What WH Stephens does

WH Stephens Ltd is a privately held, Belfast-headquartered construction consultancy operating across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and England through offices in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Northampton, and Woking. Founded in 1865, the firm employs 101-250 staff and delivers five core service lines: project and programme management, quantity surveying and cost management, building surveying, principal designer services under CDM regulations, and UKAS-accredited asbestos inspection and management (UKAS number 7855). The business is structured around chartered professionals (RICS, ICE) and operates under ISO 9001/14001/45001 and NEC4 accreditations, providing regulated, project-based consultancy to public-sector bodies and private developers, owners, and funders.

The firm generates revenue through professional consultancy fees on a project-by-project, custom-quoted basis, with multi-year engagements common in health, education, commercial, retail, aviation, logistics, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors. Notable clients include Belfast Harbour, Dublin Airport, Coca-Cola, Diageo, DHL, DSV, Almac, Henderson Group, and Spar. Go-to-market is direct, sales-led B2B professional services with no resellers, supported by a project-portfolio website, a careers page, and professional networks. The asbestos management division operates as a distinct, technically accredited line.

In 2024, Gardiner & Theobald acquired a significant interest in WH Stephens, backed by Hennick & Company, while Managing Director Denis McCotter and the senior leadership team retained significant equity and full operational autonomy. The deal is positioned as a platform for growth in Ireland and expansion across the UK, with a stated pathway for future generations of employees to become equity shareholders.

Name

WH Stephens

Legal name

WH Stephens Ltd

Website

https://whstephens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WH Stephens is a Belfast-headquartered, RICS-registered construction consultancy delivering quantity surveying, building surveying, project management, principal designer, and UKAS-accredited asbestos services to public bodies and private enterprise clients across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Consultancy Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Construction consultancy
• Quantity surveying
• Cost management
• Project management
• Building surveying

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Consultancy Services: Professional consultancy fees generated through project-based engagements delivering project management, quantity surveying, cost management, building surveying, and principal designer services across public and private sector construction projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WH Stephens is a multidisciplinary construction consultancy delivering project and programme management, quantity surveying and cost management, building surveying, principal designer (CDM) advisory, and UKAS-accredited asbestos management services. Engagements span the full construction lifecycle from brief development and feasibility through design, procurement, contract administration, and completion, for public and private sector clients across the UK and Ireland.

Product overview

WH Stephens is a multidisciplinary construction consultancy offering five interconnected professional service lines: Project & Programme Management, Quantity Surveying / Cost Management, Building Surveying, Principal Designer Services, and Asbestos Management Services. The core offering centres on construction consultancy across the full project lifecycle from brief development through to completion, delivered by RICS-registered professionals. Services can be engaged individually for specific commissions or bundled for comprehensive end-to-end project delivery, with asbestos management operating as a distinct UKAS-accredited division.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project & Programme Management Comprehensive project and programme management services covering the full construction project lifecycle from brief development through completion, including contract management, design coordination, cost control, programme management, stakeholder communication, risk and value management, and employer's agent roles for public and private sector clients.
• Quantity Surveying / Cost Management Full cost management services including cost planning, tender documents, bills of quantities, measurement, interim payment processing, variation analysis, final account agreement, feasibility studies, strategic budget planning, risk and value management, whole life costing, and funder/bank monitoring for public and private sector clients.
• Building Surveying Comprehensive building surveying services encompassing site appraisal, condition surveys, asbestos surveys, historic building conservation, building pathology, environmental auditing, insurance claims, access audits, feasibility studies, energy performance certificates, dilapidation surveys, fire risk assessments, measured surveys, party wall advice, planning and building regulation compliance, and CDM regulation advice.
• Principal Designer Services CDM regulatory compliance services including client duty advice, pre-construction health and safety information pack collation, health and safety file production management, site liaison and construction compliance monitoring, and health and safety audits for construction projects.
• Asbestos Management Services UKAS accredited asbestos inspection and management services (UKAS number 7855) covering management, refurbishment and demolition surveys, asbestos management strategies, removal contract services, reinspection, and asbestos awareness training for clients in retail, commercial, ecclesiastical, local authority, education, and healthcare sectors.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design, engineering, and consultancy firm offering cost management and project advisory as part of a much wider portfolio. Competes on the same QS and PM mandates from a broader, better-resourced platform.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with substantial cost management and project advisory practices. Overlaps with WHS services across UK and Ireland but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with cost management and project management offerings that overlap with WHS, particularly in infrastructure and built environment sectors.
• Arup: Global design and engineering firm with significant cost and project management advisory capability. Competes for higher-value, technically complex mandates where WHS also bids.

Direct peers

• Gardiner & Theobald: Parent and strategic investor in WH Stephens, offering identical construction cost management, project management, and consultancy services. G&T is a 1,500-person firm with UK, Ireland, and US operations and is the most direct comparable on services, model, and client base.
• Turner & Townsend: Global cost management and project management consultancy competing directly in quantity surveying, programme management, and project controls across UK and Ireland. Directly comparable service lines and enterprise client base.
• Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB): International quantity surveying and construction consultancy with strong UK presence. Directly competes in cost management, project management, and advisory services with comparable client mix and project types.
• Gleeds: UK-headquartered construction consultancy with closely overlapping services including project management, cost management, and building surveying. Highly comparable mid-size private firm with UK and Ireland reach.
• Mace Group: International consultancy and construction firm with a dedicated cost consultancy and project management practice directly competing with WHS services across public and private sector clients.

Regional players

• McNamara Construction Consultancy: Ireland-based construction consultancy offering project management, quantity surveying, and building surveying services. Direct overlap with WHS's Ireland operations and similar mid-size firm profile, though primarily Republic of Ireland focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/whsbelfast

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WH Stephens