Guide · England · Self-build / Contractor-Led
MHCLG's housing supply indicators for April to June 2026 (published 24 September 2026) show 35,910 housing starts in England — up 6% on the quarter and 20% on the year. Completions were 35,800. The headline looks like a turn. The official release says not to read it that way.
Not financial advice. Figures below are taken from MHCLG — Housing supply indicators, April to June 2026. Check the release for definitions and revisions.
Part of the rise comes from how starts are recorded. Starts reported via the Building Safety Regulator reached 5,758 in Q2, against a previous maximum of about 1,206. MHCLG's own caveat is that these inflate the quarterly and annual increases, so the figures should not be read as a recovery in housebuilding.
In plain English: more starts are being counted through a different route. That is not the same as more sites breaking ground.
Homes where work has begun on site. A leading indicator — and the figure affected by the Building Safety Regulator reporting change this quarter.
New-build homes finished in the period. MHCLG reports 35,800 completions for Q2 2026.
The net change in homes, including conversions and changes of use, minus demolitions. This is the measure that tracks the 1.5 million homes target.
On net additions, England has added about 437,900 homes since July 2024 — roughly 29% of the 1.5 million target, with about 44% of the parliamentary term gone. Further back in the pipeline, planning permissions stood at 212,000 in the year to June, down 12%. BCIS has a useful walkthrough of the data against the 1.5 million target.
Honestly: it is uncertain. A reporting-driven rise in starts tells you little about whether bricklayers, groundworkers or materials will be easier or harder to get, or cheaper or dearer, on your job next quarter. Local conditions and your own trades matter more than a national headline.
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