What Construction Testing Solutions does

Construction Testing Solutions (CTS) is a UK-based Testing, Inspection, Certification and Compliance (TICC) provider serving the construction and infrastructure sectors. Founded in 2006 with operational roots dating to 1989 (NDT Flexitec), CTS operates a national network of 11+ UKAS-accredited laboratories and field-based teams across 10+ UK sites. The company is part of Phenna Group's Infrastructure Division following its 2022 acquisition by Oakley Capital, having previously been backed by Palatine Private Equity from 2018. Headcount is 471–500+ specialists as of April 2025.

The core offering is organised into four integrated service lines: Materials Testing (soils, aggregates, concrete, bituminous materials, earthworks, soil stabilisation, mobile laboratories, contaminated and chemical testing to BS EN, ISO, ASTM and Highway Works standards); Calibration Testing Solutions (UKAS-accredited calibration under ISO/IEC 17025); Structural & Pavement Investigation (pavement, bridges, buildings, utility coring, foundations, compliance testing); and Site Investigation (subsidence, trial pits, boreholes, in-situ testing, crack monitoring, drainage, drilling and sampling). The Infrastructure Division delivers approximately 3 million laboratory tests, 40,000+ core samples, and 208,000 km of road surveyed annually.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-by-project testing and inspection engagements sold via a direct sales-led GTM (field sales, key account management, estimation teams), supplemented by recurring calibration services from the Calibration Testing Solutions division. Customers span all UK construction sectors: commercial, residential, rail, roads, airports, tunnelling, mining, utilities, and infrastructure. CTS has expanded through a sustained M&A programme (Nicholls Colton, Silkstone Environmental, Mason Evans, GT Certification, Concept Engineering Consultants, In Situ Site Investigation, Card Geotechnics, Esseltest, Enverity, Newark Laboratory, Omega Calibration/Calibration Testing Solutions, RM Brown), positioning itself as a Top 10 UK Geoconsultancy and a multi-accredited national operator with no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Construction Testing Solutions

Legal name

Construction Testing Solutions Limited

Website

https://constructiontesting.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Construction Testing Solutions is a UK-based TICC provider delivering UKAS-accredited materials testing, structural and pavement investigation, calibration, and site investigation services to the construction and infrastructure sectors through 11+ laboratories and field-based teams nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Materials Testing

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus (3844)

akta.pro primary industry

Rolling Stock Testing, Inspection & Certification (NDT, commissioning, compliance) (TLAKAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

CT/X-ray & Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for AM Parts (IMAAAHAG), Inspection, QA & Certification for Finished Parts (NDT, CT, Surface Roughness, Documentation) (IMAAAGAM)

Keywords

• Construction materials testing
• Site investigation services
• Structural pavement testing
• UKAS accredited laboratories
• Calibration testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Doncaster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Testing and Inspection Services: CTS generates revenue primarily through per-project testing and inspection engagements across materials testing, structural investigation, calibration services, and site investigation. Services are quoted on a project-by-project basis and delivered by field teams and laboratory technicians.
2. Recurring Calibration Services: Calibration Testing Solutions, a division of CTS, provides ongoing calibration services for equipment, generating recurring revenue streams from clients requiring regular calibration verification and certification.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Construction Testing Solutions (CTS) provides UKAS-accredited construction materials testing, structural and pavement investigation, site investigation, and equipment calibration services to the UK construction and infrastructure sectors. Services cover sampling and testing of soils, aggregates, concrete, and bituminous materials to BS EN, ISO, ASTM and Highway Works standards, delivered through a national network of laboratories, mobile units, and field-based teams. The company operates as part of Phenna Group's Infrastructure Division.

Product overview

Construction Testing Solutions (CTS) is a leading UK provider of construction testing, inspection, and consulting services, offering a unified portfolio of integrated service lines. The core offerings include Materials Testing (covering earthworks, soil stabilisation, concrete, asphalt, aggregates, mobile labs, contaminated materials, and chemical testing), Calibration Testing Solutions (UKAS-accredited calibration services), Structural & Pavement Investigation (including pavement investigation, infrastructure/bridges, building investigation, utility coring, foundation testing), and Site Investigation (including subsidence investigation, trial pits/boreholes, crack monitoring, drainage, lab testing, drilling/sampling). The company operates as part of Phenna Group's Infrastructure Division and has expanded through acquisitions including In Situ Site Investigation (Cone Penetration Testing), Concept Engineering Consultants (drilling/coring), and Card Geotechnics. With 495+ specialists across 10+ UK locations, CTS delivers approximately 3 million laboratory tests annually, supporting construction, rail, roads, airports, tunnelling, mining, utilities, and residential sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Calibration Testing Solutions: UKAS-accredited calibration laboratory providing calibration services for testing equipment.
• Phenna Infrastructure Division

Products and services

• Materials Testing Comprehensive sampling and testing of construction materials including earthworks, soil stabilisation, concrete, asphalt and bituminous materials, aggregates, contaminated materials, and chemical analysis. Testing is performed to BS EN, ISO, ASTM and Highway Works Compliance standards by UKAS-accredited laboratories and on-site mobile laboratories, serving construction contractors, infrastructure developers, and engineering consultants.
• Calibration Testing Solutions UKAS-accredited calibration services (UKAS No. 0783) for measurement and testing equipment, including torque and force calibration. Accredited and non-accredited calibrations are carried out to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, providing recurring revenue from clients requiring ongoing equipment verification and certification.
• Structural & Pavement Investigation Intrusive and non-intrusive structural surveys and assessments on buildings, bridges, roads and rail structures. Includes pavement investigation (including Falling Weight Deflectometer testing), infrastructure and bridge investigation, building investigation, utility coring, foundation testing, and assurance and compliance testing.
• Site Investigation Comprehensive geotechnical and environmental site investigation services including subsidence investigation, trial pits, boreholes and in-situ testing, installations and crack monitoring, drainage services, soil and tree root identification laboratory testing, and drilling and sampling services.
• Subsidence Investigation Market-leading subsidence investigation services supporting property owners, the insurance market, and structural engineers, including soils testing and analysis to determine causes and extent of subsidence.
• Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) Award-winning Cone Penetration Testing and ground investigation services added through the In Situ Site Investigation acquisition, serving UK and international ground investigation projects.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SOCOTEC UK: SOCOTEC UK is the largest dedicated construction materials testing and geotechnical services competitor in the UK, offering a very similar portfolio of UKAS-accredited materials, environmental, and site investigation services to construction clients nationally.
• RSK Group: RSK Group is a UK-headquartered Testing, Inspection, Certification and Compliance (TICC) group with significant overlap in environmental testing, site investigation, and geotechnical services, serving similar UK construction and infrastructure clients.
• Cawood Scientific: Cawood Scientific is a UK-based testing services group providing environmental, materials, and agricultural testing — closely comparable to CTS's diversified UK lab testing portfolio and accredited service mix.
• Geotechnical Engineering Ltd: Geotechnical Engineering Ltd is a UK-based specialist in site investigation, geotechnical testing, and ground engineering — directly comparable to CTS's Site Investigation and CPT service lines for construction and infrastructure clients.

Broad incumbents

• Element Materials Technology: Element is a global TICC platform with significant UK construction and infrastructure testing presence; offers broader industrial testing scope than CTS but directly overlaps in materials testing and certification services to construction clients.
• SGS UK: SGS is a global TICC operator with a UK construction testing footprint; offers overlapping construction materials, calibration, and certification services though as part of a much wider testing and inspection portfolio.
• Bureau Veritas UK: Bureau Veritas is a global TICC incumbent with UK construction and infrastructure testing capabilities; while broader in scope than CTS, it competes for similar construction compliance, inspection, and certification engagements across regulated sectors.
• AtkinsRéalis UK: AtkinsRéalis is a major UK and global engineering consultancy providing infrastructure testing and inspection services as part of a much larger design and project management portfolio — overlapping with CTS on infrastructure projects where testing is subcontracted.
• WSP in the UK: WSP is a large global engineering consultancy with UK infrastructure testing and inspection capabilities; overlaps with CTS in construction-phase materials and structural investigation, though testing is a smaller part of its wider design and engineering portfolio.

Emerging players

• Concept Site Investigations: Concept Site Investigations is a UK-based site investigation specialist offering geotechnical and environmental testing services to construction clients — comparable to a subset of CTS's Site Investigation and CPT offerings, representing the type of niche player CTS typically targets for acquisition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/constructiontesting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-testing-group
• Xx.com/ctstestingltd

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Construction Testing Solutions