Small housebuilders are struggling to increase their output as planning and financial policies seem tailored towards larger firms, says a new report focused on identifying challenges and opportunities for SMEs.

 Findings from survey responses and interviews with SMEs showed that 67% of respondents build either one or two to three units per year, but 90% of surveyed firms want to build more. However, high upfront costs relating to land purchase, groundwork and meeting planning obligations leave SMEs feeling they are unable to compete with larger developers for work.