Builders merchants reported a surge in sales in September driven by domestic work.

Sales were up 8.3 per cent in September compared to the same period last year, new data from the Builders Merchants Building Index has revealed. Overall sales for the third quarter were also up 1 per cent on last year.

The surge was driven by domestic works, with sales of kitchen, bathroom and landscaping materials up. Demand for heavy building materials was lagging, however, and remained almost 17 per cent lower in the nine months to the end of September compared to the same period last year.