Top 10 Construction Companies in the UK 2026

Cranes are once again dotting the skyline. Order books are fuller than they’ve been for years. And the biggest firms are pulling further ahead.

Balfour Beatty alone had a £22.9bn order book in August 2026, while Laing O’Rourke and Wates both reported the biggest order books in their histories this year. Power grids, hospitals, prisons, nuclear plants and data centers are feeding a pipeline that stretches well into the next decade.

That’s not the whole story, though. Margins in UK contracting remain slender, and rising costs are squeezing smaller firms further down the supply chain. That makes the choice of main contractor more important than ever for clients, investors and suppliers.

We’ve ranked each company on scale, financial strength, order book and 2026 pipeline, using the latest results and The Construction Index Top 100 for 2026. This guide looks at the top 10 construction companies in the UK for 2026, what each one is best known for and how to choose the right one to work with.

Why the Top 10 Construction Companies in the UK Matter for Businesses

They Carry the Country’s Biggest Programs

Nuclear new build, power transmission upgrades, the New Hospital Programme and the New Prisons Programme mostly pass through a small group of tier-one contractors. If your organization supplies, partners with or invests in these programs, these are the companies you’ll be working with.

Financial Strength Reduces Delivery Risk

The collapse of ISG in 2024 was a sharp reminder that a contractor’s balance sheet is just as important as its portfolio. Most firms on this list now report healthy net cash, which gives clients confidence that projects will be seen through to completion.

Framework Access Speeds Up Procurement

Public bodies increasingly buy construction through frameworks such as the Department for Education’s £15.4bn CF25 framework. The leading contractors hold places on many of these, so they can often mobilize faster than a business that has to tender from scratch.

They Set the Standard on Safety and Sustainability

Large contractors are also investing in offsite manufacturing, digital design and carbon reduction. Those methods can raise standards across the entire supply chain.

Top 10 Construction Companies in the UK at a Glance

Rank	Company	Core segment	Key 2026 figure
1	Balfour Beatty	Infrastructure, building, power	£22.9bn order book (HY 2026)
2	Morgan Sindall Group	Fit-out, construction, regeneration	£2.56bn half-year revenue (HY 2026)
3	Kier Group	Infrastructure, construction, property	£4.39bn revenue (FY26)
4	Laing O’Rourke	Complex engineering, offsite manufacturing	£17.2bn record order book (FY26)
5	Mace	Major building projects	Debt-free after March 2026 demerger
6	Wates Group	Building, fit-out, property services	£2.56bn turnover (2025)
7	VINCI UK	Highways, civil engineering, building	£2.9bn revenue (2025)
8	Galliford Try	Building, infrastructure, highways	£1.93bn revenue (FY26)
9	Amey	Transport infrastructure, facilities	£7.8bn forward order book
10	Keller Group	Geotechnical specialist	£1.9bn record order book (HY 2026)

Top 10 Construction Companies in the UK (2026)

Here is our ranked list, with the latest verified figures for each contractor.

1. Balfour Beatty

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in London, Balfour Beatty is the largest contractor in the country by some distance. It topped The Construction Index Top 100 for 2026 with turnover of £9.49bn for 2025, ranking first on profit too. The group works across the UK, the US and Hong Kong, building and maintaining roads, rail, power networks and major buildings.

Balfour Beatty came into the second half of 2026 in strong financial shape. Revenue rose to £5.56bn in the six months to June 26, 2026, underlying profit from operations increased to £119m and the order book reached £22.9bn, up from £19.5bn a year earlier. Growth in UK power transmission and its US buildings business drove the top line, and the company raised its full-year guidance. Chief executive Philip Hoare leads a portfolio that includes Hinkley Point C.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Major civil engineering and transport infrastructure
✔ Power transmission and energy projects
✔ Building construction in the UK and US
✔ Infrastructure investment and asset support

Best for: Clients delivering national-scale infrastructure that needs deep engineering capacity.

2. Morgan Sindall Group

London-based Morgan Sindall Group traces its roots to 1977 and, with 2025 turnover of £5.02bn, is now the UK’s second-largest contractor. Its five divisions, Fit Out, Construction, Infrastructure, Partnership Housing and Mixed Use Partnerships, give it a spread few rivals can match.

In the half year to June 30, 2026, revenue rose 8% to £2.56bn and adjusted pre-tax profit climbed 21% to £116.1m, with £418m of net cash. The secured order book stood at £12.2bn, rising to £19.5bn including preferred bidder work. Fit Out is working on large London office schemes for HSBC and PwC, Construction was reappointed to the DfE’s £15.4bn CF25 framework, and Infrastructure is mobilizing on the £2.9bn Sellafield Infrastructure Delivery Partnership. The group raised its medium-term targets in July 2026. John Morgan is group chief executive.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Office fit-out and refurbishment
✔ Education, health and public sector building
✔ Nuclear, rail and water infrastructure
✔ Mixed-tenure housing and urban regeneration

Best for: Public and private clients that want one group covering building, fit-out and regeneration.

3. Kier Group

Kier Group started out as a concrete engineering specialist in 1928 and today builds and maintains roads, rail, water and energy networks, as well as schools, hospitals and prisons. Headquartered in Salford, it ranks third in The Construction Index Top 100 and holds framework places worth around £200bn in total.

Kier’s results for the year to June 30, 2026 were strong. Revenue rose 7.5% to £4.39bn, adjusted operating profit increased 6.7% to £169.8m and year-end net cash rose to £232.4m. The order book hit a record £11.9bn. Its 2026 work includes the North Plaza at Sizewell C, the first £200m tranche of the STEP fusion energy program, the c.£500m Hinchingbrooke hospital redevelopment and HMP Glasgow. Kier also secured a £968m National Highways concrete roads framework and a £700m Norfolk Highways contract. Stuart Togwell is chief executive.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Highways, rail and water infrastructure
✔ Nuclear and energy construction
✔ Healthcare, justice and education buildings
✔ Long-term maintenance and property services

Best for: Government and regulated-sector clients with long-term infrastructure programs.

4. Laing O’Rourke

Formed in 2001 and based in Dartford, Laing O’Rourke is one of the largest privately owned construction businesses in the UK. It operates in the UK and Australia, specializes in complex projects and is known for a manufacturing-led model that uses offsite production to build faster and with more certainty.

Its FY26 results, published in July 2026, showed strong growth. Pre-exceptional EBIT rose 42% to £157.7m, gross margin improved to 9.7% and net cash rose 60% to £456.8m. The order book reached a record £17.2bn, equal to more than four years of revenue. In the UK, the firm completed the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities for the University of Oxford, began Oxford North for Stanhope and won two new data center contracts. Cathal O’Rourke is Group CEO.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Complex building and civil engineering
✔ Offsite manufacturing and digital engineering
✔ Science, education and data center facilities
✔ Transport and rail infrastructure

Best for: Clients with technically demanding, high-value projects that benefit from offsite delivery.

5. Mace

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in London, Mace is behind some of the UK’s best-known buildings, including The Shard, the London Eye and the redevelopment of Battersea Power Station. For 2024, Mace Group reported record turnover of £2.79bn, of which its construction business contributed £2.1bn.

2026 has been a year of change for Mace. On March 5, 2026, it completed the demerger and sale of its consultancy business, Mace Consult, in which Goldman Sachs Alternatives had invested. Mace Group is now an entirely construction-focused business, describes itself as the UK’s sixth-largest contractor and second-largest privately owned contractor, and is debt-free after shareholders reinvested the proceeds. Recent projects include 40 Leadenhall Street and the Gatwick Pier 6 extension. Jason Millett is chief executive and Mark Reynolds is executive chair.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Landmark commercial and residential towers
✔ Aviation and transport buildings
✔ Science and life sciences facilities
✔ Construction management for complex sites

Best for: Developers delivering high-profile buildings in London and other major cities.

6. Wates Group

Family-owned since 1897 and headquartered in Leatherhead, Wates Group is one of the UK’s largest privately owned construction, development and property services businesses. It has nearly 6,000 employees and works across building, fit-out, residential and property maintenance.

Wates published record results in April 2026. Turnover reached a best-ever £2.56bn for 2025, statutory pre-tax profit was £29.2m and net cash of £248.3m was the highest in its history. Its order book stood at a record £10bn, up £1.3bn year on year, and the group has now been profitable for 26 years running. Current projects include more than 6,000 new prison places under the Ministry of Justice’s New Prisons Programme, the AESC UK gigafactory in Sunderland and the refurbishment of Victoria Tower on the parliamentary estate. Eoghan O’Lionaird is chief executive.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Public sector and justice construction
✔ Commercial fit-out and refurbishment
✔ Residential development and regeneration
✔ Planned maintenance and property services

Best for: Public bodies and corporates that value a stable, family-owned contractor.

7. VINCI UK

VINCI UK is the British arm of France’s VINCI group, which ranks among the biggest construction companies in the world. After a restructuring, its UK businesses, including Taylor Woodrow, Eurovia, Ringway, VINCI Building, VINCI Facilities and FM Conway, now sit under one holding structure. FM Conway was acquired in January 2025.

The combined UK business reported revenue of £2.9bn for 2025, up almost a fifth, while pre-tax profit rose 51% to just under £100m. Headcount reached almost 9,000, boosted by FM Conway, which added £569m of revenue. Ringway and Taylor Woodrow also made bigger contributions, and chief executive Scott Wardrop has outlined plans to improve margins further in 2026.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Highways maintenance and surfacing
✔ Civil engineering and tunneling
✔ Building construction and facilities management
✔ Road materials and infrastructure services

Best for: Local authorities and infrastructure owners that need highways and civil engineering at scale.

8. Galliford Try

London-listed Galliford Try specializes in building, infrastructure and highways work for public and regulated clients. Since selling its housebuilding businesses in 2020, it has focused on lower-risk work, much of it secured through long-term frameworks.

In the year to June 30, 2026, revenue rose 3% to £1.93bn and adjusted pre-tax profit grew 24.2% to £55.9m. The order book grew to £4.3bn, net cash stood at £259m and the company had no drawn bank debt or pension liabilities. Recent wins include a place on the £9.5bn Crescent Purchasing Consortium framework, a £3bn affordable homes framework with The Hyde Group, a place on the DfE’s £15.4bn CF25 framework and a £110m River Mease project for Severn Trent Water. About 90% of expected FY2027 revenue is already secured. Bill Hocking is chief executive.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Education, health and defense buildings
✔ Water and environmental infrastructure
✔ Highways and road schemes
✔ Affordable housing through partnerships

Best for: Public sector clients that want a financially conservative, framework-led contractor.

9. Amey

Founded in 1921 and headquartered in London, Amey is a leading provider of engineering, operations and maintenance services for the UK’s transport networks and complex facilities. It has been owned by Buckthorn Partners and One Equity Partners since leaving Ferrovial at the end of 2022, and employs close to 11,000 people.

Amey’s turnover was £1.88bn for 2024, according to The Construction Index. Its most recent annual results showed pre-tax profit up 31% to £127m and a forward order book of £7.8bn. It plays a key role on the £800m Transpennine Route Upgrade, holds Network Rail Eastern Routes frameworks and runs the Docklands Light Railway through KeolisAmey. In March 2026, it won a Network Rail design role on the Leeds-Sheffield corridor, part of Northern Powerhouse Rail. Andy Milner is chief executive.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Rail and highways engineering
✔ Infrastructure operations and maintenance
✔ Justice and defense facilities management
✔ Engineering consultancy and design

Best for: Transport and public sector clients needing whole-life asset support rather than one-off builds.

10. Keller Group

Founded in 1860 and also headquartered in London, Keller Group is the world’s largest geotechnical specialist contractor. It handles the ground engineering beneath buildings and infrastructure, from piling and ground improvement to earth retention, and its roughly 10,000 staff across five continents carry out about 5,500 projects a year.

Keller had an excellent first half of 2026. Revenue grew 11.1% at constant currency to £1.61bn, underlying operating profit rose 17.1% to £117.9m and the order book hit a record £1.9bn. Annual revenue is around £3bn, and the balance sheet is close to debt-free, with net debt of just £15.9m. Infrastructure and data center projects are driving growth, and the group launched a £100m share buyback in March 2026. James Wroath is chief executive.

Key Construction Solutions
✔ Piling and foundations
✔ Ground improvement and grouting
✔ Earth retention and anchoring
✔ Geotechnical design and monitoring

Best for: Contractors and developers facing difficult ground conditions or heavy foundation work.

How to Choose the Right Construction Partner in the UK

Check the Balance Sheet First

Look at net cash, recent profits and the latest annual report before you put pen to paper. A contractor with strong cash and a steady order book is far less likely to leave you with a half-built project.

Match Their Experience to Your Sector

One contractor might excel at highways but be the wrong choice for a hospital or a data center. Ask to see recent, comparable projects.

Look at Framework Positions

If you are a public body, check which frameworks a contractor already holds. It can save you months of procurement and give you a partner that has already been vetted.

Ask About Offsite and Digital Methods

Offsite manufacturing and digital design can reduce program times and improve quality. Find out how much of your project could be built in a factory rather than on site.

Review Safety and Sustainability Records

Ask for accident rates, carbon reduction targets and social value commitments. The top 10 construction companies in the UK publish this data, and smaller firms should be able to provide it too.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Top 10 Construction Companies in the UK

Which is the largest construction company in the UK in 2026?

Balfour Beatty is the largest by turnover, with £9.49bn for 2025, and it ranked first in The Construction Index Top 100 for 2026. Morgan Sindall Group and Kier Group complete the top three.

How were the top 10 construction companies in the UK chosen?

We assessed each firm’s turnover, profit, order book, financial strength and 2026 project pipeline, using company results and industry rankings. Keller was included as a leading specialist. No company paid to appear on this list.

Are UK construction companies financially stable in 2026?

The largest contractors are in better shape than they’ve been for years. Order books are strong, and Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke, Wates and Kier all report healthy net cash. Margins are still tight across the industry, however, and smaller firms continue to struggle with rising costs.

Which company is the best choice for my project?

There isn’t one contractor that will be best for every client or project. Your sector, budget, location and risk appetite will decide which firm is right, so compare a shortlist on recent comparable work, financial strength and framework access.

Conclusion

The top 10 construction companies in the UK are heading into 2027 in good shape, with full order books and healthier balance sheets than they had a few years ago. Energy, health, justice and data center projects are keeping them busy.

For clients, that means plenty of capable firms to choose from, but also more competition for their attention. Do your research on finances, sector experience and delivery methods, and you’ll find a contractor among the top 10 construction companies in the UK that suits your project.