H.H. Smith & Sons

What H.H. Smith & Sons does

H.H. Smith & Sons Co. Ltd is a privately-held, family-owned construction company headquartered in Whitefield, Manchester, founded in 1955. The firm delivers building projects across six core service lines: heritage restoration and conservation (Grade I, II, and II* listed buildings), education facilities (schools, colleges, universities), religious establishments, residential construction and refurbishment, commercial builds including steel-frame portal sheds up to 3,500m², and sports/recreational infrastructure. Project values span £50,000 to £12.26 million, with a customer base that includes UK local authorities, universities, religious organizations, and private developers. The firm employs 51–100 staff and operates throughout Britain, with primary concentration in Northwest England.

The business model is project-based and sales-led. H.H. Smith wins work primarily through competitive tendering for public and private sector contracts, complemented by repeat business and referrals built on a 70-year operating history. Revenue is generated through one-time construction contracts that combine traditional building methods with specialist heritage conservation techniques, including a documented track record of projects co-funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, National Lottery Fund, and European Regional Development Fund. The firm holds ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 certifications, maintains an in-house joinery workshop, and reports social-value metrics including 99% waste diversion and 90% local Northwest supplier spending. Distribution is direct; no intermediaries, franchises, or technology platforms are involved.

Under David Smith's leadership from 1978 until his death in July 2023, the company grew from a small plumbing and heating business to approximately £30 million in revenue. Ownership and operational continuity are maintained by family members Fiona, Matthew, Nicola, and Michael Smith. The firm has secured notable recent recognition, including RICS Best Heritage Project in the UK 2025 and Civic Trust Conservation Award 2026 for the Rochdale Town Hall restoration, and has executed large-scale projects such as the £12.26 million Moho Apartments facade remediation and the £12 million Hilton Garden Inn at Surf Snowdonia.

Name

H.H. Smith & Sons

Legal name

H.H. Smith & Sons Co. Ltd

Website

https://hhsmith.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

H.H. Smith & Sons is a family-owned Manchester construction contractor founded in 1955, delivering heritage restoration, education, religious, residential, commercial, and sports/recreational projects across Britain with contract values from £50,000 to £12.26 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Construction Services: The company generates revenue through construction contracts ranging from £50k to £12.26 million. Projects span new build, restoration, and refurbishment across multiple sectors including education, religious establishments, residential, commercial, and recreational facilities. Revenue is project-based with traditional and design-and-build contract types.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

H.H. Smith & Sons Co. Ltd is a UK construction company that delivers new build, restoration, and refurbishment projects across multiple sectors including education, religious, residential, commercial, and recreational facilities. The company specialises in heritage restoration of Grade I, II, and II* listed buildings and operates as a single unified construction service with project values ranging from £50k to £12.26 million.

Product overview

H.H. Smith & Sons Co. Ltd is a construction company offering a comprehensive range of building services across six core sectors: Restoration/Conservation Works (heritage projects for Grade I, II and II* listed buildings), Commercial Projects (retail and industrial construction up to 3,500m2), Education Works (schools, colleges and universities valued £50k to £9m), Housing & Residential (apartments and houses from £50k to £6.5m), Sports & Recreational Facilities (pools, pitches, pavilions), and Religious Establishments (churches and ecclesiastical buildings). The company operates as a single unified construction service with specialist expertise in heritage conservation, educational facilities, and complex restoration projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restoration and Conservation Works Heritage building restoration and conservation services for Grade I, Grade II, and Grade II* listed buildings, including structural repairs, external facade restoration, and heritage-funded projects. Targeted at property owners, heritage bodies, and organisations managing historic buildings.
• Commercial Projects Construction and refurbishment services for commercial and retail facilities, including steel frame portal sheds up to 3,500m2, and design and build works. Targeted at commercial property owners and developers.
• Education Works Specialist construction services for educational establishments including nurseries, primary and secondary schools, 6th form colleges, and universities, with project values ranging from £50k to £9 million. Targeted at schools, colleges, universities, and local authorities responsible for educational facilities.
• Housing and Residential Residential construction and refurbishment services ranging from luxury apartments and houses to social housing, with project values from £50k to £6.5 million. Targeted at housing developers, property investors, and social housing providers.
• Sports and Recreational Facilities Construction of sports facilities including swimming pools, 3G pitches, sports pavilions, spectator stands, and associated recreational infrastructure. Targeted at leisure operators, schools, and local authorities.
• Religious Establishments Construction and refurbishment of churches and ecclesiastical buildings for various ethnic and religious denominations using a specialist workforce. Targeted at religious institutions, faith communities, and charitable bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully completed major contracts for over 20 local authorities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Buttress ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing working relationship on multiple varied projects over 5+ years. Butler Architects has worked with H.H. Smith on notable projects including Unitarian Chapel (£6.5m) and other heritage conversions.
• Pozzoni ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject professional team relationship developed on previous occasions. Collaborated on Cheadle Hulme School sports pavilion and Hyde Leisure Centre projects.
• Heritage Lottery FundminorOthersFunding body associated with heritage projects including Gorton Monastery Welcome Wing and Ashton Old Baths restoration. Provides grant funding for heritage conservation projects.
• European Regional Development FundminorOthersFunding body associated with Ashton Old Baths and Gorton Monastery projects. Provides EU regional development funding for regeneration projects.
• Shedkm ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal architects of Moho Apartments (Urban Splash development) who were re-engaged for the façade remediation design, reimagining the external wall build-up for building regulation compliance.
• Stephenson StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitects approached H.H. Smith for Finlay's Yard project on back of successfully completed Halle St. Peter's project. Long-standing professional relationship.
• Walker SimpsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Holy Cross College project (£1.75m extension and refurbishment, 6th project with the college over 10 years).
• Wilson Mason LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Bury College Woodbury Centre (£4.9m) and Bury College HISTEM (£9.25m) projects.
• National Lottery FundminorOthersFunding body associated with Manchester Jewish Museum project, providing lottery funding for heritage conservation.
• Citizen Design BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Manchester Jewish Museum (£3.5m) refurbishment and extension project.
• OMI ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Manresa House Birmingham (£5.6m) project.
• Bradshaw Gass & HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for GMFRS Training Centre Bury project (£950k).
• Pozzani ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Hyde Pool project (£3.6m).
• JM ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Margaret Fell Lecture Theatre Lancaster University (£3.4m) project.
• BTP ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Moho Apartments façade replacement project (£12.26m).
• HB ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural practice for Hilton Garden Inn Surf Snowdonia project (£12m).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Morgan Sindall: UK-listed construction and regeneration group with significant heritage/restoration work via its construction division. Broader incumbent offering overlapping services but at substantially larger scale across multiple regions.
• Wates Group: Major privately-held UK construction group with education, heritage, and public sector work. Comparable on private ownership and multi-sector delivery but operates nationally at substantially larger scale.
• Galliford Try: UK construction group with significant public sector, education, and heritage exposure through its building division. Broader incumbent with overlapping client base and sector mix at larger scale.
• Kier Group: UK-listed infrastructure and construction group with extensive education and public sector framework exposure. Overlaps on public tender-led construction delivery, though much larger and infrastructure-heavy.

Direct peers

• Willmott Dixon: Major UK contractor with a strong heritage/restoration and education portfolio. Most comparable UK peer for H.H. Smith in terms of heritage conservation credentials, public sector tendering focus, and multi-sector building services, though at substantially larger scale.
• Sir Robert McAlpine: Family-founded UK contractor with deep heritage restoration expertise and longstanding public/private client relationships. Highly comparable on heritage specialisation and family-ownership culture, though operating nationally at much greater scale.
• Bowmer + Kirkland: Privately-held UK contractor delivering heritage, education, commercial, and leisure projects. Closest comparable on family/private ownership structure and heritage specialisation mix, though with broader geographic reach.
• McLaren Construction: Mid-tier UK contractor delivering commercial, residential, education, and leisure projects. Comparable on private ownership, multi-sector delivery, and mid-market project values, though with broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Seddon Construction: North West England-based contractor operating across education, commercial, and residential. Direct regional competitor to H.H. Smith with overlapping public sector client base and similar mid-tier scale.
• Eric Wright Group: North West-based construction and property group operating in education, commercial, and heritage sectors. Comparable regional competitor with overlapping public sector tender pipeline and similar family-business heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hhsmithbuilders
• Facebookfacebook.com/hhsmithbuilders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hh-smith-sons-co-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/h.h.smith_builders/?hl=en

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 H.H. Smith & Sons