Over 8 in 10 contractors in the electrical and building services industries expected turnover to increased in the third quarter of this year, according to a new survey from the Electrical Contractors’ Association.

The ECA’s Quarterly Business Trends Survey reveals larger contractors are presently the biggest winners with 7 in 10 firms turning over at least £5m seeing rising workloads in Q2.

But 6 in 10 smaller businesses (turnover under £200k) saw turnover remain the same, with 22% saying turnover rose, a fall of 3% on the previous quarter.

ECA Director of Business Services Paul Reeve said: “Overall, the sector is reporting confidence in forward business for the second half of 2015, so it looks like we have achieved the much-anticipated sector recovery.

“However, the risk of over-trading and supply chain insolvency, particularly in a time of recovery, remains.

“Our practical advice to members is still to ensure they chose work with a realistic view to when they will be paid, and to the cost and availability of resources, and that they do not simply chase turnover”.

The latest survey also found that businesses are mostly optimistic for the third quarter, with 85% expecting turnover to rise or remain constant.

Significantly, there was a 12% jump in the number of survey respondents anticipating turnover to increase in Q3.