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From new rules and regulations, customer expectations and trends, to new tools and technology, recent times have brought a lot of change to the sector, and it shows no sign of stopping. 

To understand what tradespeople think the coming years might look like, Häfele UK recently spoke to 500 kitchen fitters, electricians and residential builders to get their take on what will have the biggest impact and challenge on their work. Emily Halderthay, Customer Marketing Manager at furniture fittings and hardware manufacturer and distributor Häfele, takes us through the findings. 

Earlier this year, we spoke to tradespeople from across the UK to understand a range of topics and issues, including what they feel the near future looks like for their industry.

Overall, the findings paint a picture of a sector that expects continued pressure but also sees clear opportunities to adapt. Tradespeople believe the next few years will be shaped by a mix of practical challenges and shifts in how work is planned, delivered and won. Rising material and tool costs feature heavily, with almost a third (31%) naming this as one of their biggest upcoming challenges, making it the top trend that will impact the whole industry. Many also expect labour shortages (19%) and client expectations on speed of delivery (20%) to influence the sector over the next one to two years. 

What also stands out is the potential role of AI. Artificial intelligence ranked fourth among likely trends to influence the building industry in the near future, with 19% selecting it as one of their top three. Likewise, digital design tools (15%) and the use of online platforms for finding work (15%) also feature highly in ways businesses plan to adapt in the coming years.  

Different trades, different challenges 

While rising costs are the top challenge for every profession, the second and third priorities shift sharply across different trades, depending on the type of work people do, the demands of their customers and the skills their business relies on.

For kitchen installers, customer expectations sit closely behind cost, with the profession feeling particular pressure to turn jobs around more quickly. Digital tools and online platforms also appear more frequently for this group, reflecting the influence of technology-based quoting, design software and customer communication tools in the sector. 

For electricians, however, the standout issues are the declining number of skilled tradespeople and the impact of increased workload. A quarter of sparkies surveyed believe a skills shortage will become one of the biggest disruptors for their trade in the next couple of years, and managing workload and burnout – alongside rising costs – is the group’s most significant challenge ahead. Combined, these factors paint a picture of a role that needs a lighter load. To help ease the pressure, 36% of electricians plan to adopt digital tools for quoting and project management in the coming years, as well as focus on higher-end and specialist work. 

Looking at carpenters and joiners, there’s a slightly different pattern. While cost pressure is still a concern, it’s closely followed by rising client expectations around speed, with just one percentage point difference. As with electricians, carpenters are also considering a move to more tech-based estimating and management systems, but unlike sparkies, they plan to take on apprentices and trainees to ease time pressures. 

Small residential builders have a broader set of pressures. While rising costs sit at the top for the trend that will have the biggest impact on their sector (30%), finding consistent work and customer financial pressure were declared as their biggest challenges by some margin. Naturally, builders focusing on larger, full build programmes are more exposed to customers delaying or scaling back work or late payments. As a result, this group had the strongest desire for stability, with over a third considering taking an employed role to reduce their exposure to financial uncertainty. 

Supporting trades

As these findings show, trades are under pressure from multiple angles, meaning services, products, tools and support that help save time and improve efficiency can make a meaningful difference to their day-to-day work.

To help, Häfele has introduced several solutions that address these pressures directly. Our new Trade Hub has been created to help installers cut sourcing time and consolidate what would otherwise be a long list of suppliers. Bringing together more than 25,000 products in one place, from fixings and consumables to tools, lighting, storage and fittings, it gives trades a single dependable route to the essentials they need. With next day delivery, product guarantees and simple returns, it helps reduce delays and makes it easier to plan jobs with confidence during a period when both costs and supply can be unpredictable.

For trades feeling the squeeze on time and labour, Häfele offers a broad range of services. Our bespoke timber drawers, for example, offer a high-quality option that eliminates the need for time-intensive joinery while still providing customers with a personalised finish. The drawers are made with fully dovetailed joints, available in a choice of timbers and can be adapted through shaped sides, stepped or flat tops, handle cut outs and engraved text. With matching accessories such as cutlery inserts and knife blocks, installers can deliver a premium result without adding strain to already packed schedules.

Likewise, our bespoke worktop service offers similar time savings for kitchen, bathroom and utility projects. Each piece is manufactured to specification using advanced cutting tools that ensure accuracy, and island joins, radius corners, and sink cut-outs can all be prepared off-site, reducing risk, improving consistency and helping installers keep projects moving even when labour is tight. 

Lighting is another area where trades face increasing complexity, particularly as customers demand more integrated and personalised designs. Plug and play LED systems such as Häfele’s Loox LED lighting have been designed to be simple, intuitive and scalable, supporting both straightforward and advanced installations. The system is available in 12v or 24v versions, with colour coded components that guide correct setup. It can start with a basic configuration of mains lead, driver and on and off furniture switch, and scale up through distributors and smart controls for layered, programmable lighting.

By bringing these services and systems together, Häfele is helping trades respond to the current and emerging pressures on their roles. Whether the need is to save time, reduce preparation work, simplify sourcing, or offer customers more personalised designs, faster, the tools are there to support a smoother, more predictable way of working in the years ahead.