Core Five
Core Five is an independent UK construction cost consultancy providing Cost Consultancy and Employer's Agent services from feasibility to final account to real estate developers, investors, banks and public sector clients on complex UK and international projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Core Five does
Core Five is an independent construction cost consultancy founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, with a second UK office in Birmingham. The firm provides Cost Consultancy and Employer's Agent services across the full project lifecycle, from feasibility estimating and cost planning through tender documentation, post-contract cost management, and final account negotiation. It serves market-leading developers, investors, landowners, banks and public sector bodies on complex commercial, residential, mixed-use, tall-building, cultural and stadium projects in the UK and internationally, with named engagements spanning Blackstone, British Land, Canary Wharf Group, Landsec, Berkeley Group, Tishman Speyer, Brookfield Properties, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Google, Microsoft and Aston Villa FC among others.
Core Five firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Core Five
- Legal name
- Core Five Consulting Limited
- Website
- https://corefive.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Core Five is an independent UK construction cost consultancy providing Cost Consultancy and Employer's Agent services from feasibility to final account to real estate developers, investors, banks and public sector clients on complex UK and international projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Core Five industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Cost Consultancy
- NAICS
- Specialty Trade Contractors (238)
- SIC
- Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Performing General Contractors (IMAFAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB)
Keywords
Where Core Five is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Core Five business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Cost Consultancy and Management Services: Core professional services covering the full construction project lifecycle from conception to completion. Services include Cost Management, Feasibility Estimating, Strategic Advice, Cost Modelling, Cost Planning, Benchmarking, Engineering Services Cost Management, Sustainable Solutions, Procurement and Contract Advice, Tender Documentation, Change Control, Post Contract Cost Management, and Final Account Negotiation. Revenue is generated through professional service engagements on construction projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Core Five product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Core Five is an independent construction cost consultancy providing Cost Consultancy and Employer's Agent services across the full construction project lifecycle, from conception to completion. Its work covers cost management, feasibility estimating, cost modelling, benchmarking, procurement advice, and specialist offerings in tall buildings, facades, MMC, engineering services, and embodied carbon optimisation.
Product overview
Core Five is an independent, award-winning construction consultancy providing world-class Cost Consultancy and Employer's Agent services. The company operates as a single integrated offering with specialist service lines that work together across the project lifecycle: the core Cost Consultancy service (including cost management, planning, and benchmarking) is supplemented by specialized Engineering Services Cost Management for MEP and building systems, Facades Consultancy, Tall Buildings expertise, and MMC Advisory services. Supporting these client-facing services are internal platforms including a Data Analytics Platform built on millions of project data points, BIM Services for digital collaboration, and Market Research delivering quarterly intelligence. The company also invests in talent through training programmes including Core Foundations (graduate APC development) and Degree Apprenticeships, all delivered by a 200-strong team with operations in London and Birmingham.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cost Consultancy Construction cost management services from conception to completion, including cost management, feasibility estimating, cost modelling, cost planning, benchmarking, engineering services cost management, sustainable solutions, procurement advice, tender documentation, change control, post-contract cost management, and final account negotiation. For developers, investors, landowners, and public sector clients.
- Employer's Agent (EA) Representation during the post-contract construction phase, overseeing information coordination, instruction issuance, change management, payment certification, claims review, handover arrangement, practical completion certification, defect management, and final certificate issuance. Also offers EA Plus pre-construction services.
- Embodied Carbon Optimisation (ECO) Specialist service combining award-winning cost analysis with embodied carbon assessment. The Carbon Cost Model offers in-depth analysis of carbon reductions and cost implications, enabling informed decision-making from project outset.
- Engineering Services Cost Management Specialist engineering services cost consultancy covering MEP, vertical transportation, utilities, infrastructure, building ratings and certifications (BREEAM, WELL, FitWel, WiredScore, SmartScore, NABERS, HQM), life cycle costing, and smart building technology.
- Tall Buildings Consultancy Specialist expertise in residential, office, hotel and mixed-use towers with over 10,000 storeys of experience. Covers design optimization, smart procurement, engineering services, vertical transportation, and employer agent role for tall buildings.
- MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) Advisory Advisory on Modern Methods of Construction covering MHCLG MMC categories one to seven, from full volumetric housing through prefabricated components. Experience includes 2,000,000 sqft of timber framed buildings, 3,000 prefabricated bathroom pods, 1,000 volumetric homes, and 200 storeys of prefabricated towers.
- Facades Consultancy Pro-active cost consultancy and procurement of facades, typically accounting for 20-30% of new build construction costs. Procures 100,000-200,000m2 of facades annually covering unitised, precast, handset brickwork, and bespoke glazing systems.
- BIM (Building Information Modelling) Services Digital BIM collaboration enabling cost consultants to work in the same environment as designers. Supports digital quantification and estimation from RIBA Stage 0 through procurement, with award-winning Digital Development Team expertise.
- Market Research and Intelligence Quarterly Market Updates analyzing demand and supply-side economic factors affecting construction pricing, plus bespoke data-driven reports tailored to client needs.
- Core Foundations Market-leading APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) development programme for graduates to become Chartered Quantity Surveyors (MRICS). Led by Howard Spurgin (FRICS), RICS UK & Ireland Global Principal Assessor.
- Degree Apprenticeships Four-and-a-half year degree apprenticeship programme combining hands-on workplace experience with distance learning at University of the Built Environment, leading to BSc Hons in Quantity Surveying and RICS APC qualification.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over £100bn of project value advised upon
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Core Five
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Core Five technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Core Five partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AlectrocoreSince 2019, Core Five has worked closely with Alectro, a Sustainable Data Analyst and UN Partner, to review their Green House Gas (GHG) emissions including Scope 1, 2, and 3. Alectro supports Core Five's own Net Zero Carbon journey with rigorous carbon footprint assessments across facilities, social events, work travel, and even coffee consumption. Alectro also helps Core Five select offset projects aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Core Five competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Currie & Brown: International cost management, project management, and advisory consultancy, particularly active in UK real estate and infrastructure. Closely comparable in business model to Core Five, with similar Quantity Surveying-led service offering.
- Gleeds: UK-headquartered global cost and project management consultancy serving commercial, residential, and infrastructure clients. Closest direct peer to Core Five, with similar size, professional-services culture, and project advisory focus.
- Alinea: UK-based independent cost consultancy with comparable specialist focus on high-end commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments. Boutique peer competing with Core Five for similar enterprise mandates.
- Turner & Townsend: Global independent cost consultancy operating across real estate and infrastructure, providing cost management, project management, and advisory services to enterprise developers and investors — a direct UK cost-consultancy peer to Core Five with overlapping client base and service lines.
- Rider Levett Bucknall: Global independent construction consultancy providing cost management, project management, and advisory services across real estate and infrastructure. Direct cost-consultancy peer to Core Five in the UK and internationally.
- Linesight: International cost and project management consultancy operating across real estate, data centres, life sciences, and infrastructure. Direct peer to Core Five in delivering specialist cost consultancy to enterprise developers and occupiers.
Broad incumbents
- Faithful+Gould (AtkinsRéalis): Cost and project management consultancy now within AtkinsRéalis, providing quantity surveying and advisory across real estate, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Larger incumbent offering overlapping cost consultancy services to enterprise clients.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy providing cost management, program management, and advisory across real estate, transportation, and major infrastructure. Largest incumbent peer with overlapping cost consultancy capability for enterprise clients.
- Arcadis: Global design, engineering, and consultancy firm with a sizeable cost-management practice (including IBI/CallisonRTKL-era cost teams). Broader incumbent that overlaps with Core Five on major commercial and infrastructure cost mandates at scale.
- Mace Group: Global construction and consultancy group spanning cost consultancy, project management, and contracting. Broader incumbent where the Mace Consult business overlaps with Core Five on advisory mandates for major UK schemes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Core Five social profiles
Digital presenceCore Five compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Core Five financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Core Five leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Core Five funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Core Five M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Core Five
What does Core Five do?
Core Five is an independent construction cost consultancy providing Cost Consultancy and Employer's Agent services across the full construction project lifecycle, from conception to completion. Its work covers cost management, feasibility estimating, cost modelling, benchmarking, procurement advice, and specialist offerings in tall buildings, facades, MMC, engineering services, and embodied carbon optimisation.
Is Core Five a public or private company?
Core Five is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Core Five founded?
Core Five was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Core Five based?
Core Five is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Core Five make money?
One revenue line is on record: cost Consultancy and Management Services.
Who are Core Five's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Currie & Brown, Gleeds, Alinea, Turner & Townsend, Rider Levett Bucknall and Linesight. Broad incumbents are Faithful+Gould (AtkinsRéalis), AECOM, Arcadis and Mace Group.
Does Core Five have an API?
No public API is recorded for Core Five.
What industry is Core Five in?
Core Five's product category is Construction Cost Consultancy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAI, Self-Performing General Contractors, with a secondary code of IMAFAAAB, Residential General Contracting (New Build). Its NAICS code is 238 and its SIC code is 1700.