07 — Trades
General Contracting
Where you want a delivered result rather than supplied labour — fit-out, refurbishment, MEP works and maintenance contracts, run by our own supervisors.
- Lead time
- Priced per scope
- Roles
- 5
- Coverage
- Kingdom-wide
When contracting is the right call, and when it is not
These are two genuinely different arrangements and choosing the wrong one is expensive, so it is worth being blunt about the difference.
Manpower supply: we provide documented, tested workers. You direct them. You own the result, the programme and the rectification. It is cheaper per man, and it works well when you already have supervision on site.
General contracting: we own the result. Scope, programme, supervision, quality and rectification sit with us, and you approve against a defined completion. It costs more per man and removes a management burden.
If you have a site engineer with capacity, supply is usually better value. If you do not, contracting is usually cheaper in the end, because unsupervised labour on a scope nobody owns is the most expensive arrangement there is.
What we take on
- Fit-out and refurbishment — offices, retail units, hospitality interiors
- MEP installation and modification — where it sits inside a fit-out scope
- Civil and finishing works — blockwork, plaster, screed, tiling, painting
- Facility maintenance contracts — rolling scopes with a defined call-out response
We self-perform these with our own crews. Where a scope needs a specialist we do not hold, we tell you at tender rather than subcontracting quietly and adding a margin.
How we price and how variations work
Contracting work is priced against a scope and a bill, not a day rate. You receive the scope, the programme and the price before anything starts.
Variations are agreed in writing before the work happens. A variation that appears for the first time at final account is a dispute, not a variation, and we would rather have the awkward conversation in week two than in month six.
Supervision
Every contracting scope has a named site supervisor who is accountable for it. You get a name and a number, not a rotating contact. That single detail is the most common failure point in this market and it is the cheapest one to fix.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between your contracting and your manpower supply?
With manpower supply you direct the workers and own the result. With contracting we own the result — scope, programme, supervision and rectification sit with us, and you approve against a defined completion. Contracting costs more per man and removes the management burden. Which one is right depends on whether you have supervision capacity.
Do you self-perform or subcontract?
We self-perform with our own supervised crews for the trades listed here. Where a scope needs a specialist we do not hold, we say so at tender rather than subcontracting quietly and marking it up.
Will you take on maintenance contracts rather than one-off projects?
Yes. Rolling maintenance contracts suit us well because the crew learns the building. These are usually priced as a fixed monthly figure with a defined call-out response, plus agreed rates for work outside the scope.
How do you price contracting work?
Against a scope and a priced bill, not a day rate. You get the scope, programme and price before we start, and variations are agreed in writing before the work happens rather than appearing at final account.
Send the requirement. You get a written quotation back.
Tell us the trade, the headcount, the duration and the site. You get availability, a rate and a mobilization date — not a callback to discuss having a call.