Building in Britain: The Origins of a Modern Industry

This volume looks at the history of the building industry from the end of the 18th century to the latter half of the 19th century. The first part examines the rise of general contracting as a system of building procurement, emphasizing the complexity of that development and the persistence of other modes of operation. Using contemporary evidence, it demonstrates the widespread adoption of the fixed price contract in the private, as well as the public sector. The second part of the book looks at the technical advances in building, showing the inadequacy of the received view of the industry as technically backward. Separate chapters deal with the growing use of machinery in stone and woodworking, in brick making, and in site work. A short final section argues the case that the technical and contractual changes were the co-determining factors in the creation of a new "capitalist" construction industry.