One of Britain’s biggest builders’ merchants, Jewson, has warned that prices for a range of goods – including timber, insulation and adhesives – will rise by as much as a fifth this month. This is amid the deepest supply chain crisis in decades – much of the disruption caused by both Covid and Brexit. Jewson told The Guardian that supplies of cement, plasterboard and insulation were being rationed by some manufacturers, forcing it to limit the availability of some products – for instance, trades can only buy five bags of cement at once. Other items will go up in price – such as the 20% hike for MDF mouldings. If you’re planning a project, it’s more important than ever to speak to suppliers in the early planning phase to understand their lead times and factor the latest costs into your budget.