BRANZ launches new industry data tool
18 Jul 2025, Industry News, News

BRANZ has launched Build Insights, a first-of-its-kind data tool designed to give New Zealand’s building professionals clear, reliable insight into sector trends
From consent volumes to construction costs, Build Insights draws together data from across the sector to support better planning, decision-making and business resilience. The tool aims to support industry professionals by offering access to reliable economic data and trends, facilitating informed decision-making and strategic planning.
A centralised resource for industry data
Build Insights consolidates data from various reputable sources, including BRANZ’s own research, Statistics New Zealand, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The platform presents information across seven key areas of the building system, offering insights into:
- Forecasted construction demand.
- Workforce trends.
- Build delivery and consenting times.
- Living conditions for New Zealanders.
- Changes across the building sector.
- Uptake of innovation and business resilience.
By providing a centralised repository of data, Build Insights enables users to track building system trends and outcomes effectively. This facilitates best practices, informed decision-making, and comprehensive analysis within the industry.
BRANZ CEO Claire Falck said that tradies can use the data to forecast demand, track workforce trends and calculate expected build delivery and consenting times.
“It’ll also help us understand changes in New Zealanders’ living conditions and the impact of new initiatives across our housing,” she said.
“Having all this data in one place means anyone can easily track building system trends and outcomes, which will help support industry best practice, decision-making and analysis.”
Falck added that the tool will continue to grow as new, reliable data sources are added.
“It will also be coupled with regular BRANZ economic reports to give sector-leading updates on the status of the built environment, on a regular basis, for the first time,” she said.
Key findings from Q1 2025
The latest quarterly report (January – March 2025) from Build Insights highlighted several trends particularly relevant to building company owners, such as:
- New build costs: The combined average price for a section and new standalone house is $1,018,000, a reduction of $42,000 from December 2024.
- Construction cost inflation: Building a standard 200m² house now costs $777,000, nearly a 20% increase since mid-2022, outpacing the general inflation rate of 12% over the same period.
- Building consents: Consents for standalone houses have increased by 5% in the year ending March 2025 compared to the previous year, while consents for attached dwellings have decreased by 16%.
- House sizes: The average size of new standalone houses consented in 2024 was 176m², down from 184m² in 2023, indicating a trend towards smaller, more affordable homes.
- Construction businesses: Construction business liquidations increased by 37% in the year to February 2025, accounting for 31% of all business liquidations.
- Trades training: Participation in trades training nearly doubled since 2014, with carpentry apprenticeships increasing from 9,280 in 2014 to 21,165 in 2023.
Industry perspectives
BRANZ Senior Economist Matt Curtis said that build prices have remained high since 2021 but that there were glimmers of hope on the horizon.
“New data is showing us the first signs of improving affordability in the new-build sector and, since 2023, the number of building consents issued for standalone homes has been slowly increasing – growing 5% in the year ending March 2025 compared to the year ending March 2024.
“We’re also seeing house sizes getting smaller to adapt to rising costs. The average size of new standalone houses consented in 2024 was 176m² compared to 184m² in 2023. Generally, smaller and simpler houses are a good thing – they cost less to build and are also more cost-effective for people to live in, with less energy and maintenance expenses.”
Accessing Build Insights
Build Insights is freely accessible to industry professionals, policymakers, researchers and the general public. The platform is designed to be user-friendly, offering interactive dashboards and downloadable reports. Users can explore data across various regions and timeframes, enabling tailored analysis to meet specific needs.
To explore Build Insights and access the latest reports, visit BRANZ Build Insights.
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