Birmingham construction activity reaches 5-year high

Deloitte’s Regional Crane Survey monitors construction activity across 4 key regional cities in the UK – Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Leeds. The newly released Birmingham Crane Survey has revealed major construction activity, particularly in the residential sector. Read on to discover the key takeaways from the Birmingham Crane Survey.

Birmingham Crane Survey in numbers 

The residential sector leads: 

• 73% of the new starts are residential 
• 4,594 homes completed in 2025 in the city
• 1,644 student accommodation spaces under construction 

A strong pipeline: 

• 40 developments are currently under construction across the city centre. 
• 6,822 units are under construction 

The commercial sector: 

• 733,912 sq ft of office space under construction
• 163,728 sq ft of retail and leisure space under construction 
• 412 hotel beds under construction

The key factors driving the construction boom relate to the infrastructure expansions, regeneration schemes and investor sentiment. 

With the recent metro expansion and the ongoing construction of HS2 – the infrastructure in Birmingham is significantly evolving, and we’re seeing an increase in demand for homes in the city centre. 

Regeneration projects worth over £3bn are currently underway in Birmingham, including Paradise Birmingham, Smithfield Birmingham and The Central Edge. As the city evolves and progresses, more people are eager to visit, work and live in the city. 

Birmingham as a result is leading major growth forecasts for both sales value and rental growth, and investor sentiment is soaring. The construction activity revealed in the Birmingham Crane Survey supports the confidence from global investors in the city, as residential schemes dominate the activity. 

Dominated by residential schemes, the Birmingham Crane Survey’s findings reaffirm the confidence in the city from global investors.