Residential main contractors who build what's drawn.
Houses, apartment buildings and housing schemes built to your design team's information — with one point of responsibility on site, and questions raised at tender, not after contract.
Want us to design it too? See design and build · Building your own home? See new build houses
“They play an integral role in our pre-construction planning.”
Who does what
Clear lines between your team and ours.
Most disputes start with a grey area. We agree every boundary at tender, in writing.
How we run your contract
You'll always know where the job stands.
- Variations this week
- 1 priced · 1 approved
- Open queries
- 2 with architect
From tender to handover
Five stages. No surprises in any of them.
- 1Tender reviewDrawings, specification and site checked. Gaps flagged.
- 2Price and programmeAssumptions and exclusions listed, not buried.
- 3ContractScope, price and dates signed off.
- 4BuildManaged site and a weekly report.
- 5HandoverSign-off, snagging, as-builts and manuals.
Schemes we've built as main contractor
All projects →FAQs
Residential main contracting questions.
Do you act as principal contractor under CDM?
Yes. We take on principal contractor duties under the CDM Regulations 2015, including the construction phase plan and site safety.
Which contracts do you work under?
Usually JCT standard forms, such as the Standard or Intermediate Building Contract. We can work with other forms your team prefers.
Can you take on parts of the design?
Yes. Contractor-designed parts, such as M&E or piling, are agreed and priced at tender.
How do you handle changes?
Every change is priced and approved in writing before work starts, so the final account holds no surprises.
Single-stage or two-stage tender?
In a single-stage tender, contractors price a complete design and you pick the best offer. It gives strong price competition, but only works when the design is finished. In a two-stage tender, you appoint a contractor early on preliminaries and overheads, then develop and price the packages together, openly. It takes longer to fix the price, but brings the contractor's buildability and cost knowledge in while there's still time to use it. We're happy to work either way, and will tell you honestly which suits your scheme.
Contractor's design portions
Even on a traditional main contract, some elements are usually designed by the contractor or its specialists. These are called contractor's design portions (CDP). Typical CDP items on a housing scheme:
- Piling and some foundation details.
- Steel and frame connections.
- Light-gauge steel framing systems.
- Mechanical and electrical services.
- Fire stopping, and below-ground drainage.
We agree the CDP list at tender, so it's clear who designs what and who is responsible.
Working with your design team
Your architect and engineers stay in charge of the design. We raise technical queries through a single register, with the date raised, the date needed and the answer, so nothing gets lost in email. Any change is priced and approved in writing before the work is done, never argued about at the final account.
Sequencing multi-unit schemes
On a scheme of several houses or a block of flats, the order of work decides the programme. We get the buildings watertight as early as possible so internal trades can start, run plots in a rolling sequence, and plan show homes and early completions around your sales. At Cherry Tree Road in Watford, Westway built nine four-bed houses in eight months this way.
Proving quality, not just promising it
On new homes, quality has to be proven with records. Before handover you'll have:
- Warranty provider inspections at the key stages.
- Pre-completion sound tests between homes, under Part E.
- Air tightness tests and as-built energy assessments (SAP and EPC).
- Photo records of every fire-stopping detail.
- Building control inspections and the completion certificate.
Your duties, and ours, under the Building Safety Act
Since October 2023, everyone on a building project has legal duties to make sure the work complies with building regulations, and must have the competence to do so. As principal contractor we plan, manage and monitor the build for compliance, and keep the records to prove it. On higher-risk residential buildings (at least 18 metres or seven storeys, with two or more homes), extra rules apply, including Building Safety Regulator approval before work starts. See our apartment buildings page for more.
What you get at handover
- Operation and maintenance manuals, with as-built drawings.
- The health and safety file.
- Test certificates, warranty certificates and the building control completion certificate.
- A defects period, commonly 12 months, with a named contact for issues.
Working with lenders and monitoring surveyors
If your scheme is funded by development finance, your lender's monitoring surveyor will check progress and cost before each drawdown. We provide monthly valuations, an updated programme and a cost-to-complete in the format they need, so drawdowns aren't delayed waiting for information.
What our clients say
Trusted by developers, homeowners and project teams.
Feedback from clients of New Build Contractors and Westway Construction.
“Highly professional and dependable. They play an integral role in our pre-construction planning — design, budgeting and tendering. Communication is always clear.”
“From mixed-use flats in London to multi-million pound homes in Berkshire, their team has consistently delivered high-quality results.”
“Focused, reliable and solution-driven, even in the most demanding phases on a challenging site. The result is a high-quality finish.”
Invite us to tender
Have a residential scheme ready to price?
Send the package or a portal link. We confirm receipt and our intent to bid within [one working day].
- 1We review your documents and visit the site.
- 2We raise questions early, in writing.
- 3You get a clear price and programme by your deadline.