Best Thames Valley Building Contractors Statistics: UK 2025

Whether planning a new build or contemplating extensions, refurbishments, or additional structures, homeowners in the Thames Valley area are investing in their properties. While some projects are small enough to take a DIY approach, most require the services of a professional building contractor. 

To find out what 331,148 homeowners in the Thames Valley area's opinions were about building contractors, we utilised AI-driven audience profiling to synthesise insights from online discussions for a full year, ending 22nd September 2025, to a high statistical confidence level. Their perspectives reveal current sentiments and stances on hiring the right people for the job. 

Index

• Best Overall Building Contractor in Thames Valley: JD Residential

• 100% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area first look at reputation from past projects when searching for a building contractor

• Homeowner opinions are split 5 ways regarding the importance of a contractor's website

• 56% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area usually use search engines when they start looking for a contractor

• 50% of Thames Valley area homeowners are neutral about considering changing their building contractor due to a decline in quality

• 51% of Thames Valley homeowners would moderately recommend MCS Build

• A local presence is essential for 38% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area when choosing a building contractor

• 73% of Thames Valley homeowners say finding someone trustworthy is the biggest challenge when hiring a building contractor

• 100% of Thames Valley homeowners place the most value on a building contractor’s service range

• Limited availability would make 100% of Thames Valley homeowners switch to another building contractor

• 100% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area prefer site visits when comparing contractors

• 100% of Thames Valley homeowners are neutral about using work experience to measure building project success

• 38% of our audience are moderately positive that they’re located in Reading

• High Expectations and Informed Decisions Lead The Way

• Methodology

  
  

Best Overall Building Contractor in Thames Valley: JD Residential

With its exceptional combination of expertise, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to quality, JD Residential stands out as the premier building contractor in the Thames Valley. Founded in 2015 by James Dalzell, who holds a master’s degree in town planning and has extensive experience in both commercial and residential surveying, JD Residential has a deep understanding of residential construction and client expectations.

The firm has built a reputation for delivering exceptional homes, ranging from smaller extensions to complex refurbishments and heritage-listed properties. Their process emphasises top-quality tradespeople and craftsmanship, supported by a large network of trusted subcontractors with specialist expertise. Each project benefits from careful planning, attention to detail, and clear communication with clients, consultants, and neighbors, ensuring smooth execution and minimal disruption.

JD Residential’s ethos of honesty and straightforward working relationships reinforces their reliability and professionalism. Clients consistently praise the team for their experience, creative solutions, and ability to manage projects efficiently from tender to completion. 

By combining technical expertise, a client-focused approach, and a dedication to quality, JD Residential exemplifies why they are the preferred building contractor for homeowners seeking high standards and peace of mind in the Thames Valley.

What Is The First Factor You Look At When Searching For A Building Contractor In The Thames Valley Area?

100% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area first look at reputation from past projects when searching for a building contractor

All homeowners look for the same first factor:

Whether you want to add another room to your home, fully refurbish a heritage building, or build a large house from scratch, choosing a building contractor is no easy task. If your contractor isn’t up to scratch, you could be faced with endless frustrations and fix-ups or an unmitigated disaster. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that 100% of our audience says that reputation from past projects is the first thing they look at when choosing a contractor in the Thames Valley area.

Poor build quality isn’t the only factor homeowners should consider when evaluating a contractor's reputation. Time is also an issue, as delayed projects often exceed their budgets. Research from the Taxpayers Alliance finds that, of 227 major infrastructure projects currently in progress, 84% are facing significant issues, while 27 are unlikely to be completed. This suggests homeowners are well aware of the importance of reputation, and that reputation must be grounded in reality.

How Important Is The Building Contractor Website In Your Decision Process?

Homeowner opinions are split 5 ways regarding the importance of a contractor's website

A website is clearly not the biggest driver in decision-making: 

A website is often touted as a crucial marketing tool in the construction industry. However, for our audience of homeowners in the Thames Valley area, it doesn’t feature as being hugely important in the hiring decision process. 

20% say that a contractor's website has limited value in being essential and very influential, and another 20% say that it's not something they check often, so it's therefore not crucial in decision-making.

The remaining 60% of our audience’s opinions are split three ways, saying that a building contractor's website is useful in being helpful, but it is not the deciding factor, less important than word of mouth, and useful for background details only. This highlights that while a website can support a contractor’s credibility and provide helpful information, it is certainly not the primary driver of hiring decisions 

Where Do You Usually Begin Your Search For A Building Contractor?

56% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area usually use search engines when they start looking for a contractor

Different sources are used when beginning the search for building contractors:

When looking for a building contractor in the Thames Valley area, more than half (56%) of homeowners begin their hunt with search engines. Of course, there’s nothing unusual about this. Statista reports that Google dominates the UK search market, with more than 90% of users using the search engine. This suggests these homeowners trust search engines to deliver accurate, relevant results.

The rest of our audience is split almost evenly between beginning their search in social media groups (23%) and starting with trade association listings (20%). The appreciation for social media groups may be because other homeowners posting in groups share their experiences of working with various contractors, allowing those searching to make an informed decision. 

It makes sense that some homeowners turn to trade associations, as these aren’t likely to list contractors who are not in good standing.

What Would Make You Consider Changing Your Building Contractor?

50% of Thames Valley area homeowners are neutral about considering changing their building contractor due to a decline in quality

There’s a 50/50 split on opinions of changing contractors:

Although our audience is split evenly on the subject of what would make them consider changing from their current building contractor, neither group has particularly strong feelings about this. 50% say they would consider changing if they noticed a decline in quality, suggesting they understand the importance of quality in building projects. The other 50% say limited availability on the contractor’s part would make them consider another provider. 

It’s no stretch of the imagination to say some contractors do have limited availability. Recent figures from BCIS indicate total construction output in the UK grew by 2.4%, while new work increased by 4.1% and R&M by 0.3%, health and education projects by 16.4%, and private industrial projects by 12.5%. This suggests some homeowners are concerned about timelines and want building contractors who can devote as much time as possible to ensuring things are completed on time.

Which Other Building Contractor Companies Would You Recommend In The Thames Valley Area?

51% of Thames Valley homeowners would moderately recommend MCS Build

Two other building contractor companies are recommended:

Two names consistently appear in our audience’s online discussions about other building contractors they would recommend. 51% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area say they would recommend MSC Build, even if only moderately, while 49% would strongly recommend Beard Construction. It’s evident then, that at least some of our audience have either used these contractors before or have received recommendations for them. 

What Matters Most When Choosing A Building Contractor?

A local presence is essential for 38% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area when choosing a building contractor

Opinions differ about what matters most when choosing a contractor:

Not all Thames Valley homeowners prioritise the same things when choosing a building contractor. For 38% of our audience, a local presence is the most important thing they look for in a contractor. This may be because it would be easier for these homeowners to see contractors’ past projects, or a local presence is more reassuring when it comes to contractor availability. 

Another 38% say recommendations are an important consideration when choosing a contractor, while the remaining 24% say they place great importance on contractors’ work portfolios. Clearly, our audience wants building contractors with a proven record.

All three of these factors play an important role in finding a good builder, which also should involve checking ratings and reviews online, creating a shortlist ,and interviewing your top choices. 

What Has Been The Biggest Challenge When Hiring A Building Contractor in The Thames Valley Area?

73% of Thames Valley homeowners say finding someone trustworthy is the biggest challenge when hiring a building contractor

There are two major challenges when looking for contractors in the Thames Valley area:

As several graphs above indicate, finding building contractors can be a challenging process. 73% of homeowners in our audience say their biggest challenge is finding a trustworthy contractor, which suggests they’ve either had bad experiences or read negative reviews about contractors in the Thames Valley area. 

It’s impossible to downplay the importance of trust in the construction industry. A recent FMI and Autodesk report based on a global survey found that construction companies with a high level of trust are twice as confident in meeting project deadlines than low-trust companies and see more returning business, with four out of five projects being for repeat customers. Trust in construction companies in the UK remains relatively high, with the country’s industry scoring 4.1 out of 5.

For the remaining 27% of our audience, their biggest challenge is coordinating different trades for the same project, showing that reputable contractors and tradespeople are in high demand in the area.

What Do You Value Most In A Building Contractor?

100% of Thames Valley homeowners place the most value on a building contractor’s service range

Everyone agrees on what they value most in contractors:

One of our most surprising findings concerns what homeowners value most in a building contractor. Given what our audience says they look for in contractors and their challenges and pain points, it’s interesting that 100% value contractors’ range of services – interesting, but not unbelievable.

It makes sense that homeowners prefer a contractor who can complete as much of the work as possible, which aligns with some of our audience’s difficulties in coordinating various trades. Generally, a one-off detached house costs between £2,480 and £2,760 per square metre. The cost may be significantly higher if numerous contractors work on the project. 

Hiring one or a couple of contractors to work on a project is usually much more cost-effective, as a single contractor is likely to offer various services at lower rates than you would receive from several different providers.

What Would Make You Switch To Another Building Contractor?

Limited availability would make 100% of Thames Valley homeowners switch to another building contractor

Homeowners all agree on what would make them change building contractors:

Above, we discussed scenarios that would make Thames Valley homeowners consider switching to another contractor. However, our audience also mentions what would definitely make them find someone else to complete the job. 100% say they would switch contractors if they’re dissatisfied with their current contractor’s limited availability. 

This is a very real scenario, as there simply aren’t enough contractors or construction workers to meet demand at the moment. While some contractors are efficient enough to meet all their commitments and complete work on time, the broader industry is struggling to find more workers. 

According to the latest REC/KPMG Report on Jobs, construction was the only monitored sector that saw an increase in demand for permanent workers in August 2025. This implies homeowners are aware of many contractors’ difficulties in fulfilling their obligations due to staff shortages.

How Do You Prefer To Compare Building Contractors?

100% of homeowners in the Thames Valley area prefer site visits when comparing contractors

There’s a consensus on the approach to comparing building contractors:

When comparing building contractors, 100% of our audience of homeowners in the Thames Valley area says they do so by visiting construction sites. This makes sense, as visiting sites where contractors are working offers a glimpse at what to expect. 

However, you need to know what to look out for when visiting sites, otherwise your efforts may be wasted. If a site is a chaotic mess and work is behind schedule, there’s a good chance your project will go the same way.  

How Do You Measure Building Project Success?

100% of Thames Valley homeowners are neutral about using work experience to measure building project success

There are no strong feelings about measuring the success of building projects:

Although 100% of Thames Valley homeowners report using work experience to measure project success, they express neutral feelings about doing so. This suggests they might not be confident in their ability to measure contractors’ work experience. 

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), building contractors and small builders must be able to demonstrate that they have the experience, knowledge, skills, and organisational ability to complete their work safely and without putting health at risk. Their experience, knowledge, skills, and training should be proportionate to the complexity of the projects they undertake and to the nature and range of risks involved. 

Homeowners should pay attention to contractors’ membership of professional bodies, references from previous work, and records of continuing professional development (CPD). 

Which City Are You Located In?

38% of our audience are moderately positive that they’re located in Reading

Almost half of our audience is located in the Reading area:

For these statistics, we focused entirely on homeowners in the Thames Valley area. While some are moderately (43%) or strongly (10%) negative they’re located in Reading, 38% are moderately positive, and 8% are strongly positive they’re located in or near this town. 

It’s worth noting that Reading has repeatedly been recognised as a very desirable place to live. In 2025, it secured a spot in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide once again, thanks to its excellent mix of business, culture, and connectivity. For homeowners, finding a reputable contractor who maintains high standards and adds value to their home is understandably a key priority.

High Expectations and Informed Decisions Lead The Way

These statistics provide insights into homeowners’ perceptions and use of, and experience with, building contractors in the Thames Valley area. We’ve explored how they look for contractors, what they look for in contractors, how they evaluate those they’re interested in working with, and what would make them switch to another provider. 

We’ve found that homeowners in the area are savvy – they know what they want, they have high expectations, and they’re not prepared to settle for second best.

Methodology

Sourced using Artios from an independent sample of 331,148 United Kingdom homeowners in the Thames Valley area opinions across X, Reddit, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, and BlueSky. Responses are collected within a 75% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. Results are derived from opinions expressed online and not actual questions answered by people in the sample.

About the representative sample:

• 29% of United Kingdom homeowners in the Thames Valley area are aged 65+.

• 76% identify as female and 24% as male.