Business SquaredBUSINESS SQUARED

Sectors / Construction & Property

Finance built for how construction actually works.

When you move from subcontractor to main contractor, the numbers get complicated fast. CIS, retentions, reverse charge VAT, project costing, funding and bonding. I handle the lot, so you can price, bid and build with confidence.

Book a deep dive

The problem

Growing the order book, but the margin keeps slipping away?

Construction is one of the hardest sectors to read from the numbers. Cash is tied up in retentions and work in progress. CIS has to be right every month or HMRC comes knocking. VAT on building work is a minefield. And with several jobs running at once, it is easy to finish a project and still not know if it actually made money. Most accountants were never built for this.

Darren Jasper presenting to business owners

What I do for construction firms

More profit on each job, cash you can actually see.

CIS and subcontractor management

Accurate monthly CIS returns, subcontractor verification and correct deductions, kept cleanly separate from PAYE. No penalties, no surprises, clean records that stand up to an HMRC inspection.

Project costing and work in progress

Track profitability job by job, in real time. See which contracts actually make money, get your applications for payment right, and stop margin leaking out through retentions and WIP.

Funding and bonding

Forward-looking financials and cashflow forecasts that lenders and bond providers trust. Whether you are chasing development finance or a contract bond, you walk into the conversation with the numbers already in order.

Property and construction tax

Capital allowances, structures and buildings allowances, SDLT planning and efficient development or exit structures. The reliefs most firms miss, claimed properly, plus advice on whether an SPV makes sense for a project.

The difference

Proactive work between your bookkeeper and year-end accountant.

I am a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser, with construction as my strongest sector. I sit between your bookkeeper and your year-end accountant, doing the proactive work neither of them does. The goal is not just a cleaner set of accounts. It is more profit on each job, cash you can actually see, and a business that builds your personal wealth.

How this plays out

A typical first 90 days with a construction client.

  1. 01

    Deep dive

    We map every live job, review CIS and VAT treatment, and pinpoint where retentions, WIP and pricing are quietly costing you margin.

  2. 02

    Quick wins

    Fix the highest-value issues first: capital allowances claimed, CIS cleaned up, job costing rebuilt so applications for payment reflect true position.

  3. 03

    Ongoing rhythm

    Monthly numbers you actually use, forward-looking cashflow, and tax planning that keeps HMRC and your bond providers happy all year round.

Client outcomes

Real transformations, not just case studies.

Moved from Sage to Xero and supported with Fractional CFO work through a management buy-out: significant change in both systems and ownership.

Solum SW Ltd

From employee, through redundancy, to running a £1.5m business. Forecasting, tax planning, monthly meetings and personal tax in one holistic relationship.

Ability Care Solutions Ltd

After 43 years with a compliance-only accountant: succession planning, restructuring, refinancing and bringing the next generation into the business.

Combers Limited

FAQs

Common questions from construction firms.

Want to know which of your jobs are really making money?

No jargon, no pressure. Just a clear, honest look at your numbers and what to do next. Let's start with a deep dive.

Worth a conversation?