Setanta Construction

What Setanta Construction does

Setanta Construction is a second-generation family-owned construction company headquartered in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland, originally founded as Gribbin Construction in 1963 and rebranded under its current name in 2000 when second-generation directors Mark and Niall Gribbin assumed leadership. The company designs, manufactures, and installs bespoke timber frame homes, off-site modular structures, and prefabricated building components manufactured to Passive House standards through a single factory-controlled production facility. Its product portfolio spans fully custom residential homes, the proprietary SoLow Passive House volumetric system aimed at the affordable housing sector, modular commercial products (office lodges, golf simulator pods, exhibition stands), and prefabricated building components including structural insulated panels (SIPs) achieving a U-value of 0.11 W/m²K, wall panels, dormer windows, roof systems, and floor cassettes, with MVHR and triple glazing integrated into the standard build.

The company generates revenue primarily through fixed-price, project-based construction contracts billed against milestone completions, serving a customer base that includes self-build homeowners, property developers (notably FP McCann Developments), housing associations, architectural firms (including Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Marshall McCann Architects), and commercial clients. Notable completed projects include Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair, the Richard Rogers-designed Art Gallery at Chateau la Coste in Provence, and Mid Ulster housing developments totaling over 150 homes. All clients are acquired through direct sales channels — the company website, earned media coverage, exhibitions (Self Build Show Belfast), and architect referrals — without intermediary resellers. Geographic reach covers Northern Ireland, the wider UK and Ireland, and France.

Name

Setanta Construction

Legal name

Setanta Construction

Website

https://setantaconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Setanta Construction is a second-generation, family-owned construction company in Northern Ireland specializing in bespoke timber frame homes, off-site modular construction, and Passive House-certified buildings for self-build homeowners, developers, and commercial clients across the UK and France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Timber Frame & Off-Site Modular Construction

NAICS

New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115), New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212), Residential Building Construction (23611), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622)

SIC

Prefabricated Wood Bldgs & Components (2452)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction (IMAFABAF)

Keywords

• Timber frame construction
• Passive house design
• Off-site modular construction
• Energy-efficient homes
• Bespoke self-build homes

Headquarters

HQ city

Magherafelt

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bespoke Full House Building: Full-service bespoke timber frame home construction. Setanta provides one-to-one service for self-build clients, including design recommendations, energy consulting, passive house design, project management, and complete turnkey finish from conception to completion. Revenue is generated on a per-project basis, typically billed upon milestone completions.
2. Private Developments: Building high-quality timber frame and traditionally built turnkey homes alongside business partners and clients in Mid Ulster. Setanta acts as principal contractor or building contractor for developer clients (e.g., FP McCann Developments). Revenue generated through fixed-price construction contracts.
3. Off-Site Solutions & Modular Construction: Design, manufacture and installation of off-site building components (dormer windows, roofing structures, wall panels, floor cassettes, chimneys, barrel vaults) for residential and commercial clients. Factory-built modular units for commercial, retail, and residential applications including office lodges, golf simulator pods, cottage homes, and exhibition stands. Revenue through project-based contracts.
4. SoLow Passive House Product Line: Pre-designed, factory-manufactured volumetric Passive House units offered to architects, consultants, developers, housing executives and housing associations. Energy Performance Certificate A rating. Revenue through unit sales or development partnerships.
5. SAP Calcs & EPC Services: In-house service providing Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations and Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for new build projects. Advisory on achieving good energy performance and best EPC ratings.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Setanta Construction designs and builds bespoke timber frame homes and off-site modular buildings to Passive House standards from its factory in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland. It offers full turnkey self-build home packages for individual clients as well as principal-contractor and off-site component supply for developers, architects, and commercial customers across the UK and France.

Product overview

Setanta Construction is a second-generation family-owned construction company specializing in timber frame and modular construction with over 60 years of experience. Their product portfolio centers on four interconnected offerings: Bespoke Timber Frame Homes (fully customized residences designed to individual client specifications), Modular Builds (factory-precision-built structures including cottage homes, office lodges, and specialty pods), Off-Site Solutions (prefabricated building components for residential and commercial projects), and the SoLow Passive House (a proprietary volumetric housing system built to Passive House standards). The company also undertakes Private Developments for housing associations and developers. All products incorporate energy-efficient design principles including triple glazing, MVHR ventilation systems, and high-performance insulation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SoLow Passive Housing: An innovative sustainable living solution for the affordable housing sector; a high-quality volumetric house constructed to complete Passive House standards.

Products and services

• Bespoke Timber Frame Homes
• Modular Builds
• Off-Site Solutions
• SoLow Passive House
• Private Developments
• Three Bedroom Traditional Cottage (Modular)
• Two Bedroom Modern Cottage (Modular)
• One Bedroom Cottage (Modular)
• Golf Simulator Pod
• Office Lodge
• SAP Calculations & EPC Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Passive House can consume up to 90% less energy than a typical home
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• FP McCann DevelopmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSetanta Construction appointed as building contractor for multiple housing developments on behalf of FP McCann Developments, including Eden Park Magherafelt (38 homes), Maloon Manor (42 homes), Rowan Glynn Maghera (16 homes), and Dawson's Hill Castledawson. Setanta also pursued local procurement and community support as part of these partnerships.
• Marshall McCann ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning architectural firm with whom Setanta has collaborated on multiple projects including O'Donaghue House Limavady (won Irish Architectural Award 2019) and the Bespoke New Build project in Moneymore. Long-standing design partnership for bespoke Passive House projects.
• Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (Richard Rogers)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSetanta provided off-site constructed building enclosure components for the Richard Rogers Art Gallery at Chateau la Coste, Provence France – one of the late Richard Rogers' final projects. Setanta engineered and manufactured modular components at its Magherafelt factory for transport and installation in France. Project won FMB Commercial/Public Sector Award 2023.
• The Electric Storage CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationSetanta integrates The Electric Storage Company's PARIS Greentech (Predictive Analytical Renewables System) into its fully electric homes. The system analyses energy usage patterns, predicts future consumption, and automatically manages solar PV, battery storage, and grid export for optimal energy efficiency.
• Incline SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist commercial fit-out company that approached Setanta Construction to build a custom-designed modular exhibition stand for their client Cemcor. Setanta manufactured, delivered, and assembled the 9m x 6m x 5m timber structure for the UK Concrete Show at NEC Birmingham.
• Rainey + BestminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject management firm involved as part of the collaborative team delivering the Richard Rogers Art Gallery project in Provence, France.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McAvoy Group: Off-site construction specialist based in Northern Ireland producing modular buildings for education, healthcare, hospitality, and residential sectors. Closely comparable in geography (NI headquarters), manufacturing model (factory-built modular/off-site), and customer base (developers, architects, public-sector clients).
• Vision Modular Systems: UK-based modular construction specialist delivering volumetric modular buildings for residential, student accommodation, and hotel sectors. Comparable in off-site volumetric construction method and bespoke project delivery model, though focused on larger multi-storey schemes.
• Wernick Buildings: Long-established UK family-owned manufacturer of modular and off-site buildings serving education, commercial, healthcare, and residential markets. Comparable in modular construction method, family-owned heritage, and ability to deliver bespoke commissioned projects at scale.
• Cygnum Timber Frame: Irish timber frame manufacturer designing and producing energy-efficient homes and building systems in Ireland and the UK. Directly comparable in product (timber frame, off-site manufactured homes), geography (Ireland overlap), and target customer (self-builders, developers, architects).

Emerging players

• TopHat: UK technology-led modular housing manufacturer producing factory-built homes for developers and housing associations. An emerging player targeting a similar volumetric/factory-built home concept as Setanta's SoLow product, though at greater scale and with a developer-channel focus.
• Legal & General Modular Homes: Modular housing manufacturer established by Legal & General to deliver factory-built homes at scale for the UK housing market. An emerging player with significant capital backing pursuing a similar off-site, factory-manufactured housing thesis as Setanta's SoLow product, but at materially larger scale.
• Ilke Homes: UK modular housing manufacturer producing factory-built, energy-efficient homes for housing associations and developers. An emerging player with comparable off-site manufacturing approach and energy-efficiency positioning, though serving larger affordable-housing framework contracts.

Regional players

• Baufritz: German family-owned manufacturer of prefabricated, energy-efficient timber homes (including Passivhaus-standard) with UK sales operations. Comparable in Passive House positioning, factory-built timber systems, and bespoke premium home offerings, though primarily serving the German market with UK as a secondary geography.

Broad incumbents

• Portakabin: One of the UK's largest modular and portable building providers, offering modular offices, classrooms, and accommodation across a wide portfolio. A broad incumbent with overlapping off-site/modular capabilities but serving a much wider portfolio of use cases than Setanta's bespoke timber frame niche.
• Kingspan Timber Solutions: The timber-frame solutions division of Kingspan Group, formed from the acquisition of Stewart Milne Timber Systems, manufacturing timber frame panels and systems across the UK and Ireland. A much larger incumbent offering overlapping off-site timber frame capabilities and energy-efficient building systems, though as part of a broad building envelope portfolio rather than a bespoke specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/setantaconstructionni
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/setantaconstruction

Compliance10 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 Setanta Construction