# Choosing a principal contractor for a £2m+ residential project

> Five questions every homeowner and architect should ask before appointing a main contractor on a project of this scale. Get these right and the build is largely solved.

**Published:** 2026-01-22 · **Read time:** 6 min · **Category:** Process

Appointing a contractor is where residential projects quietly succeed or quietly fail. Here are the five questions that separate the firms who can deliver a £2m+ scheme from those who will say they can.

One. Who leads the commercial? On any project of scale, cost control sits with a senior commercial lead, not the site manager. Ask who that person is, what their role is on your project, and how often they issue valuations. A contractor without a named commercial lead is not equipped for this value.

Two. What is the contract form, and are they fluent in it? JCT Standard, JCT D&B, NEC, bespoke. Each form allocates risk differently. A contractor who cannot immediately describe the contract conditions they want, and why, is not experienced at this tier.

> A contractor who answers the five questions in writing, in the first meeting, is the contractor you want.

*[Image: First-floor landing with painted spindle balustrade, Vicarage Way. HXL fit-out detail.. The last ten per cent. Stair spindles, landing detailing, the finishes the client lives with.]*

Three. What does their weekly reporting look like? Ask to see a sample weekly report. Real firms have templates. Programme, cost, AIs, snags, safety, photos. A firm that says 'we'll work that out together' is about to be a problem.

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Four. Who is on site, named? There should be a site manager, a project manager, a commercial lead, and access to a contract administrator or equivalent. Ask for names, CVs, and a signed commitment on who will be on your project, not who might be.

Five. What is their rectification-period response? After practical completion, the contractor is on the hook for defects for 12 months. Ask how they handle callbacks. Who picks up, how fast, what is covered. The best firms see this as an extension of the original appointment; the worst disappear the day the cheque clears.

HXL answers all five in the first meeting, in writing, before you commit to anything. If any contractor you are considering does not, that is your information.


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**HXL Construction Ltd** · Principal contractor and design & build firm · London and the Home Counties
Email: info@hxlconstruction.com · Phone: +44 7845 585147
Registered office: 102 Vine Lane, Uxbridge, London UB10 0BE
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