Deloitte’s Regional Crane Survey monitors construction activity across 4 key regional cities in the UK – Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Leeds. The newly released Birmingham Crane Survey has revealed major construction activity, particularly in the residential sector. Read on to discover the key takeaways from the Birmingham Crane Survey.
A record-breaking year for Birmingham
The Birmingham Crane Survey 2026 recorded an impressive 23 new starts on site in 2025 – the highest figure in 5 years. This is a significant increase from the 11 recorded in 2024, reaffirming the increasing momentum in the city.
Birmingham Crane Survey in numbers
The residential sector leads:
- 73% of the new starts are residential
- 4,594 homes completed in 2025 in the city
- 1,644 student accommodation spaces under construction
A strong pipeline:
- 40 developments are currently under construction across the city centre.
- 6,822 units are under construction
The commercial sector:
- 733,912 sq ft of office space under construction
- 163,728 sq ft of retail and leisure space under construction
- 412 hotel beds under construction
What’s driving the surge?
As the city reaches a 5-year high for construction activity, this is driving fresh infrastructure, strengthening investor confidence, and powering major regeneration projects.
The impact of infrastructure:
- With a population of over 1 million that shows no signs of slowing, Birmingham’s infrastructure is expanding.
- Birmingham’s metro expansion is underway, providing new direct links to the east of the city and to the new £3bn Sports Quarter Development. The metro expansion has received £107m of funding, with the first phase of expansion to begin this year.
- A report by Bloomberg and Lloyds Bank revealed that cities with strong transport links are more attractive locations for both companies and employees, opening up greater opportunities for residents.
- HS2 – a high-speed train designed to cut the travel time between the UK’s largest cities to under an hour- is currently being constructed, providing a direct link between Birmingham and London in just 49 minutes.
As commuting to the capital becomes faster, impressive residential schemes are beginning to take shape in Birmingham. Londoners can now branch out and reside further away, to save on accommodation costs, whilst still maintaining a capital career. Residential standards in the city are therefore also changing; demand for luxury living, with amenities comparable to London’s residential developments, has increased.
UK property investor sentiment:
The residential sector is dominating the construction activity in Birmingham. Due to the capital growth potential and passive income opportunities through rental income, residential developments are a popular choice amongst global investors.
Why Birmingham?
Confidence in the city has grown significantly amongst investors, as the data for the city’s growth is undeniable – Birmingham is leading all major growth forecasts.
- Birmingham has been named the top city in the UK for investment by industry leaders JLL.
- 50% increase in rents for new build apartments in the city over the past five years.
- 24% sales value growth predicted 2025-2029
- 18.8% rental growth predicted 2025-2029
A city transforming – Birmingham regeneration:
Comparable to Manchester’s evolution several years ago, Birmingham is in the midst of its transformation period, attracting UK property investors from across the globe.
- As an economic powerhouse that is continually growing, across the city there are regeneration projects worth £3bn underway.
- Paradise Birmingham, a £1.2 billion scheme creating 10,000 new jobs and 2 millions sq ft of new business and leisure space.
- Smithfield Birmingham, a £1.9 billion project transforming 40 acres and backed by The Crown Estate.
- The Central Edge, building on the successful i54 business park to add £582M GVA to the economy.
These major projects are transforming the city, encouraging large global business to relocate to the area, creating jobs and contributing significant investment and economic value.
As spaces across the city evolve and become more desirable, construction is increasing to accommodate the increased demand to live and work in the city centre.
Positive place-making
As the Birmingham Crane Survey revealed that 17 of the 23 new construction starts in the city are residential, place-making is a large factor for the city’s future.
- Build to Rent (BTR) schemes continue to dominate the construction, accounting for 55% of homes under construction this year.
- The future pipeline for residential schemes are also strong, with a further 19 schemes with planning permission.
- As a city, Birmingham has recently enjoyed multiple cultural milestones.
- The city’s historical Jewellery Quarter recently received World City Craft status, alongside other artistic cities such as Kyoto and Jaipur.
- Peaky Blinders film premiere is set to be in the city
- Ozzy Osborne’s final concert generated over £33 million in gross output.
Developments will now have to clear Gateway 2, a new building regulation for skyscrapers.
Edition Birmingham is the first development in the city to have passed this regulation, with works now starting on the 46 storey residence. The development comprises two towers and over 23,000 sq ft of luxury amenity including a swimming pool, 44th floor gymnasium Sky Lounge and two-storey climbing wall.
Developments such as Edition Birmingham are not only transforming the skyline, but creating places for communities to thrive. The addition of these residential schemes helps to create vibrant destinations that people want to live, visit, and work in , adding value to the city for years to come.
Want to know more about Birmingham?
If you’re a UK property investor interested in investing in Birmingham, you can take a look at our luxury Birmingham investment opportunity – Edition Birmingham here. Our team can assist both domestic and global investors with securing an investment in the city, just contact us to find out more.