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The NHBC Pride in the Job Competition

NHBC Quality awards

The NHBC created the 'Pride in the Job' competition in 1981, as an initiative to improve the standard of UK house building. Its aim is to encourage best-practice in house building, with the intention of improving the quality of the construction of new homes and reward and recognise the very best site managers in the UK.


These much coveted awards are given to individual site managers, not the house builder that employs them or the development site they are responsible for. The competition is one of the most prestigious in the house-building industry and has, over the years, become synonymous with the quality of new homes.


The NHBC say that all award-winning site managers "have shown true diligence and commitment to producing the best quality homes possible" having been regularly assessed over the preceding twelve months "against 38 stringent criteria." In 2013 in the first round of the competition, only 400 site managers received a Quality Award out of more than 13,000 competing site managers on sites across the UK.


The better house builders will employ the best site managers and the best site managers win these awards. The NHBC Pride in the Job Award is the recognition of exceptional site managers.


However, the total number of awards a house builder’s site managers receive, is not in itself an indication of quality. The larger builders will have more sites and therefore a greater number of site managers participating in the competition, accounting for around 69% of 400 Quality Awards in 2013.

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards


Barratt Homes plc

Taylor Wimpey plc

George Wimpey plc*

Persimmon Homes plc

David Wilson Homes*

Bellway Homes plc

Miller Homes Ltd

Morris Homes Ltd

Redrow Homes Ltd

Crest Nicholson Ltd

Berkeley Group plc

Countryside Properties

Cala Ltd

Bovis Homes (Vistry)

Banner homes Ltd

Kier Residential plc

Linden Ltd (Vistry)

McCarthy & Stone Ltd

Avant Homes Ltd*

Lovell Partnerships

J S Bloor Ltd

Jones Homes Ltd

Keepmoat Ltd

Laing Ltd*

Stewart Milne Group

Galliford Try plc

Willmott Dixon

2008 58 20 31 31 23 20 12 10 7 13 5 10 4 4 1 2 1 3 4 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2009 55 35 30 29 20 12 19 12 6 13 4 6 6 3 3 1 1 0 6 5 4 2 1 2 1 0 0 2010 62 55 / 30 18 18 22 13 13 9 7 3 4 6 4 1 6 2 4 4 2 2 1 3 1 0 0 2011 79 65 / 28 / 22 26 9 13 10 10 4 5 5 4 0 2 4 0 2 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 2012 73 66 / 21 / 23 27 9 16 7 11 3 5 6 6 1 7 5 8 3 6 2 0 0 1 3 1

Total

328

240

7

38

23

126

74

31

71

41

51

14

28

34

3

10

28

29

5

2

13

4

13

2

5

0

1

The number of NHBC Pride in the Job  Awards  won by the Site Managers of the top House builders

SEAL OF EXCELLENCE

QUALITY AWARDS

2013 102 68 / 13 / 27 23 7 12 7 10 3 5 4 5 3 6 2 8 0 4 1 4 0 4 1 22011 20 18 / 4 9 7 10 2 2 4 7 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 / 0 0 0 02010 14 16 / 5 4 3 7 4 4 3 1 1 2 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 / 2 0 0 02009 18 17 / 7 8 4 5 5 3 4 3 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 / 0 0 0 02008 18 4 7 10 2 7 7 4 2 4 4 5 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 02012 27 11 / 6 / 6 11 4 2 5 3 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total

1195880

61

188

61

476

241

91

262

102

137

85

126

108

31

48

80

99

43

26

87

13

39

5

31

9

4

Notes: Cumulative totals are from 2008 onwards

Total figures for  Awards have been combined for all companies within each company group except where shown *


Figures for 2008 are before acquisitions of David Wilson Homes by Barratt, Linden by Galliford Try and the Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey merger.


Figures for 2009: David Wilson Homes/Barratt and Taylor Woodrow/George Wimpey are shown separately as they trade under those names but are part of the same group.


Figures for 2011 onwards: Barratt/David Wilson Homes and Taylor Woodrow/George Wimpey are now shown combined under the main trading brand.


Figures for 2013: Avant Homes also includes Gladedale Homes, Bett Homes and Ben Bailey Homes.


Figures for 2020: Bovis Homes includes Vistry Partnerships. Linden Homes shown separately.


Comments: 2021 NHBC Quality Awards
This period covered a full year of the Covid-19 pandemic. From a housebuilding perspective it resulted in FEWER new homes being built, (Persimmon completions down 14.3%; Taylor Wimpey down 36.8%) yet nearly every site remained open. This should have resulted in better quality and more awards for the large plc housebuilders due to the reduction. It was a year when three Persimmon site managers won a quality award,  their highest number in the last four years.

Full list of 2020 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comments: 2020 NHBC Quality Awards
Despiite an "independent review" and an apparent change of direction (and leadership), Persimmon Homes' site managers and those of Charles Church, have failed to win even one NHBC Quality Award this year. Crest site managers won 43% fewer awards with Redrow down 30%, and Taylor Wimpey down 20%, all demonstrating a race to the bottom as far as quality is concerned within this industry. Of note Barratt site managers (including David Wiilson Homes) bucked the trend winning 9% more awards than in 2019, despite the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic.  
Full list of 2020 award-winning Site Managers & developments here

Comments: 2019 NHBC Quality Awards

Just one of the 380 Persimmon Homes site managers won an NHBC Quality Award in 2019 - an absolute disgrace. This should be a big red flag warning to potential buyers!
By comparison Redrow Homes increased its haul by 58% with 30 of their 124 site managers winning NHBC Quality Awards. The number of PITJ Quality Award winning site managers of other plc housebuilders remaining virtually unchanged om previous year.
Full list of 2019 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comments: 2018 NHBC Quality Awards

Six of 2-star rated Bovis Homes site managers (amazingly) won NHBC Quality Awards this year. Their highest since 2012. However, buyers should not take this as an indication that quality and customer service has dramatically improved; but it looks to be a step in the right direction. Redrow Homes won 27% (7) fewer awards this year and Persimmon, with just two site managers winning an NHBC PITJ Quality Award this year, should hand their heads in shame considering the number of active sites (370) they have!
Full list of 2018 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comments: 2017 NHBC Quality Awards

Over half of the housebuilders listed above have won fewer awards this year. For the 4th year running, Barratt site managers have won fewer Quality Awards. Bellway, Redrow and Taylor Wimpey have all won more awards than in 2016. It is clear indication that quality among most of the major plc housebuilders is falling as they scable to increase both their output and profit.
Full list of 2017 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comment: 2016 NHBC Quality Awards

For the third year running Barratt have won fewer awards than the previous year 79 - down from 102 in 2013. Taylor Wimpey also wining fewer awards for the second year running. Four Bovis site managers did actually manage to win an award this year along with just seven (up one from last year) at Persimmon who have increased completions by 26% since 2013.


Yet again Bellway with 42 awards (up 31% on last year) and Redrow with 24 awards (up 33%) lead the way for improving quality despite increasing the number of homes they are building by 51% and 42% respectively on their 2013 totals.

Full list of 2016 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comment: 2015 NHBC Quality Awards

With all the major housebuilders putting profit and numbers ahead of a commitment to quality it is unsurprising that nearly all won fewer awards than in 2014. Only Bellway up 10% and Redrow up 38% won more Awards in 2015. Minnow housebuilder Cala won a creditable 12 Quality Awards in 2015 good for a housebuilder that constructed just 677 new homes in 2014.


Jeff Fairburn, CEO of Persimmon with just 6 awards and David Ritchie the current CEO of Bovis - the only plc housebuilder to not win a single NHBC quality award in 2015, should both hang their heads in shame.

Full list of 2015 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comment: 2014 NHBC Quality Awards

Barratt won fewer awards this year, despite building more homes on more sites. With all the major house builders increasing their output to make the most of the Help to Buy bonanza, it would appear the quality of new homes has suffered with priority given to output.  Persimmon Homes won just 8 awards, down from the mere 13 the group won in 2013. Clearly this company has quality issues, considering it built over 11,000 new homes last year.


Bovis and Linden continue to disappoint, this should serve as a red flag to potential new home buyers.  That said, a Quality Award winning site is no guarantee that buyers will get a quality new home.

In the words of the NHBC: "The judging process does not however guarantee that every plot on a site will be free from defects".


Comment: 2013 NHBC Quality Awards

Barratt continue to improve on their NHBC Quality Awards haul year on year - an indication of improving quality. However Persimmon's site managers have won 40% fewer awards than they received in 2012!


In addition, Berkeley, Crest, Bovis, Linden and Redrow clearly are not winning sufficient quality awards for the the number of homes they build each year.

Full list of 2013 award-winning Site Managers & developments here


Comment: 2012 NHBC Quality Awards

Of the main house builders, only Linden have won significantly more quality awards this year. This could be as a result of the increase in operational sites with Linden completing 40% more homes in their year to 30 June 2012. Linden's  homes built:awards ratio improving to 304 homes per quality award.


During the period Taylor Wimpey have reported a doubling of half-year pre-tax profits with shares up 28%. Barratt shares have risen 51% and Persimmon shares are up 36% - both builders however having won fewer awards than they did in 2011.


Comment: 2011 NHBC Quality Awards

The larger companies won most of the awards again this year. Taylor Wimpey increasing thier haul by 18% and the combined Barratt/David Wilson taking the most awards this year. However when set against the number of homes built per award won, Miller Homes come out on top. For more details see house builder table.  Considering their size and the number of new homes they build each year, Bovis, Bloor and Linden do not appear to be as committted to quality as their rivals.


Comment: 2009 NHBC Quality Awards

With the new larger companies, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt (having bought David Wilson Homes) dominate the awards for this year.  Despite the recession, it was expected that the smaller builders would be able to claim a greater proportion. Over the years it can be seen a pattern is emerging and trends within certain companies.


Comment: 2008 NHBC Quality Awards

The number of awards for George Wimpey have fallen over  the last two years which would indicate that the the quality of their homes is not as good as it was in 2006. Likewise Taylor Woodrow, trading as Bryant Homes and now merged with Wimpey also has a  downward trend.  


Crest Nicholson have had a good year, nearly doubling their number of awards this year.


Comment: 2007 NHBC Quality Awards

Yet again Barratt confound their critics and top the league table for the third year in a row. They must employ the country’s top site managers as the competition unofficially runs from June to June; the end of Barratt’s financial year and a time of increased pressure to achieve the required completion numbers. Over 50 winners each year, despite the large number of sites is still quite an achievement and a yardstick for the rest of the industry.


Morris Homes based in Cheshire and building in the north of England have won ten awards this year doubling their total from last year. They are one of the largest independent housebuilders in the country and are clearly getting it right.


The big guns of Bovis, Kier, and Berkeley are by comparison appear to be not striving for quality as much as their sales brochures would have you believe.  


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