“I priced a job three or four weeks ago and the builders phoned me up and said, ‘can you do anything on that price? I've got someone that is undercutting you by 2 pounds a metre,” said Frediani.

“Builders are starting to play a game with the spreads, and I don't see it with any other trades. So, lads ‘stick to your guns’ because there is a game being played out there. The prices are all set, they’re not taking a hit, they’ve priced the jobs, and they are halfway through them anyway when they call the spread in,” he added.

Speaking on the same show, Stuart Roberts, fellow plasterer, and founder of Trowel Talk, warned that the race to the bottom was one of the biggest concerns facing the spreads next year.

“The biggest concern is getting into a situation where the lowest bid wins. Customers are in a position where they are scared to spend, and that is the biggest concern for everybody,” commented Roberts.

In the short term at least, Roberts reported that for many spreads it was “business as usual,” despite the disruption brought by increases in material and fuel prices over the course of the year.

In particular, demand for domestic work remains strong.

“Domestic seems to be where the lads are going for the money,” said Roberts.

“I tell you what is dead popular at the minute, media walls. There are a few guys especially around me in the west midlands that are specialising in these,” he added.

Other areas that are booming include exterior work using EWI systems and various insulation products. “Demand for insulation is big right now,” commented Roberts.

To listen to the full show, click below.