Growing a construction company (Groundworks)

[C722]

Looking to grow a small groundworks company I help run, how is best to gain bigger contracts? We have the staff and cash flow now to take on some bigger projects, just unsure of how to approach it! Up until now it has mostly been word of mouth, but for relatively small contracts of up to £100k.

Any advice most welcome.

[Frimley111R]

Amazed no-one has replied here!

What type of contracts/work are you looking for?

[Rob.]

Do you have any clients you're doing repeat work for?

[Tin Hat]

Do you keep an eye on planning applications that are submitted to the LA, they tend to be on a portal?

[DaveA8]

I think it is very macro dependent, among the big users of.
Groundwork’s are house builders and infrastructure type contractors, the decision I guess is whether to try to go direct and have all the associated work of applying or be a subbie to a larger operator but that has credit risks. In 2018 I knew someone who had 15 lorries and worked almost exclusively for a larger operator, he didn’t tell me all details but he seemed happy to have continued work.
I know HS2 keeps a lot of them busy near us but I see a lot of small operators on it and I think they can’t all be direct.

[tleefox]

Whereabouts are you?

[C722]

Tin Hat said:

Do you keep an eye on planning applications that are submitted to the LA, they tend to be on a portal?

Thanks for the replies so far.

I have looked into Glenigans, Barbour etc for the planning side, but it is a a huge cost and they’re very pushy. Would be great to get in with some smaller developers though.

In terms what of what I’d like to move into, would be groundworks packages for small developments (say up to 8 plots), sub contracting (where viable) to larger contractors. It is frustrating as we have the labour, skills and cash flow to do it, just not the contacts!

We are based in Bristol.

[Vincecj]

C722 said:

Tin Hat said:

Do you keep an eye on planning applications that are submitted to the LA, they tend to be on a portal?

Thanks for the replies so far.

I have looked into Glenigans, Barbour etc for the planning side, but it is a a huge cost and they’re very pushy. Would be great to get in with some smaller developers though.

In terms what of what I’d like to move into, would be groundworks packages for small developments (say up to 8 plots), sub contracting (where viable) to larger contractors. It is frustrating as we have the labour, skills and cash flow to do it, just not the contacts!

We are based in Bristol.

Have you considered visiting your local BNI group?

[Slowboathome]

Are you registered with an of the public sector tendering sites?

[tleefox]

Vincecj said:

Have you considered visiting your local BNI group?

Don’t bother with this - they are utterly useless for the construction sector unless you are a one man band who wants to do house extensions for Mrs Jones.

I own a main contractor in Bristol - from my position there are 2/3 freelance estimators in and around Bristol who specialise in groundworks. We approach them directly and they decide which of the clients they deal with are best placed to be put forward for the relevant project, and will then deal with all of the pricing for them. The guys I am thinking of are very well connected so may be a good option for you, especially if you are in a position where you may need help with pricing works anyway?

[Equus]

Tin Hat said:

Do you keep an eye on planning applications that are submitted to the LA, they tend to be on a portal?

Handy tip:

If you see my company's name on the application, cold calling us is the best way you have of making sure we blacklist you permanently.

I know I'm not alone in that.

We fking HATE the sort of fking ambulance-chasing s who bombard us with cold calls every time we submit a Planning application.

[greygoose]

Equus said:

Tin Hat said:

Do you keep an eye on planning applications that are submitted to the LA, they tend to be on a portal?

Handy tip:

If you see my company's name on the application, cold calling us is the best way you have of making sure we blacklist you permanently.

I know I'm not alone in that.

We fking HATE the sort of fking ambulance-chasing s who bombard us with cold calls every time we submit a Planning application.

How would you advise the OP to get a chance of work with you?

[Equus]

greygoose said:

How would you advise the OP to get a chance of work with you?

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

[C722]

tleefox said:

Don’t bother with this - they are utterly useless for the construction sector unless you are a one man band who wants to do house extensions for Mrs Jones.

I own a main contractor in Bristol - from my position there are 2/3 freelance estimators in and around Bristol who specialise in groundworks. We approach them directly and they decide which of the clients they deal with are best placed to be put forward for the relevant project, and will then deal with all of the pricing for them. The guys I am thinking of are very well connected so may be a good option for you, especially if you are in a position where you may need help with pricing works anyway?

Sounds interesting, would you mind passing their details on, and maybe I could have a chat with them? Thanks

[FrankAbagnale]

C722 said:

I have looked into Glenigans, Barbour etc for the planning side, but it is a a huge cost and they’re very pushy.

Try LandInsight, Searchland, LandStack etc

Not sure how much they charge these days but I don't think planning alerts would cost too much and you could probs get a free trial to see if it works. Or, search all previous applications for the last 5 years for developments sizes you're interested in and build a list of developers while on the free trial - can contact them over time/make an intro for when needed.

[Vincecj]

tleefox said:

Vincecj said:

Have you considered visiting your local BNI group?

Don’t bother with this - they are utterly useless for the construction sector unless you are a one man band who wants to do house extensions for Mrs Jones.

I own a main contractor in Bristol - from my position there are 2/3 freelance estimators in and around Bristol who specialise in groundworks. We approach them directly and they decide which of the clients they deal with are best placed to be put forward for the relevant project, and will then deal with all of the pricing for them. The guys I am thinking of are very well connected so may be a good option for you, especially if you are in a position where you may need help with pricing works anyway?

When I was in BNI, I passed a referral to the groundworker in the group to do some drainage work on an airfield. £60,000+ worth of work.

[greygoose]

Equus said:

greygoose said:

How would you advise the OP to get a chance of work with you?

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

If you need help in disposing of my body then OP can assist…..

[Digga]

greygoose said:

Equus said:

greygoose said:

How would you advise the OP to get a chance of work with you?

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

If you need help in disposing of my body then OP can assist…..

FWIW housebuilders don't like topsoil, let alone anything remotely resembling organic matter in any of their landscaping. Just compacted soil, rocks, brick ends and the odd discarded digger track.

[sider]

tleefox said:

Don’t bother with this - they are utterly useless for the construction sector unless you are a one man band who wants to do house extensions for Mrs Jones.

I own a main contractor in Bristol - from my position there are 2/3 freelance estimators in and around Bristol who specialise in groundworks. We approach them directly and they decide which of the clients they deal with are best placed to be put forward for the relevant project, and will then deal with all of the pricing for them. The guys I am thinking of are very well connected so may be a good option for you, especially if you are in a position where you may need help with pricing works anyway?

I'm a Freelance Estimator - but based in the NW. I know a good groundworks Estimator in the SW quite well too (SW are his initials - reckon you may have heard of him).

Civils is my biggest area of work, and in particular heavy Civils - infrastructure, environment, power etc. But my 2nd biggest work-stream is groundworks - projects for firms turning over up to and around £1.5m a year, with projects typically from say £100k to £500k.

At present, i'd suggest avoiding the house-builders. It's a really busy market at times. Some of the big house-building civils firms up North are turning over £50m+ per year, from a single office with a fleet of hired JCBs and Ford Transit Customs, but it's all volume-based - you'd be shocked at how low some of the rates are! I, and my clients, find the regional contractors to be decent enough work-streams and i've got some up in the NW where i'm based, as well as Clients in Yorkshire and also down into the East and West Midlands. Once you're in with them, and do a decent job, they tend to stick with you and give fair opportunities. It's just getting in there i suppose. I use Construction Enquirer league tables to see who's doing what and the say middle group therein, say places 25-75, just take a look at those working in your area. Also then, tap up merchants etc. One of my Midlands clients has become very pally with a plastering contractor in his mutual frustration over a client, and they share contacts all the time and really help each other out now.

A Client of mine regularly follows wagons around to see where they're dropping stone off at and who the main contractor is there.

Drop me a message if you want a chat on the phone sometime. I'm not necessarily chasing work either here - i'm busy to be honest and most other QS/Estimators i know are in the same boat. Unfortunately, we can't always plan our workload well - i can literally tell my wife on a Friday that 'next week is looking quiet but i've got enough to keep me going until Wednesday' and by Saturday afternoon have 5 or 6 tender landed in my email box and wanting pricing in the next week or two, meaning i'm working til daft a clock - like now! Albeit last week was month-end and the knock-on isn't good!

Edited by sider on Monday 3rd July 23:47

[Terminator X]

Equus said:

Tin Hat said:

Do you keep an eye on planning applications that are submitted to the LA, they tend to be on a portal?

Handy tip:

If you see my company's name on the application, cold calling us is the best way you have of making sure we blacklist you permanently.

I know I'm not alone in that.

We fking HATE the sort of fking ambulance-chasing s who bombard us with cold calls every time we submit a Planning application.

Blacklisting, how very 1970's.

TX.