This is the largest fall in monthly growth since October 2019, when it fell by 2.4%.

Adverse weather is considered to be a contributing factor, with it being the wettest February since records began and likely to have affected new work, which experienced a dip of 3.4%.

Statistics also showed a decline of 5.6% in private housing repair and maintenance in the three months to February 2020, the largest decrease since October 2012.

The data was collected prior to the Covid-19 outbreak and the results are largely unaffected by its impacts.

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Brian Berry, chief executive of FMB, said: “Repair and maintenance plummeted during a wet winter, and builders have not had the opportunity to revive workloads due to the coronavirus lockdown.

He added that further government help was needed to get the construction sector through the crisis.

“The government must ramp up its support for builders by allowing directors of small limited companies to use their dividend payments in their Job Retention Scheme claims.

“A cash grant mechanism to get builders through this tough time should also be developed, and all financial schemes must come online as soon as possible.”