Road and rail contractor insolvencies jump 55%
45 road and rail contractors collapsed in the nine months to September, a 55% rise on the same period last year.
News · Insolvencies
Every collapse leaves a supply chain behind it.
The UK contractors and subcontractors that have entered administration, gone into liquidation or stopped trading, month by month, and what each one means for the firms owed money and the people looking for work.
This list was kept from our daily news, which stopped on 31 October 2026, and stays here as a record. The week's news, including new collapses and contract awards, is now in This week, every Friday.
October 2026
Berwick hospital rebuild slips to 2028 after Merit collapse
Robertson Construction must strip the £35m Berwick hospital back to its steel frame, pushing completion from 2027 to 2028.
Helix Construct collapse halts six Greenwich schemes
Helix Construct's collapse has stalled six Greenwich council housing schemes and put more than 40 jobs at risk.
September 2026
Torsion's care homes arm follows it into administration
Torsion Projects, the care homes and retirement living arm behind July's collapsed Torsion Construction, has filed to appoint administrators.
Avtar Construction collapse: £6m owed, no payout expected
Swindon groundworks firm Avtar Construction owes 276 creditors £6m after collapsing, and unsecured creditors are expected to get nothing.
Ascot brickwork firm Harlequin collapses after 15 years
Harlequin Brickwork, which employed over 500 site operatives at its peak, has entered administration after a creditor's winding-up petition.
Construction insolvencies fall 20% in August
Construction insolvencies fell 20% to 294 in August, though the sector still logged more corporate collapses than any other UK industry.
Torsion Construction collapse leaves £15m owed to suppliers
Leeds contractor Torsion owed suppliers £15m when it collapsed, a fresh warning for anyone exposed to build-to-rent subcontracting.
A Newbury contractor's collapse leaves £7.6m owed to creditors
Helix Construct, a 40-staff Berkshire contractor working across affordable housing, education and care schemes, has filed to appoint administrators. It is a fresh reminder that a full order book is no guarantee of survival once margins turn thin.
Insolvencies ease for a second month, but 2026 is still worse than 2025
Creditsafe data shows 25 construction firms fell into administration in August, the second monthly fall in a row, but the year-to-date total is still running ahead of last year.
A 70-year-old roofing firm's collapse is a payment-risk warning
Breyer Holdings folded after seven decades trading, putting 285 jobs at risk and leaving another trail of unpaid subcontractors in the specialist trades.
Devonshire Homes collapse leaves subcontractors £35m short
The West Country housebuilder's administration papers show £35m owed to unsecured creditors, with subcontractors expected to receive nothing. Here's what the collapse signals for regional housebuilding and the QSs working in it.
August 2026
Mansell's collapse warns MMC steel frame subbies to check their books
An Oldham light gauge steel frame specialist has filed to appoint administrators just six months after opening a bigger factory. It's a reminder that scaling up doesn't shield a subcontractor from a slow market.
Ardmore's collapse leaves subcontractors £5.1m short, more claims looming
A new administrators' report shows subcontractors will lose £5.1m from Ardmore Construction Group's collapse, with the door still open to £300m of further claims tied to the firm's defect history.
Insolvencies rise for a second month, what to check before your next move
Construction company failures rose for the second month running in July, official data shows, with the sector still accounting for the highest share of UK business collapses. Here's how to read that risk before you sign anywhere.
Taunton groundworks firm JAO ceases trading, 100+ jobs affected
JAO Groundworks in Taunton has ceased trading with immediate effect, the latest residential civils specialist to go under as the housing market downturn squeezes margins. More than 100 jobs are affected, and it's a pattern worth watching if you work in groundworks or residential civils.
Swindon groundworks firm's collapse is a warning sign for housebuilder subbies
Avtar Construction's fall into administration, after margins were squeezed to under 1%, shows how thin the ground is getting for groundworks subcontractors tied to the volume housebuilders.
Torsion Construction's collapse: what 115 redundancies signal for the market
The Leeds housing contractor has gone into administration with most of its 115 staff made redundant. Here is what its collapse says about the wider market and what displaced staff should do next.
Agetur collapse leaves 100 groundworkers redundant and £2m owed
Northamptonshire civils and groundworks firm Agetur has gone into administration owing more than £2m to trade creditors, with all staff made redundant overnight. It's a reminder of how thin the margin still is for housebuilders' civils supply chain.
Construction failures hit record July high as Leeds giant collapses
Construction News data shows a record 32 firms went under in July, including Leeds contractor Torsion Construction, even as survey data suggests the wider downturn is easing.