As new homes continue to go up in Moncton, contractor Andrew Nelson gets lots of calls about taking on new projects. But with not enough workers, he routinely turns them down.

“My standard answer now is ‘What’s your timeline?'”

If they say they want to get started within the next year or two, “it’s not likely going to happen,” Nelson said.

New Brunswick construction companies are facing a major labour shortage that’s also being felt across Canada. The province’s industry association estimates it currently needs more than 2,000 workers right now, and will have to fill an estimated 5,000 jobs over the next five years.

The lack of workers comes at a time when Moncton is experiencing a building boom. The city set a record for development last year, issuing $366 million in permits and more than 1,200 new residential units were added in response to the fastest population growth in the country.

But as cranes keep rising on the skyline, construction companies just can’t keep up. The shortage of skilled workers, tradespeople and general labourers is leading to costly delays, unpredictable timelines and slow starts to projects.

Nadine Fullarton, president of the Moncton Northeast Construction Association, said demand has been at an all-time high, which is putting even more pressure on the labour force.

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