James Parlour, Technical Director at FIS, discusses how the FIS Shine a Light campaign has published guidance, e-learning modules, masterclasses and connects with major new research to help businesses improve quality and compliance.

A frequent concern we have heard from FIS members who work in the housebuilding sector relates to unfair behaviour toward the drylining and internal finish packages. Change won’t happen unless we stand above the parapet, which is why FIS is committed to shining a light on bad practices.

Last year, to support our members, FIS launched its Shine a Light campaign to help drive out improper snagging of plaster finishes which often results in contractors suffering from delayed and or incomplete payments.

This year, we are also sharing the results of our industry leading research on “Procurement, Payment and Contract Management: The challenges in the low and mid-rise housing sector” to further support our members operating in this challenging environment.

What are the bad snagging practices?
The original focus of the Shine a Light campaign was oriented narrowly toward reports from FIS members of general contractors and housebuilders using bright lights at very close range during snagging inspections, which highlights small defects in plaster finishes that would otherwise be undetectable. This is contrary to the guidance outlined in both British Standards and the technical standards underpinning popular home warranty schemes.

The guidelines within BS EN 13914-2, for example, outline levels of quality and smoothness in plaster finishes that should be specified, and, perhaps most importantly, the assumptions that should be made in the absence of a specification stating otherwise. The standard also prescribes the relationship between final and site lighting conditions and the circumstances under which a plaster finish should be viewed, with natural light from either the centre of the room or a two metre minimum distance.

Addressing the bad practices
FIS has published detailed technical guidance1, which we recommend our members download and share with their clients and contractors to help better manage expectations. This guidance sets out:
• Drylining installation, jointing and plastering tolerances
• Standardised inspection methods
• Lighting conditions on site, during inspection; and
• What should be specified and what should be assumed in the absence of a specification.

Following this work, late last year we released a short duration training module on our growing e-Learning platform2, designed to instruct those carrying out quality control checks on drylining finishing. In addition to offering valuable CPD hours, this course can be taken by anyone who conducts these inspections, whether they are carrying out QC checks on their own work, snagging work carried out by subcontractors, or conducting inspections for the purposes of a home warranty scheme, to improve consistency and ensure that important relationships in the supply chain are not needlessly thrown away in a search for marginal profit gains.

FIS and its members have collaborated with the National House Building Council (NHBC) and the Home Builders Federation (HBF) to launch a new series of drylining masterclasses aimed at improving skills, quality and compliance within the construction industry3. Developed to support both new entrants and experienced professionals, these practical training sessions will be delivered at NHBC’s network of training hubs. The programme is designed to raise standards across the drylining trade, a critical element of modern building interiors that often lacks structured training opportunities.

The bigger picture
When we take the advice of BS EN 13914-2, stand back and look at the problem from further away, we see larger problems in the procurement model, payment practices and contract management.

In the final quarter of 2025, FIS conducted a survey of specialist contractors active in the housebuilding supply chain. The focus was on drawing out the factors that diminish the sector’s ability to perform and ultimately invest in more modern methods of construction.

The key conclusions are as follows:
• Payment is slow for most subcontractors:
80% of the surveyed sample report post application payment periods of 30–39 days with national and regional housebuilders. SME housebuilders tend to pay faster, with 23.5% paying in less than 30 days, but the highest proportion still pay in 30–39 days (64.7%). This indicates that specialist contractors in the supply chain typically provide 60–78 days of credit to their often significantly larger clients.
• Retentions are a systemic drag:
Over half of retentions are not released on time across every housebuilder type, with 80% reporting that they sometimes, or worse, fail to recover retentions when working with national housebuilders.
• Post-award price pressure is common:
Around two-thirds of respondents report being asked to reduce price post-award when working for national and regional housebuilders.
• Contracts are often bespoke and rarely checked by lawyers:
Developer bespoke forms dominate, and 65–72% of subcontractors never take legal advice before signing a contract.
• Pipeline visibility is limited:
Only 20-35% report call-off periods of six or more weeks, hindering resource planning. Whilst social value requirements are often built into contracts, their impact on the ultimate target remains limited, with concerns expressed over the way that they are measured, monitored and ultimately delivered.
• Cashflow creates strain for individuals:
41% of respondents feel stressed about cashflow most or all the time. Firms lean heavily on merchant or manufacturer credit and corporate credit cards.
• Training investment does not keep up with demand:
While 64% claim to offer apprenticeships and 68% claim to employ trainees, the majority report limited numbers. Whilst some improvement is expected, there is limited optimism that the fundamental shift needed is close. Training investment is often mandated through contracts, however, respondents expressed concerns that this can be a tick box exercise with limited real-world impact.

It is clear that aggressive price-first procurement, inconsistent and delayed payment, post-award price reductions, and regressive retention practices have weakened the specialist supply chain. The full findings of this survey can be found on the FIS website by visiting: www.thefis.org/housebuilding-research

Research confirms industry findings
Our research underpins the key conclusions of the recent Industry Training Board (ITB) Review4 conducted by Mark Farmer. Talking about their review Mark said: “Nothing short of combined legislative interventions across prompt payment, project bank accounts, responsible procurement, self-employment v PAYE incentives, workforce licensing, more stringent building regulations and a consumer rights revolution will force the necessary change at an industry-wide level.”

Conclusion
Every business has a legal responsibility to ensure that reasonably foreseeable business risks are addressed. But what do you do when the risk you are being asked to absorb is too great, the request moves you outside your competence and insurance coverage, the contract is too onerous, or you are being asked to do the impossible? Sometimes the right thing to do is to say “No”5. It isn’t easy, but the alternative could be catastrophic!

Remember, you are not alone. We are aware that commercial pressure from housebuilders is prevalent in the industry, and we encourage members to inform us when they encounter these bad practices.

You can reach out in confidence to Iain McIlwee, FIS CEO, via email at iainmcilwee@thefis.org or by calling 07792 959481.

Source
1. www.thefis.org/wp-content/
uploads/2015/10/Technical-NoteStandards-for-Plaster-Finish.pdf
2. www.thefis.org/skills-hub/training-offersfor-members/fis-training-modules/drylininginspection-training-module/
3. www.nhbc.co.uk/training/course-index/drylining-masterclass
4. www.gov.uk/government/publications/2023-
industry-training-board-itb-review
5. https://www.thefis.org/about-us/fiscampaigns/responsible-no/