inflation (energy, raw materials), logistics shocks, or regulatory or labour-market issues could suddenly limit manufacture or dispatch. Should any of those factors materialise, the modest decline today could turn into sharper volatility tomorrow. The fact that stocks are relatively high may offer a buffer in the short term, but sustained disruption would stress the system.

Key Takeaways for Industry Stakeholders

To summarise the article’s main points:

The focus keyword “brick and block deliveries” remains highly relevant: the metric encapsulates a key supply-chain indicator for the construction industry.
Deliveries of bricks in the UK decreased by 0.5% in September 2025 year-on-year; concrete block deliveries fell by 4.2% in the same period.
Despite the decline, brick stocks have risen, indicating that availability may not be the immediate issue; rather the issue may relate to demand, dispatch or production adjustment.
Construction firms, developers and materials suppliers should respond proactively: review procurement/planning protocols, monitor material delivery pipelines, consider alternative material systems and embed flexibility into contracts.
The outlook is mixed: while there is potential for stabilisation, there is risk of prolonged softness or sudden disruption. Firms that build supply-chain resilience now will be better placed.

Conclusion

Reliable supply of masonry units—bricks and concrete blocks—is a foundational requirement for time-sensitive construction projects, whether residential, commercial or infrastructure. The latest data from the DBT suggest that deliveries are continuing to fall, albeit modestly, signalling a shift in the UK construction materials landscape.

For industry stakeholders, the message is clear: the era of taking masonry-unit supply for granted may be waning. Firms must shift from reactive procurement to proactive supply-chain management. This means longer lead-time planning, contract flexibility, stock-holding where prudent, and exploring alternatives if traditional supply becomes constrained.

In a market where delivery volumes are falling and stocks are rising, the balance is tilting towards demand and dispatch risk rather than pure manufacturing shortage. But whether that balance remains benign or tilts into bottleneck territory will depend on broader construction activity, policy support, logistics stability and cost inflation.

In short, if your business touches bricks and blocks, now is the time to pay attention to the numbers. Monitor the flows, ask your suppliers for visibility, challenge your procurement approach, and consider contingency planning. A modest drop today could become a bigger issue tomorrow—unless you act.