More than two-thirds of respondents to CN's Q1 Barometer say clients are considering delaying or cancelling jobs due to cost increases (see pages 6-7). This is not news to CN readers. We have revealed several high-profile instances of cost hikes on schemes worth hundreds of millions in recent weeks. When you take jobs that were priced 12-18 months ago but only now coming to site, it's no surprise to hear clients are getting the jitters. But workloads are currently strong, so one-off schemes being delayed here and there aren't likely to cause too much upset. Contractors are already looking further afield, warning that 2018 is going to be tough, particularly in residential and commercial property. Major infrastructure will dominate the latter part of this decade (see page 12), so those with a balanced portfolio will likely be able to ride out the storm.
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