Work slower for builders in Covid-19 alert level 3

Progress is slower for builders working during the Covid-19 pandemic, as they face a wave of new rules, regulations and supply hold-ups.

During alert level 3, builders are expected to sanitise, wear personal protective equipment, and maintain social distancing as well as contact tracing.

Jennian Homes Wellington managing director Simon Barber said the company had 40 projects on the go but would probably face delays of up to 20 per cent.

‘‘Things are slower, especially seeing as our guys on the front line couldn’t work during level 4. But everyone was pretty understanding,’’ Barber said.

It was a matter of planning ahead when it came to building supplies, because many builders had to work to a ‘‘click and collect’’ operation. ‘‘You can’t just nip into your local building supplier and grab some nails off the shelf any more, so it’s encouraged a more efficient planning processes.’’

There were also fewer builders on construction sites for safety reasons, which meant progress was slower.

A Nelson builder who did not want to be named said building teams were expected to follow ‘‘unrealistic social distancing and sanitising rules’’.

Darren Diack, the managing director for Gemco in Hawke’s Bay, said it was too early to determine the effect Covid-19 would have on the building industry.

‘‘Hawke’s Bay construction was booming when we had the shutdown and we’ve come back to a full workload.’’

Diack said Gemco would be busy for the next six months completing the work it had before level 4 began, but said there would be delays.

‘‘It’s less productive. The new health and safety regulations, physical distancing and hygiene practices makes things less productive on site and the materials are harder to get.’’

Diack suspected that working conditions would remain the same during level 2 but felt ‘‘lucky’’ that there was still plenty of work in Hawke’s Bay.

‘‘We won’t know what kind of effect this has had for six to nine months.’’

Diack said getting supplies was the slowest part of their operations.

‘‘You have to ring up the supplier and make an order, then go and get it. If you forget something, it’s not like you can turn around and go back – you have to go through the process all over again.’’

Diack said that while most supplies came from New Zealand, they were experiencing delays for other products that came from overseas.

‘‘We have got some jobs where we’ve got products like light fittings, so we’re having to change some specifications where we order from to within the country instead.’’

Diack said he was excited to continue work on the municipal building in Hastings, after the recent completion of the Hawke’s Bay Opera House.

Gemco had also begun construction on a new multimillion-dollar private hospital in Hastings, which was expected to be complete by 2022.