How to Get Work From Property Developers in the UK
The short answer
Start with small developers: flat flippers, extensions and small conversions. Call the director, never cold email, and offer a free build-cost estimate on a deal they are assessing. Then tender for the build and act as a delivery partner, on payment terms the Construction Act backs.
- Start small. Flat flippers, house extensions and small commercial-to-residential conversions need reliable builders and don't run strict tender frameworks.
- Find them for free. Planning approvals name the applicant; Companies House lets you search active companies by SIC code 41100, "Development of building projects", and by registered address.
- Call, don't email. Ask the director what they're working on and whether they need help right now.
- Lead with numbers they need. A developer has to know the build cost before buying. Offer a free estimate on a deal they're assessing, then tender for the build.
A good developer is worth more than ten one-off clients. They buy, build and sell again, and every project needs a builder they trust.
Most builders never get in, because they wait for developers to find them. Here is how to go and get the work. Want a developer pipeline planned for your firm? Book a free strategy call.
Why developers are worth chasing
Developers always need reliable contractors. Unlike a homeowner who builds once, a developer who likes your work has the next project already lined up.
- Repeat work. One relationship can mean several projects over the next few years.
- Clearer decisions. A developer judges a builder on cost, programme and reliability, the things you can prove.
- Stronger payment rights. A developer doesn't live in the property, so the Construction Act covers your contract (more below).
Never send them a cold email. At minimum, call directly and ask what they're working on and whether they need help right now.
Which developers to target
Start small. Big housebuilders and large schemes run strict tenders and frameworks that a growing builder can't meet yet.
- Flat flippers buying, refurbishing and selling or letting flats.
- Small developers doing house extensions and refurbishments to add value.
- Small commercial-to-residential conversions, such as offices or shops turned into flats.
- Developers working outside their usual area. They don't have local builders yet.
Write down your ideal developer job before you call anyone: type, value, area, programme and the margin you need. Drop every lead that doesn't fit.
My honest view: Glenigan, Barbour ABI and Find a Tender are databases, not clients. They're built for big contractors and suppliers chasing large and public tenders. If you turn over up to around £3M, most of what you'll see is too big. It needs frameworks and accreditations you don't have yet, or already has dozens of contractors chasing it.
Is the gap in your pipeline or in how you convert enquiries? Take the free 4-minute Construction Business Scorecard: 18 questions on your pipeline, sales, pricing, cash flow and systems, with your weakest area shown first. Want the enquiries handled for you? See our construction marketing service.
Where to find property developers for free
You don't need a paid lead service to start (just set up and still waiting for work? Start with our 30-day plan for new construction companies). Three free routes:
| Route | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Council planning portal | Check approved applications every week. The applicant is often the developer, and the agent is usually the architect |
| Companies House | Advanced search: nature of business = SIC 41100 "Development of building projects", status = Active, and your town or postcode in the registered office address |
| LinkedIn, Google and property events | Search for developers in your area, check their current portfolio, and go to property and construction events where developers are in the room |
Companies House gives you the company and its directors' names. Then find the business phone number and call.
Block the same time every week. Monday: pull new approvals and companies. Tuesday and Thursday mornings: calls. Friday: send everything you promised.
Make the first call
Call the business number and ask for the director, or whoever makes the decisions. Keep it short and make it about them:
- Who you are, in one breath: company, type of work, area.
- What they're working on right now and what's coming up.
- What they need most. Usually it's help with construction costs before they buy.
- One reason you fit: a similar job nearby, your team, a case study. Follow up with a one-page capability statement.
- When to call back, then call at exactly that time.
If they're not ready, ask what else they have coming up and when to call. A "not now" from a developer is the start of the relationship, not the end.
Not sure what to say to a developer?
Book a free call and we'll plan your first calls with you.
Offer a free estimate on a deal they're assessing
This is the hook. Before a developer buys a site or a building, they need to know what the build will cost. Offer to price it.
A good budget estimate for a developer shows:
- The build cost, broken down by the main elements, with your assumptions written down.
- A realistic programme, because time is money on a development.
- The risks you can see, and what they could cost.
- Options that save money without touching the main price.
Keep it to a budget estimate, not a full priced bill of quantities. When the deal goes ahead, you're first in line to tender for the build. Want help pricing your first developer estimate? Book a free strategy call.
Spending a week on a detailed price for a deal the developer hasn't secured. Ask first: have you secured it, how many contractors are pricing, and what matters most: price, programme or quality?
20+ Ways to Get Construction Projects in the UK
Developers, architects, main contractors, Bark and 16 more routes, with scripts and real numbers.
Get the free guideBe a delivery partner, not a supplier
A supplier sends a price. A delivery partner helps the developer make the scheme work. They find savings when the budget is tight and say early if a date is at risk.
They also send a clear tender with a breakdown, programme and payment stages. For a trade package such as kitchens, that means a price per plot type built from real hours: see how kitchen fitting businesses price jobs.
Agree the money in writing before you start. On a developer's job your rights are stronger than on a homeowner's:
- Stage payments: you're entitled to them unless the work is to take less than 45 days.
- Notices: the developer needs a valid pay-less notice to pay less than the notified sum.
- Suspension and adjudication: you can suspend after at least 7 days' notice, or refer a dispute to adjudication, with a decision in 28 days.
- CIS and retention: expect 20% CIS deducted from labour (30% if unregistered), and check any retention, typically 5%.
If a developer still won't pay at the end, the steps are in our guide to a client who won't pay the final invoice.
How Adam & Ali added developers to their pipeline
Adam & Ali were stuck at around £500K a year for three years. Fixing the pipeline was one of five steps we worked on together.
They called every old contact, added LinkedIn outreach to architects and designers, and made direct approaches to developers. The same four months brought £91,796 of work signed in 8 days and a £528K project through an old architect contact. The case study doesn't credit those jobs to a developer: developers were one of several routes they opened at once.
Adam & Ali: £500K a year to a £528K project
Rebrand, pricing, sales and a pipeline beyond referrals, in 4 months. Individual results, not typical or guaranteed.
Developers and architects often work together, so the same weekly routine feeds both. Read how to get work from architects for the architect side.
Want a pipeline of developers and architects instead of waiting for referrals?
Book a free strategy call.
Before you call your first developer
Payment and tax points are general information for England and Wales as of October 2026, not legal advice.
Before you go
- You've written down your ideal developer job: type, value, area, margin
- You have a list from planning approvals and Companies House (SIC 41100)
- You'll call the director, never cold email
- You're ready to offer a budget estimate on a deal they're assessing
- Your contract has stage payments and clear payment terms
