A LEADING firm of quantity surveyors has warned that the construction industry is overheating.

Costs were rising at an alarming rate due to over investment in the industry last year, according to Patterson Kempster and Shortall (PKS).

PKS managing director Michael Webb said substantial growth last year had led to some major projects absorbing a large proportion of available resources, leaving many contractors and sub-contractors with comfortable workloads.

However, the years of decline in the industry had taken their toll on available resources, particularly in the area of skilled craftsmen and sub-contractors. As a result, resources were strained and overheating had occurred.

The most obvious example of overheating was in the skilled labour market where the prices for bricklayers/blocklayers and electricians had increased at an alarming rate.

PKS predicts a growth rate of 6 per cent in volume in Irish construction during 1997 compared with 9 per cent in 1996. Civil engineering will see the biggest increase with a 25 per cent volume growth.

General construction, led by the private sector, will grow by 4 per cent.