BCIS updates five-year maintenance, cleaning and energy forecast

Maintenance costs, as measured by the BCIS All-in Maintenance Cost Indices – General index, are forecast to rise by 15.3 per cent over the five years to 2Q2031, according to the latest forecast data from the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS).

Cleaning costs are expected to increase by 23.6 per cent over the same period, driven primarily by labour costs.

Cleaning costs increased by 9.0 per cent in the year to 2Q2026. Cleaning labour costs are forecast to rise by 24.4 per cent over the five-year period, compared with a 7.6 per cent increase in cleaning materials costs. Annual cleaning cost inflation is expected to remain at around 4 per cent or above through to 2Q2031.

Energy costs are forecast to rise sharply in 2026 before falling in 2027 and 2028, although geopolitical tensions leave the outlook highly uncertain.

Dr David Crosthwaite, Chief Economist at BCIS, said: “Facilities managers continue to face rising maintenance and cleaning costs alongside constrained budgets and volatile energy prices. Although annual cost inflation is expected to moderate, organisations will need to budget for sustained increases over the next five years.

“Labour remains the main driver, reflecting wage growth, increases in the National Living Wage and the higher employers’ National Insurance contributions introduced in 2025. Slower inflation will ease the pace of cost increases, but it will not reverse the increases already built into expenditure.”