DE Group
DE Group is a London-based privately held construction contractor delivering enabling works, demolition, refurbishment, new build, and fit-out services through five subsidiaries, serving real estate developers, PE investors, and hotel operators across central London on projects ranging from £2.5M to £70M.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DE Group does
DE Group is a privately held UK construction contractor group headquartered in London, operating through four main subsidiaries — Deconstruct (enabling works, demolition, restricted-access piling, temporary works), De Group Contracting (refurbishment, new build, fit-out, plus the DE Specialist Works re-cladding division), Derisk (health and safety and risk consultancy), and De Construction Solutions (specialist engineering consultancy). The group delivers integrated construction services primarily in central London, with project values ranging from £2.5 million to £70 million across residential, commercial, hotel, leisure, healthcare, and later living developments.
The group's core technology is physical rather than digital: specialist piling equipment (Hütte 203 and Soilmec SM4 rigs) capable of operating in confined occupied spaces, heritage conservation methodologies approved by Historic England, and integrated ISO-certified management systems (9001, 14001, 45001). Its competitive differentiation rests on solving structurally and logistically challenging projects that generalist contractors cannot deliver, supported by sector-leading safety credentials (ROSPA Gold Medal, President's Award 2023) and measurable sustainability commitments (ConcreteZero and SteelZero targets, 35% recycled temporary steelwork).
DE Group generates revenue on a project-based, contract-driven model with bespoke pricing per engagement and no publicly disclosed rate cards. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting property developers, private equity-backed investors, institutional asset managers, and hotel operators, with repeat client relationships and tender processes. The firm has 251-500 employees and an executive team averaging decades of central London construction experience, including Chairman Paul Ford and Group Managing Director Ashley Griffiths (co-founders from 2009). The company is independently owned with no external investment or parent company disclosed.
DE Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DE Group
- Legal name
- DE Group
- Website
- https://degroupuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- DE Group is a London-based privately held construction contractor delivering enabling works, demolition, refurbishment, new build, and fit-out services through five subsidiaries, serving real estate developers, PE investors, and hotel operators across central London on projects ranging from £2.5M to £70M.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DE Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Contracting Services
- NAICS
- Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Construction (23), New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116)
- SIC
- Operative Builders (1531), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Performing General Contractors (IMAFAAAI)
Keywords
Where DE Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
DE Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Construction and Contracting Services: The DE Group generates revenue through construction contracting services delivered by its operating companies: Deconstruct (enabling works, demolition, temporary works), De Group Contracting (refurbishment, new build, fit-out), Derisk (health and safety and risk assessment consultancy), and De Construction Solutions (specialist engineering consultancy). Revenue is project-based, with contracts ranging from £2.5 million to £70 million for individual projects.
- Specialist Consultancy Services: Derisk provides health and safety and risk assessment consultancy services, while De Construction Solutions delivers specialist engineering consultancy. These services are provided both to external clients and within the group, supporting the delivery of complex construction projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
DE Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DE Group is a privately held UK construction contractor that delivers integrated construction services through its operating companies: Deconstruct (enabling works, demolition, restricted access piling, temporary works), De Group Contracting (refurbishment, new build, fit-out), Derisk (health and safety and risk assessment consultancy), and De Construction Solutions (specialist engineering consultancy). Projects range from £2.5 million to £70 million in value and span residential, commercial, hotel, leisure, and later living sectors, primarily in central London.
Product overview
DE Group is a construction contractor group offering integrated construction solutions through multiple subsidiary companies. The group comprises Deconstruct (enabling works, demolition, piling, and temporary works), De Group Contracting (refurbishment, new build, and fit-out), Derisk (health and safety and risk consultancy), De Construction Solutions (specialist engineering consultancy), and DE Specialist Works (re-cladding and remedial works). Together, these companies deliver seamless, integrated solutions across the construction sector including residential, commercial, hotel, leisure, and later living sectors, primarily in central London.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Deconstruct — Enabling Works and Demolition Contracting Enabling works and temporary works contracting including demolition, piling, foundation work, concrete structures, and steelwork, delivered for technically challenging projects primarily in central London.
- De Group Contracting — Refurbishment, New Build and Fit-Out Refurbishment, new build, and fit-out construction services delivered across residential, commercial, hotel, leisure, and later living sectors in central London.
- Derisk — Health and Safety and Risk Assessment Consultancy Health and Safety and risk assessment consultancy providing building and fire safety regulation expertise and compliance services for construction projects.
- De Construction Solutions (DE-CS) — Specialist Engineering Consultancy Specialist engineering consultancy providing technical engineering support to DE Group companies and external clients on technically challenging demolition and enabling works projects.
- DE Specialist Works — Re-Cladding and Remedial Works Re-cladding and remedial works division specialising in removal and replacement of ACM cladding, timber balconies, privacy screens, and external façade remediation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35% of temporary steelwork recycled through re-use
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use DE Group
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
DE Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
DE Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.
- Climate Group (ConcreteZero)coreDeconstruct has partnered with the Climate Group's ConcreteZero initiative, committing to 30% low-emission concrete by 2025 and 50% by 2030. This partnership guides the company's sustainability efforts in achieving net-zero concrete commitments, aligning environmental responsibility with economic viability.
- Climate Group (SteelZero)coreDeconstruct is the only enabling works company to have signed up to SteelZero, committing to transition to 100% net zero steel by 2050, with at least 50% of steel meeting specific science-based CO2-reduction conditions by 2030.
- PDP ArchitectskeyHeritage architects overseeing Cambridge House conservation works, working with Historic England to meticulously plan and approve working methods for protection of listed features.
- British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA)coreAffiliated member supporting circular economy principles and sustainable construction practices. Stephen Dorer serves as Chairman for BCSA Southern Region.
- Considerate Constructors SchemecoreDE Group is a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, committed to raising standards in construction with standards exceeding legal requirements.
- National Emergency Services Support Taskforce (NESST)keyPaul Ford serves as Chairman of NESST. DE Group supports NESST's work helping people who need it most, both locally and nationally. The partnership focuses on social value and community engagement.
- Mates in MindminorSupported charity focused on mental health support. DE Group supports NESST and Mates in Mind as part of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy commitments.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DE Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sir Robert McAlpine: Established UK contractor with heritage and commercial building expertise; comparable in heritage/restorations but materially larger and more diversified than DE Group.
- Morgan Sindall Group: UK construction and regeneration group with fit-out and refurbishment operations (Morgan Sindall Property Services); operates at greater scale and geographic spread but competes for similar London commercial fit-out work.
- Kier Group: UK construction and infrastructure group operating across buildings, highways and utilities with London commercial exposure; overlaps with DE Group on commercial buildings and refurbishment but covers far broader end-markets.
- Wates Group: Major UK construction, fit-out and property services group with substantial London commercial and refurbishment revenue; broader portfolio and national footprint than DE Group but overlapping target customers and project types.
- Skanska UK: UK arm of Swedish global contractor with a significant London commercial, residential and civil engineering presence; competes on premium schemes but operates at a larger scale and across more sectors than DE Group.
- Mace Group: Large UK-headquartered international construction and consultancy group with deep London fit-out and refurbishment operations through Mace Fit-out; competes for the same premium developer-led schemes but at larger scale and broader service scope.
Direct peers
- McLaren Construction Group: Mid-to-large UK construction group with a substantial London residential, commercial and refurbishment pipeline; comparable in scale, end-markets and integrated contracting model to DE Group.
- Bowmer + Kirkland: Privately-held UK construction group operating across commercial, residential, leisure and refurbishment sectors with a strong London/Watford base; similar size band and project-type mix to DE Group.
- Erith Contractors: UK demolition and specialist contractor with significant London operations; competes head-to-head with Deconstruct for complex demolition and enabling works projects in the capital.
- Keltbray: UK specialist contractor focused on demolition, enabling works and civil engineering with a strong central London presence; the closest direct comparable to DE Group's Deconstruct subsidiary for demolition, piling and enabling works tenders.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DE Group social profiles
Digital presenceDE Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DE Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
DE Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
DE Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DE Group 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 DE Group
What does DE Group do?
DE Group is a privately held UK construction contractor that delivers integrated construction services through its operating companies: Deconstruct (enabling works, demolition, restricted access piling, temporary works), De Group Contracting (refurbishment, new build, fit-out), Derisk (health and safety and risk assessment consultancy), and De Construction Solutions (specialist engineering consultancy). Projects range from £2.5 million to £70 million in value and span residential, commercial, hotel, leisure, and later living sectors, primarily in central London.
Is DE Group a public or private company?
DE Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DE Group founded?
DE Group was founded in 2009. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is DE Group based?
DE Group is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does DE Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Construction and Contracting Services are the primary driver. The others are specialist Consultancy Services.
Who are DE Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sir Robert McAlpine, Morgan Sindall Group, Kier Group, Wates Group, Skanska UK and Mace Group. Direct peers are McLaren Construction Group, Bowmer + Kirkland, Erith Contractors and Keltbray.
Does DE Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for DE Group.
What industry is DE Group in?
DE Group's product category is Construction Contracting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAI, Self-Performing General Contractors. Its NAICS code is 2362 and its SIC code is 1531.