United Kingdom

Starting a construction business in the UK

Sole trader or limited company, Companies House and HMRC, CIS and the VAT question, in the order they actually come up. These guides cover the choice, what each one costs to run, and the registrations that gate your first payment.

3 ways to move forward

After you qualifySet up a UK companyIncorporation is one registration out of six, and the other five sit with HMRC. The whole sequence in order: what Companies House needs, what each HMRC registration is triggered by, what it costs, and the diary dates that follow.After you qualifySole Trader or LimitedWhich structure leaves more in your hand at £48,000 and at £120,000 of profit, worked end to end on 2026-27 rates, plus the CIS cash-flow difference that decides it for most one-van subbies.Practical guidesCost of going self-employedAn itemised 2026 setup bill in pounds, from the £36 CSCS card to the van, plus the month by month cash flow that shows why you need about £10,000 behind you before the first application gets paid.

The rest of the United Kingdom library

The Construction Industry SchemeVAT for UK constructionGetting paid on UK constructionCSCS cards and site ticketsFinding construction work in the UKPayment notices and adjudicationRetention on UK construction
Every guideThe whole United Kingdom libraryAfter you qualify