Remodelers Say Labor Shortages are Raising Costs, Delaying Work; Disparity in Mortgage Standards

Remodelers Say Labor Shortages are Raising Costs, Delaying Work; Disparity in Mortgage Standards

Home owners who have needed help from someone in the trades in the recent past will probably agree with a report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) noting the serious shortages of labor faced by remodelers . Paul Emrath, writing in the NAHB Eye-on-Housing blog says 91 percent of remodelers responding to an Association survey said they had encountered shortages of labor available to perform carpentry work. Forty percent called the shortages serious. NAHB's third quarter 2017 Remodeling Market Index (RMI) included special questions about the availability of labor in 15 specific trades. Shortages were most widespread for the three categories of carpenters, finished, rough, and framing crews, but over half of the respondents noted labor shortfalls in 12 of the 15 categories.