Despite ongoing concerns over economic fragility, geopolitical upheavals and even the legacy of Brexit, the financial health of the UK’s 100 leading construction firms appears to be improving. The challenges that remain are real, however, and in particular, the spectre of project delays is already looming. Steve Menary reports.
This year’s review of the Top 100 UK contractors is based on an analysis of the companies’ financial results filed up until the end of June 2025. A cursory glance at the main runners and riders reveals few surprises: Balfour Beatty returns to its customary number one position (having been elbowed into second place by Morgan Sindall last year) and the usual suspects – Kier, Wates, Laing O’Rourke, Mace etc – are still clustered at the top of the table.
Data compiled by Company Watch.
Latest Rank By Turnover
Latest Rank By Profit
Company
Reporting Period
Latest Turnover (£m)
Previous Turnover (£m)
Change (%)
Latest Pre-tax Profit (£m)
Previous Pre-tax Profit (£m)
Latest Margin
Previous Margin
1
1
BALFOUR BEATTY
Dec-24
8,234.00
7,993.00
3
214
244
2.6
3.1
2
2
MORGAN SINDALL GROUP
Dec-24
4,546.20
4,117.70
10.4
171.9
143.9
3.8
3.5
3
8
KIER GROUP
Jun-24
3,905.10
3,380.70
15.5
68.1
51.9
1.7
1.5
4
95
LAING O’ROURKE
Mar-24
2,394.50
2,034.90
17.7
-19.3
-188.3
-0.8
-9.3
5
5
MACE
Dec-23
2,356.80
1,936.50
21.7
85.4
51
3.6
2.6
6
76
WATES GROUP
Dec-24
2,296.30
2,101.90
9.2
2.6
44.9
0.1
2.1
7
25
M GROUP (SERVICES)
Mar-24
2,196.00
1,864.60
17.8
23.9
1.3
1.1
0.1
8
88
VINCI CONSTRUCTION HOLDING
Dec-23
2,125.50
1,655.00
28.4
-6.4
-14.3
-0.3
-0.9
9
3
TARMAC TRADING
Dec-23
2,006.90
1,996.40
0.5
168.1
125.9
8.4
6.3
10
4
AMEY UK
Dec-24
1,876.80
1,836.20
2.2
126.7
97
6.8
5.3
11
19
GALLIFORD TRY HOLDINGS
Jun-24
1,772.80
1,393.70
27.2
30.9
10.1
1.7
0.7
12
16
VOLKERWESSELS UK
Dec-23
1,433.10
1,348.80
6.3
38.6
37.7
2.7
2.8
13
9
J MURPHY & SONS
Dec-23
1,383.80
1,482.90
-6.7
66.8
44.6
4.8
3
14
7
BOWMER AND KIRKLAND
Aug-24
1,290.90
1,242.40
3.9
68.7
53.4
5.3
4.3
15
6
SKANSKA UK
Dec-24
1,270.10
1,328.60
-4.4
77.8
27.3
6.1
2.1
16
17
COSTAIN GROUP
Dec-24
1,251.10
1,332.00
-6.1
36.5
30.9
2.9
2.3
17
10
BAM NUTTALL
Dec-23
1,214.70
1,068.50
13.7
64.4
4.1
5.3
0.4
18
13
WILLMOTT DIXON HOLDINGS
Dec-24
1,156.50
1,172.10
-1.3
46.8
-14.4
4.1
-1.2
19
40
JOHN GRAHAM HOLDINGS
Mar-24
1,124.70
1,093.70
2.8
14.8
15.1
1.3
1.4
20
91
BAM CONSTRUCT & VENTURES UK
Dec-23
1,071.10
982.3
9
-11.1
14.6
-1
1.5
21
11
RENEW HOLDINGS
Sep-24
1,009.00
921.5
9.5
60.2
58.1
6
6.3
22
36
WINVIC GROUP
Jan-24
958.8
1,217.40
-21.2
18.9
10.5
2
0.9
23
45
SIR ROBERT MCALPINE
Oct-24
940.1
880.6
6.8
10.4
-104.6
1.1
-11.9
24
42
MCLAREN CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Jul-24
924
964.2
-4.2
11.9
6.4
1.3
0.7
25
99
EQUANS REGENERATION
Dec-23
907.7
926
-2
-38.9
-135.7
-4.3
-14.7
26
98
JRL GROUP HOLDINGS
Dec-23
826.1
761.3
8.5
-35.7
13.3
-4.3
1.8
27
90
ROBERTSON GROUP (HOLDINGS)
Jun-24
824.9
670.9
23
-9.7
16.3
-1.2
2.4
28
12
HILL HOLDINGS
Mar-24
806.6
636.5
26.7
56
65.6
7
10.3
29
35
MULTIPLEX CONSTRUCTION EUROPE
Dec-24
780
675.4
15.5
19.6
31
2.5
4.6
30
85
KELTBRAY GROUP
Oct-23
689
527.9
30.5
-1.2
3.2
-0.2
0.6
31
67
MCLAUGHLIN & HARVEY
Jun-24
664.3
460.4
44.3
5
-9.2
0.8
-2
32
38
NG BAILEY GROUP
Feb-25
661.7
600.1
10.3
17.7
10.7
2.7
1.8
33
15
OCU GROUP
Apr-24
610.6
454.5
34.4
43.8
46.2
7.2
10.2
34
28
DALKIA GROUP
Dec-23
607.2
720.9
-15.8
21.5
11.8
3.5
1.6
35
22
CADDICK GROUP
Aug-24
603.6
575
5
28.8
35.5
4.8
6.2
36
21
FM CONWAY (1)
Mar-24
579.8
535.3
8.3
29.4
15.5
5.1
2.9
37
41
FERROVIAL CONSTRUCTION (UK)
Dec-24
531.5
526.5
0.9
14.1
5.5
2.7
1
38
52
TILBURY DOUGLAS CONSTRUCTION
Dec-24
518.6
492.8
5.2
8.2
2.8
1.6
0.6
39
53
NORTHSTONE (NI)
Dec-23
512.5
540
-5.1
8.2
7.2
1.6
1.3
40
37
JN BENTLEY
De-24
510.2
388.3
31.4
18.8
13.5
3.7
3.5
41
39
MCALEER & RUSHE CONTRACTS UK
Dec-24
491.5
436.4
12.6
16
11
3.3
2.5
42
55
TCLARKE
Dec-23
491
426
15.3
7.6
10.3
1.6
2.4
43
94
BOVIS CONSTRUCTION (EUROPE)
Jun-24
471
509
-7.5
-16.4
11.9
-3.5
2.3
44
27
SEVERFIELD
Mar-24
463.5
491.8
-5.8
23
27.1
5
5.5
45
31
OGILVIE GROUP
Jun-24
460.9
377
22.2
20.9
16.4
4.5
4.3
46
49
STRUCTURETONE INTERNATIONAL
Dec-24
434.8
284.6
52.7
9.2
4.7
2.1
1.7
47
81
READIE CONSTRUCTION
Mar-23
421.1
345
22.1
1.7
5.5
0.4
1.6
48
14
FP MCCANN GROUP
Dec-24
415.3
415.8
-0.1
46.1
41.9
11.1
10.1
49
69
GLENCAR CONSTRUCTION
Sep-24
400.3
400.6
-0.1
4.7
3.4
1.2
0.9
Latest Rank By Turnover
Latest Rank By Profit
Company
Reporting Period
Latest Turnover (£m)
Previous Turnover (£m)
Change (%)
Latest Pre-tax Profit (£m)
Previous Pre-tax Profit (£m)
Latest Margin
Previous Margin
50
57
ARAGLIN HOLDINGS
Sep-24
389.7
402.5
-3.2
6.5
0.7
1.7
0.2
51
48
HG CONSTRUCTION
Dec-24
386.8
424.3
-8.8
9.5
6.4
2.5
1.5
52
43
MV KELLY
May-24
385.2
420.1
-8.3
11.8
27.1
3.1
6.5
53
33
CLANCY GROUP HOLDINGS
Mar-24
378.5
334.5
13.2
20.9
13.5
5.5
4
54
97
INTEGRAL UK
Dec-23
362.4
351.6
3.1
-31.7
-14.5
-8.7
-4.1
55
84
WATKIN JONES
Sep-24
362
413.2
-12.4
-0.31
-42.5
-0.1
-10.3
56
30
EMCOR GROUP (UK)
Dec-24
333
350.9
-5.1
21.1
24
6.3
6.8
57
20
HENRY BOOT
Dec-24
328.4
359.4
-8.6
30.7
37.3
9.3
10.4
58
100
BOUYGUES (UK)
Dec-23
325.6
382.6
-14.9
-62.1
-41.9
-19.1
-11
59
63
WILLIAM HARE GROUP
Dec-23
315.5
248.3
27.1
5.8
-0.9
1.8
-0.3
60
92
ARDMORE CONSTRUCTION
Sep-23
313.1
415.4
-24.6
-14.1
2.8
-4.5
0.7
61
29
OHOB HOLDINGS
Mar-24
313
348.3
-10.1
21.1
20.3
6.7
5.8
62
96
UNITED LIVING GROUP
Mar-24
301.7
280.4
7.6
-26.4
0.5
-8.8
0.2
63
47
TSL
Dec-23
296.7
455.3
-34.9
9.9
6.8
3.3
1.5
64
44
PHOENIX ME
Sep-24
295.3
170.2
73.5
10.7
7.4
3.6
4.4
65
70
OCTAVIUS INFRASTRUCTURE
Mar-24
276.7
215.4
28.4
4.7
3.9
1.7
1.8
66
54
STORY CONTRACTING HOLDINGS
Mar-24
274.8
226.8
21.2
7.9
2.7
2.9
1.2
67
24
CCG (SCOTLAND)
Mar-24
273
243.3
12.2
26.2
17.1
9.6
7
68
71
BRIGGS & FORRESTER GROUP
Oct-24
271.6
212.5
27.8
4.6
2.7
1.7
1.3
69
93
COLAS
Dec-23
267.6
244.2
9.6
-15.3
-2.2
-5.7
-0.9
70
18
HW MARTIN HOLDINGS
Jul-24
267.2
247.8
7.8
32.5
8.2
12.2
3.3
71
59
RENAKER BUILD
Oct-24
265.4
229.1
15.8
6.3
5
2.4
2.2
72
32
FORTH HOLDCO
Aug-24
265.4
233.5
13.6
20.9
13.6
7.9
5.8
73
80
GILBERT-ASH
Dec-23
262.8
262.4
0.2
1.9
4.3
0.7
1.6
74
79
GRATTE BROTHERS GROUP
Mar-24
262.2
250.2
4.8
1.9
2
0.7
0.8
75
75
ESH HOLDINGS
Dec-23
260.6
260.9
-0.1
3.1
2
1.2
0.8
76
51
ERITH HOLDINGS
Sep-24
255.5
227.1
12.5
8.4
5.1
3.3
2.3
77
23
AXIS EUROPE
Mar-24
249.5
244.3
2.1
27.5
21.2
11
8.7
78
60
DODD GROUP HOLDINGS
Mar-24
249.4
206.7
20.7
6.3
4.1
2.5
2
79
65
SDC (HOLDINGS)
Sep-24
247.7
229.6
7.9
5.4
4.2
2.2
1.8
80
62
BW WORKPLACE EXPERTS
Dec-24
244
200.1
21.9
5.8
2.7
2.4
1.3
81
82
GMI CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Sep-24
232.3
328.5
-29.3
1
0.9
0.5
0.3
82
61
ERIC WRIGHT GROUP
Dec-23
232.3
168
38.2
5.9
7.1
2.5
4.2
83
58
RG CARTER CONSTRUCTION
Dec-23
227.8
304.1
-25.1
6.3
1
2.8
0.3
84
86
ENERVEO
Mar-24
218.4
256.7
-14.9
-1.7
-10.2
-0.8
-4
85
46
LINDUM GROUP
Nov-24
198.8
186.2
6.8
10.3
8.1
5.2
4.4
86
66
EW BEARD
Dec-24
198.4
179.4
10.5
5.2
4.3
2.6
2.4
87
78
RGCM
Dec-23
198.1
223.4
-11.4
1.9
1.3
1
0.6
88
87
STRABAG UK
Dec-24
196.9
135.1
45.8
-4.8
15.9
-2.4
11.8
89
83
HIGGINS GROUP
Jul-24
195
144.2
35.3
0.3
-25.8
0.1
-17.9
90
89
DURKAN HOLDINGS
Nov-24
191.9
171.7
11.7
-7.5
-3.9
-3.9
-2.3
91
73
NOVUS PROPERTY SOLUTIONS
Dec-24
191.8
173.1
10.8
3.4
0.9
1.8
0.5
92
77
MICHAEL J LONSDALE
Sep-22
191.2
176.2
8.5
2.5
2.7
1.3
1.5
93
34
STANMORE CONTRACTORS
Mar-24
189.8
138.9
36.6
19.7
8.2
10.4
5.9
94
68
TIDE CONSTRUCTION
Aug-24
187.1
197.2
-5.1
4.9
7.1
2.6
3.6
95
74
SHERRYGREEN
Mar-24
175.8
206.8
-15
3.1
10.6
1.8
5.1
96
56
BYRNE GROUP
Jun-24
170.6
191.3
-10.8
7.4
6.8
4.3
3.5
97
50
BARHALE
Jun-24
169.4
124.9
35.6
9
4.5
5.3
3.6
98
64
ONE GROUP CONSTRUCTION
Dec-23
166.8
164.5
1.4
5.5
7.1
3.3
4.3
99
72
J COFFEY CONSTRUCTION
Sep-23
164.5
109.3
50.6
4.3
2.8
2.6
2.6
100
26
THOMAS ARMSTRONG (HOLDINGS)
Sep-23
162.7
159.5
2
23.9
20.4
14.7
12.8
Data compiled by Company Watch.