·        Architects now spend an average of four hours each week verifying product information, costing UK practices around £16,700 per employee annually

·        Two-thirds of architects surveyed have experienced a rise in professional indemnity claims since the Building Safety Act was introduced

·        More than half (58%) don’t fully trust product information, with a clear demand for greater product transparency

The findings, published in wienerberger’s new whitepaper, ‘The Cost of Compliance’, draws on an independent survey of 80 UK architects and deeper insights direct from practices including Howells, KA—Architecture and Space Group alongside commentary from the Manchester School of Architecture and the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI).

wienerberger’s research found that an overwhelming majority (95%) of architects have experienced an increase in compliance-related administrative tasks following the introduction of the BSA, with workloads rising by an average of 16%. For one in five architects, this went up by more than 25%.

Architects estimate that an average of four extra hours each week is now being spent checking product claims, certificates and performance data – time that could be reduced by manufacturers providing more transparent product information. Based on a typical UK day rate, this equates to around £16,700 in additional cost per employee each year.

Alan McCartney, Partner at Howells, explained: “Larger firms are more likely to have the resource, time, and breadth of expertise to manage, and adhere to, the latest legislative changes. The challenge is for smaller or medium sized practices, who face bigger hurdles in demonstrating that they have the necessary experience to meet compliance demands.”

The research also explored the extent to which architects feel more exposed under the BSA. It found that four in five (81%) architects have greater concern about potential indemnity claims, with 88% agreeing that the BSA’s introduction has “fuelled rising liability”. This sentiment was not unfounded, with two thirds (67%) having experienced an increase in claims personally, or within their practice.

Kristofer Adelaide, Director of KA—Architecture, said: “There is so much room for interpretation that you can read through the relevant documentation and genuinely not know if what you’re proposing is acceptable or not. It also means that one building control officer might approve something that another is quick to reject. This subjectiveness creates huge uncertainty.”

Unsurprisingly, this pressure is having a marked impact on innovation. Four in five architects agree that the added regulatory demands are hindering creativity, while seven in ten state that they feel overwhelmed by rising workloads.

Another major driver impacting creativity is widespread distrust of product information. 58% of architects do not fully trust manufacturer product claims, with many citing missing, inconsistent or unclear data. One respondent noted: “sometimes the specifications look perfect on paper but once we use the product on-site, it just doesn’t perform the way it promised.”

When asked what would make compliance easier, architects were almost unanimous in calling for a single and independently verified digital source of truth for product information. This was in addition to mandatory independent testing with clear visibility of results and digital tools that can “accelerate verification steps”.

Rob Charlton, CEO of Space Group, said: “The increased risks and responsibilities around product performance, testing and certification is an area of real focus and concern since the introduction of the BSA. At Space Group, we do not specify any non-tested products, and we select from a limited manufacturer and product range, focused on those with robust and in-depth quality checks.”

In response to the research, wienerberger is calling for industry adoption of independent product assessments, to make compliance easier to achieve for architects.

Paul Instrell, Chief Commercial Officer at wienerberger UK & Ireland, said: “While there is consistent support across the industry for the BSA, our research has exposed what we are hearing from architects daily – that they are losing time filling the gaps when it comes to product information.

This will enable them to build for what’s next – with a focus on innovation without compromising on safety.”The Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), initiated by the Construction Products Association (CPA), sets clear standards for how manufacturers record, verify, and communicate product data. The consensus is that its framework could ultimately become the long-sought single source of truth for compliant product information.

In 2025, wienerberger became the first UK manufacturer to achieve the CCPI assessment for its UK-manufactured bricks and pavers, helping to set a new benchmark for product transparency. Combined with supporting tools like BIM objects, this provides architects with the benefit of easy integration, clearer accountability and the ability to maintain the golden thread. The manufacturer’s OneSpec service then solves the fragmentation problem, providing an all-in-one specification guide for the entire building envelope. This considers sustainability, performance and technical objectives for individual projects and pulls everything together in one consolidated document – ultimately helping to save architects’ time.

wienerberger’s whitepaper, The Cost of Compliance, is available to download via www.wienerberger.co.uk/whitepaper-the-cost-of-compliance