Repair, Maintenance & Retrofit
Repair, maintenance and retrofit emerged as one of five key themes in consultations towards the BEFS Manifesto for the Built Environment. The BEFS Manifesto provides a basis for organisational priorities in the 2026-31 term of the Scottish Parliament.
BEFS Members recognise that the health of Scotland’s existing buildings is the foundation of a sustainable economic future. As a strategic intermediary body, BEFS advocates for a fabric-first approach, ensuring that buildings are structurally sound and watertight before complex climate adaptations are made.
Scotland’s building stock presents a unique challenge that requires urgent policy attention and investment. Scotland has the highest proportion of pre-1946 housing stock in the world at 52%. In 2024, 48% of all dwellings in Scotland had some disrepair to critical elements, such as roofs or external walls, compromising their structural stability. 71% of all pre-1919 buildings are currently rated ‘D’ or worse on their Energy Performance Certificate.
BEFS Members highlight a reality that Net Zero cannot be achieved without the effective adaptation of existing homes. A policy of regular maintenance and repair is the most effective form of preventative spend.
Economic and Climate Benefits
Prioritising repairs, insulation, and draught-proofing ensures that new heating technologies, like heat pumps, can operate efficiently. Without the starting point of a windproof and watertight building, interventions can be detrimental to both building health and occupant wellbeing. Existing buildings hold immense embodied energy; repair and reuse avoids the massive carbon cost, the high levels of waste associated with demolition and new construction.
Investing in the existing built environment is a powerful driver for the Scottish economy. Research indicates that every £1m spent on maintaining and repairing existing buildings supports 21 full-time equivalent jobs; a rate 40% higher than new-build projects. A focus on repair breathes life into local supply chains and supports traditional skills like stonemasonry and joinery in both urban and rural communities.
Our Call to Action
To address these challenges, BEFS Members advocate for several policy shifts:
- Ministerial Oversight on Retrofit: Establish a dedicated group to deliver a Retrofit Delivery Plan, providing clarity on funding and tailored solutions for different building types.
- Tenement Maintenance Reform: Implement the three central recommendations of the Tenement Maintenance Working Group: Five Yearly Inspections, Compulsory Owners Associations, and Building Reserve Funds.
- VAT Reform: Address the “damaging barrier” of the current tax system, where new-build projects are incentivised with 0% VAT while refurbishment and repair are taxed at the full 20%.
- Traditional Building Health Checks: Scale up investment in schemes that provide homeowners with accurate, impartial advice on maintenance and high-quality conservation standards.
By prioritising the stewardship of its existing buildings, Scotland can improve residents’ comfort, tackle fuel poverty, and meet its ambitious Net Zero targets.
To learn more about BEFS policy influencing work in repair, maintenance and retrofit, please contact the relevant BEFS Team Members.