Labour-crunched contractors hit by a brick wall of rising material costs, supply chain disruptions Toggle share menu Advertisement Labour-crunched contractors hit by a brick wall of rising material costs, supply chain disruptions Rails and signs mark the borders of different work zones at a construction site in Sembawang. (Photo: Cheryl Lin) Share this content Bookmark SINGAPORE: Construction firms, already lacking workers, are having to deal with more expensive building materials as both freight and raw material demand have shot up, creating a supply chain shortage. For consumers, this has led to more costly renovation projects, as contractors and material suppliers struggling to stay afloat pass the higher prices down the chain.