Timber-frame housing is nothing new.
After all, mankind has been constructing homes with wood for thousands of years – as evidenced by the discovery of remains in Scotland that date back to the Mesolithic period.
Fast-forward to the present day and it’s in Scotland, too, where you’ll see a higher proportion of timber-frame homes being built.
There, this method of construction accounted for 95% of all new homes in 2024 – a figure that dwarfed England’s 15% in the same year.
But will that picture change, and how likely is it that builders and developers will switch to timber frame across the whole country?
Nations, climates and choices
Timber frame’s deployment in Scotland is largely a result of the colder, wetter weather north of the border.
At times when brick-and-mortar builds would be paused, timber frame – which is less sensitive to the challenges of inclement weather during construction – can continue, making it an attractive year-round choice.
Yet with far more homes built in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through traditional masonry, is there scope for the balance to shift towards timber?
It's certainly a bet many major builders seem to be placing.
Two of the largest, Barratt and Bellway, have pledged to reach the 30% mark for new homes built with timber frames and modern methods of construction by 2030.
That’s perhaps unsurprising given the current socioeconomic picture.
With new housing in high demand, developers are recognising that timber frame can provide quick installation, greater efficiency and reductions in waste, all while contributing to meeting sustainability targets and net zero ambitions.
Prefabrication and off-site manufacturing in particular offer significant benefits, with the potential to speed up build times and help builders deliver homes sooner.
Progress across the board is likely to be gradual and incremental, but we’ve also seen growth in the short term.
According to the Structural Timber Association, timber frame’s share of the English housing market rose from 12% to 15% during 2024, a figure that represents modest but encouraging progress.
In fact, STA Chief Executive Andrew Orriss believes that moves by large players like Barratt and Bellway will influence others to follow suit.
“When the top 10 house builders start to build their own factories or buy timber frame businesses, that creates ripples across the market and signals where the long-term direction of travel is likely to be,” he said at a conference last year.
The missing ingredient
There’s one glaring problem, though – and it’s a big one.
Skills.
Given the majority of construction workers outside of Scotland work primarily on masonry builds, the industry faces the significant challenge of developing the talent and experience needed to deliver timber-frame homes more widely.
Yet few specialist training providers exist to spread the skills that will be needed – so we have taken decisive action.
Our investment in a new range of courses and programmes can help builders and developers secure timber frame skills early, before market shifts lead to a scramble.
Our Managing Timber Frame Construction course instils essential management and inspection knowledge in site professionals and managers, while our new Timber Frame Installer apprenticeship gives new entrants an accelerated route into the sector.
And in as little as one hour, our Timber Frame Trade Talks help erectors, foremen and site managers understand the most common defects we find on site.
Each could be a sensible investment if your business is keen to seize the opportunities the growing timber frame market has to offer.
Keeping quality in check
Even if you're already working with timber frame and have the skilled labour you need to deliver, we can help you ensure you're getting things right first time.
An Immersive Day, for instance, sees one of our construction quality specialists walk your site and review your work, discussing the good-practice things they see and the areas you could improve in.
It's an ideal, affordable way to raise your game and reduce the chance of rework costing your business.
