Housebuilder

Housebuilders manage the huge team effort that is any house build – right up until the keys are handed over.

2008 saw a decline in work for housebuilders due to the economic downturn. This situation is expected to improve once the housing market revives. You can join the trade from any walk of life, as long as you’re a strong manager with a sound knowledge of construction and a flair for entrepreneurship. It’s a demanding job with lots of responsibility, so you’ll need to be ambitious.

You can go into site or contract management, with or without a degree, and large home-building companies will often train you up.

Did you know?
The construction industry used to be seen as a man’s world, but that has changed. There are over 200,000 women employed in construction.

Facts and Figures

  • Starting salary:

    The average is £21,000.

  • Senior level salary:

    The average salary for a manager is £44,000, but may rise to over £50,000.

  • Education:

    Many of the large home-building companies offer graduate recruitment programmes or management trainee schemes. These are open to candidates from any discipline who can demonstrate their managerial potential. Entrants gain in-depth experience in all areas of business and of the house building process. Two possible routes to a house-building career are via an integrated engineering degree to a job in site management; or via a degree in building management to an appointment in contract management.

  • Skills:

    You'll need flair, imagination and ambition. Aspiring housebuilders need to be self-starters who can also work as part of a team.

  • Likely employer type:

    Large house building firms.

  • Opportunities:

    The current decline in work for housebuilders is expected to improve once the housing market revives.

  • Number of professionals:

    Approximately 55,000.

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