Through Manon Loubet
Published on
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“When the building goes, everything is fine. “While construction companies have a well-filled order book in spring 2021, this adage does not hold true in this period. With the Covid-19 crisis, strong global demand for raw materials creates real shortages and delays or even stops construction sites at Rouen (Seine-Maritime), while the prices of supplies are soaring.
“I was not able to finish a site in a training center, because there are no longer any false ceiling tiles, deplores Arnaud Sansaas, the manager of the MCO joinery in Oissel, near Rouen. I ordered them, but I don’t know when I will receive them… And this is “unfortunately not the only example! “
“Wood is now worth gold”
The same goes for Thibault Lacoule, manager of Eco’Thib, a general building company in Rouen. “It’s hellish. You have to wait two to three months to have shutters. Wood is now worth gold and to have slates for roofs, you have to order them four months in advance! “
“Everyone has trouble getting supplies and companies can no longer fulfill their orders,” warns Vincent Laudat, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Rouen Métropole.
Several weeks or even months late
Craftsmen lack all supplies and materials, almost without exception. “Sometimes it is details that prevent us from having a supply, such as the laminated glazing of the windows. There is a shortage of the component that makes it possible to manufacture the plastic film which is located between the two panes, so we can no longer provide this type of glazing… ”, emphasizes Arnaud Sansaas.
“It is sometimes complicated for our customers. The last time, we put another sink than the one provided for in the estimate, because we no longer had any. The client was not happy but unfortunately we could not do otherwise, ”adds Thibault Lacoule, who admits sometimes recording several weeks, even several months late on certain sites.
“We no longer manufacture anything in France”
The same goes for plasterboard, made with plaster and cardboard. “French plasterboard manufacturers have run out of cardboard, there is a shortage. They can therefore no longer manufacture it. How to do a site without plasterboard®? Everything is like that… ”, assures Arnaud Sansaas, who is also vice-president of the French Building Federation (FFB) Rouen Métropole & Territoires. “We no longer manufacture anything in France, we have outsourced everything and here is the result”, plague Thibault Lacoule.
At the same time, construction companies have to deal with a surge in the prices of these raw materials, the shortage creating an increase of + 10% for steel, or even + 100% for structural timber! Steel, essential for reinforced concrete, is also severely affected. “The price of copper has quadrupled,” says Vincent Laudat, president of the Rouen Normandie CCI. While companies had stopped doing storage, this is something that entrepreneurs are going to have to take back to no longer be so dependent on the global market. “
The United States “Pumps” All European Wood
But then, how did we get to this? For wood, the explanation would come from Donald Trump, the former President of the United States. “He taxed the importation of Canadian wood, suddenly, the Americans order all the wood produced in northern Europe, in Sweden, in Denmark… because it is cheaper than at home!” Laments Arnaud Sansaas. Suddenly, we have nothing left to build wooden houses in France. For example, there are no more OSB or three-ply panels, which are essential for building a timber frame house. It’s terrible. “
Faced with the situation, discussions are also being carried out by the CCI to think about a more local supply of wood. “Beech, this Norman wood, could be an avenue for the future,” says Vincent Laudat. But in the immediate future, there is no miracle solution for the Rouen craftsmen… “It’s really a disaster,” Thibault Lacoule loses his temper.
A growing demand for jobs creates the shortage
These contractors assume that the cumulative delays incurred by the sites during the first containment, backed by a growing demand for construction work, whether from individuals, communities, or developers, fuel the shortages and the surge in commodity prices.
“For us, this is a real problem, because we signed quotes at a price that took into account the old costs of the materials. Bills have sometimes taken 10% more than expected! We then find ourselves cutting back on our margin, which is often already very small in the building industry, between 3 and 4%, sighs the vice-president of the local FFB. We then try to find a solution with the customers, who are sometimes understanding to review the estimate. But this is not the case for all. “
Construction bosses are also worried about being penalized for delay if they fail to complete their sites on time because of these shortages. “We are trying to reassess public markets and avoid penalties, which is why we are getting as much information as possible on shortages. We hope that everything will return to normal in the next six months but unfortunately, if there will perhaps be no more shortage, the prices will not go down ”, deplores Arnaud Sansaas.
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