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UK SIC SP0.050 | Industry Report

Construction Contractors in the UK Industry Data and Analysis

MQ
Matthew Quail
Analyst London, United Kingdom December 2025

The Construction Contractors industry has rebounded following the pandemic's disruptive impacts. Revenue is expected to swell at a compound annual rate of 3% to £196.6 billion over the five years through 2025-26. A sharp expansion in infrastructure and construction activity has been benefitting the industry, with major projects like HS2, a rail project connecting the West Midlands to London and the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant project, providing high volumes of work. The public sector has been a key driver of industry revenue, amid high volatility in the private sector market in recent years because of economic headwinds, like high inflation. It has provided an array of opportunities, including the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, which runs from February 2021 to February 2026. With global economic headwinds subsiding and interest rates falling, with the Bank of England's rate cut to 4% in August 2025, the private sector's confidence is gradually recovering. With renewed confidence from the private sector market and the continued orders from the public sector, industry revenue is expected to climb by 1% in 2025-26.

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What's included in this industry analysis

IBISWorld's research coverage on the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released December 2025.

About this industry

What's this industry report about?

The Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom operates under the SIC industry code SP0.050. This industry includes contractors operating across the building construction and civil engineering markets, whereby companies receive remuneration for completing new building and infrastructure construction, repair and maintenance contracts. The industry excludes specialist trades, property and asset management, consultancy and building development solutions. Related terms covered in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom include private finance initiative (pfi) , public-private partnership (ppp) and procyclical.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom include Residential, Civils and Non-residential.

What companies are included in this industry?

Companies covered in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom include Morgan Sindall Group plc, Balfour Beatty Group Ltd and Barratt Redrow plc.

Performance

What's included in the Performance chapter?

The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom.

Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.

Products & Markets

What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?

The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom.

Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.

Geographic Breakdown

What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?

The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom.

Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.

Competitive Forces

What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?

The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.

Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.

Companies

What's included in the Companies chapter?

The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.

Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.

External Environment

What's included in the External Environment chapter?

The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.

Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.

Financial Benchmarks

What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?

The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.

Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.

Industry Data

What's included in the Industry Data chapter?

The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom in 2026?

The market size of the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom is £196.6bn in 2026.

How many businesses are there in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

There are 98,104 businesses in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom?

The Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom?

The Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 3.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom?

The biggest companies operating in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom are Morgan Sindall Group plc, Balfour Beatty Group Ltd and Barratt Redrow plc

What does the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom include?

Civils and Residential are part of the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom?

The company holding the most market share in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom is Morgan Sindall Group plc.

How competitive is the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Construction Contractors industry in the United Kingdom.

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