What Walter Lilly does

Walter Lilly & Co. Limited is a UK-based specialist construction contractor founded in 1924, headquartered in London's West End (Maddox House, 1 Maddox Street), with a regional operating footprint across London and the South East. The company is privately held under Wize Holdings, alongside sister companies Size Group and Size Group Structures. It employs between 101 and 250 people and is led by CEO & Owner Darren Size, with Chris Butler serving as Managing Director since 2018.

The business operates two core service lines: Landmark & Heritage construction (restoration, conservation, refurbishment and new-build additions for Grade I, II* and II listed buildings, palaces, museums and cathedrals, with creditable projects at the Palace of Westminster, Lambeth Palace, Natural History Museum, English Heritage and the Newport Street Gallery) and Science & Higher Education construction (containment laboratories, GMP facilities, research and teaching spaces for pharmaceutical and academic clients including MRC, LSHTM, Imperial College London, GSK, UCB and Eli Lilly). A Facilities Management division, launched in 2021, extends delivery into planned preventative maintenance for completed assets. Core operations rest on an ISO 14001-accredited Environmental Management System (held since 2009) and Deltek Union Square for project information management.

Revenue derives almost entirely from fixed-price and cost-plus construction contracts won via competitive tender and, increasingly, long-dated framework agreements - notably the DEFRA Engineering Delivery Framework (since 2017, on Lots 1A, 2A and 3A) and the LSHTM Capital Programme Framework (since 2019). Customer base is heavily weighted toward UK government departments, arms-length bodies, higher education institutions, life-sciences R&D occupiers and a small set of heritage and cultural clients. The company does not publish revenue and operates within the Building Awards' up-to-£300m turnover category; its largest single contract to date is the £84m MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences design-and-build project commenced in 2019.

Name

Walter Lilly

Legal name

Walter Lilly & Co. Limited

Website

https://walterlilly.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Walter Lilly is a London-based specialist construction contractor, founded in 1924, delivering restoration, conservation and refurbishment of listed heritage buildings alongside high-performance science, containment and higher-education facilities for UK government, academic, heritage and pharmaceutical clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Heritage construction
• Specialist contracting
• Building refurbishment
• Facilities management
• Conservation construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Croydon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Delivery: Primary revenue stream from managing and delivering construction projects across landmark/heritage and science/education sectors. Revenue is project-based, one-time, derived from fixed-price contracts or cost-plus arrangements with public and private sector clients.
2. Facilities Management Services: Supporting services ensuring completed facilities remain operational and compliant, with planned preventative maintenance strategies developed for client needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Walter Lilly is a specialist UK construction contractor delivering new build, refurbishment, conservation, fit-out, and facilities management projects for landmark/heritage buildings and science/education facilities. Services span restoration of Grade I/II*/II listed buildings, palace and museum infrastructure upgrades, and high-performance research and containment laboratories for institutional clients. Project delivery is supplemented by a Facilities Management division providing planned preventative maintenance to keep delivered facilities operational and compliant.

Product overview

Walter Lilly is a specialist construction company operating since 1924, delivering two core service lines: Landmark & Heritage Construction (restoration, conservation, and new builds for listed buildings and historic sites) and Science & Higher Education Construction (high-performance research facilities, laboratories, and educational spaces). The company also offers Facilities Management services for completed projects. Their work spans major heritage projects including Palace of Westminster, Lambeth Palace, and Natural History Museum, as well as science facilities for clients including DEFRA, MRC, LSHTM, Imperial College, and pharmaceutical companies. They operate through framework agreements with major institutional clients and deliver complex projects across R&D, life sciences, containment, GMP, learning spaces, new build, refurbishment, fit out, and sustainability categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landmark & Heritage Construction Specialist construction services for landmark and heritage buildings, including restoration, conservation, refurbishment of listed buildings (Grade I, II* and II), new high-profile public attractions and comprehensive reservicing of historic palaces and museums with integrated modern technology.
• Science & Higher Education Construction Construction of high-performance spaces for life sciences, pharmaceutical, government research and higher education clients, including state-of-the-art research facilities, bespoke containment laboratories, collaborative working spaces, new builds and complex refurbishments within live operational environments.
• Facilities Management Post-construction facilities management service ensuring delivered environments remain fully operational and compliant, with planned preventative maintenance strategies developed to suit evolving client needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• £84m contract - MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (company's largest to date)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LSHTM Capital Programme FrameworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Appointed as contractor on London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Capital Programme Framework from 2019, covering works across their London campuses including building refurbishment, internal fit out and remodelling of specialist teaching, research and containment laboratories.
• DEFRA Engineering Delivery FrameworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Appointed Main Contractor on DEFRA Engineering Delivery Framework since its original establishment in 2017. Currently holds places on Lot 1A (Works in Containment Facilities), Lot 2A (General Accommodation Works), and Lot 3A (Site Infrastructure Works) for upgrading works at the Animal and Plant Health Agency campus in Weybridge.
• Size GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company operating under Wize Holdings parent company. Size Group and Walter Lilly operate together as a distinctive group of outstanding businesses dedicated to delivering the highest standards in specialist construction, craftsmanship, and maintenance.
• Size Group StructurescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing structural engineering expertise. Combined engineering, logistics and heritage expertise with Walter Lilly for projects like Rayners Penn.
• Wize HoldingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company overseeing Walter Lilly and sister companies Size Group and Size Group Structures. Distinctive group of outstanding businesses dedicated to delivering the highest standards in specialist construction, craftsmanship, and maintenance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bowmer + Kirkland: Mid-sized UK specialist contractor with strong heritage, education, and complex project credentials. Similar revenue band and comparable focus on institutional and listed building work.
• Beard Construction: Privately held UK regional contractor of similar headcount with heritage and specialist construction capabilities. Comparable mid-tier contractor competing for similar public-sector framework opportunities.
• McLaren Construction Group: UK-based mid-sized contractor with overlapping expertise in life sciences, heritage, and high-spec fit-out for institutional clients. Most directly comparable on science/education and heritage project delivery at similar scale.
• Glencar Construction: UK contractor specialising in life sciences, pharmaceutical, and laboratory construction. Direct competitor for science/education sector projects with overlapping pharmaceutical and research institutional clients.
• RHH Franks: UK heritage stonework and restoration specialist competing directly for Grade I/II* listed building projects. Highly comparable on heritage craft capabilities and conservation-led delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Laing O'Rourke: International engineering and construction firm with UK heritage and specialist construction capabilities. Larger scale but competes for science/education and complex institutional projects.
• Galliford Try: UK construction group with heritage refurbishment and building divisions. Overlaps with Walter Lilly on heritage, education, and public sector institutional tenders.
• Sir Robert McAlpine: Major UK contractor with a heritage construction division and significant science/education project portfolio. Competes on larger frameworks but overlaps with Walter Lilly on heritage and institutional work.
• Willmott Dixon: Major UK contractor with established heritage and education sector expertise. Comparable on delivery of institutional and listed-building projects for public sector clients.
• Wates Group: Large privately held UK contractor with specialist construction divisions. Overlaps with Walter Lilly on heritage and science/education work as part of a broader public-sector portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WalterLilly1924
• Facebookfacebook.com/walterlilly.co.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walter-lilly

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Walter Lilly