CIS checks for Bristol contractors and labour providers
For firms in Bristol that pay subcontractor companies or labour providers, and for the labour providers themselves.
SubSure works online across the UK. There's no office in Bristol. The checks run in your browser, and the company check reads the Companies House register at the moment you ask.
Construction in Bristol
In 2026 there were 2,165 construction businesses registered for VAT or PAYE in Bristol City Council's area, up 1% on 2021 (UK: up 9%).
| Construction businesses, 2026 | Bristol | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Construction of buildings | 680 | 123,625 |
| Civil engineering | 85 | 22,840 |
| Specialised trades (electrical, plumbing, plastering, roofing and the rest) | 1,400 | 246,380 |
| All construction | 2,165 | 392,845 |
| Share of all businesses there | 11.8% | 14.1% |
| With fewer than 10 people | 92% | 95% |
Source: UK Business Counts, enterprises by industry and size, 2026 (Office for National Statistics, on Nomis), read 26 October 2026. ONS rounds each count to the nearest 5.
What that means for your checks
- 92 in every 100 construction businesses in Bristol have fewer than 10 people (below the UK's 95%). Most firms you might pay are small, so verify each one with HMRC before you first pay them, however well you know them. How to verify.
- Specialised trades are 65% of the construction businesses here (above the UK's 63%). Ask each firm you pay whether they pass the work on, and to whom, and write down the answer. Supply chain due diligence.
- For a limited company, check the register before the first payment: how new it is, overdue filings and director changes. Run the free company check.
Major projects in and around Bristol
Two major projects, from official sources:
Bristol Temple Quarter
A regeneration programme around Temple Meads station, led by Bristol City Council, Homes England, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and Network Rail, planned for 10,000 homes.
Stage: The partnership says delivery is under way, including a new eastern entrance to the station.
Source: Bristol Temple Quarter (no page date; its latest news is dated 9 October 2026), read 26 October 2026.
Hengrove Park
A new neighbourhood of 1,435 homes on the old Whitchurch airfield in south Bristol, around half of them affordable, with a large public park.
Stage: Work began on the first phase, 209 homes, in July 2026.
Source: Work begins on first major phase of Hengrove Park, Goram Homes (owned by Bristol City Council) (24 July 2026), read 26 October 2026.
Labour supply in Bristol
In 2026 there were 95 temporary staffing agencies registered in Bristol City Council's area, out of 330 businesses in employment activities of all kinds. That is about 4.4 for every 100 construction businesses there, above the UK's 2.7 (10,455 agencies in all). These counts cover agencies for every sector, not only construction, and we name none of them.
Source: UK Business Counts, enterprises by industry and size, 2026 (Office for National Statistics, on Nomis), read 26 October 2026. ONS rounds each count to the nearest 5.
Under CIS an agency that supplies workers to do construction work under its own contract with them is a subcontractor, and the contractor must apply the scheme to its payments. An agency that only introduces a worker, who then contracts with the contractor, is not. Source: Construction Industry Scheme: a guide for contractors and subcontractors (CIS 340).
Since 6 April 2026 the rules reach payments made or received, so a labour provider is judged on the money it is paid as well as the money it pays out. Source: Tackling Construction Industry Scheme fraud (policy paper, 26 November 2025). Read CIS checks for labour providers.
Start with one company
What this check cannot tell you. We cannot see a company's CIS registration or gross payment status. Only you can, by verifying them with HMRC before you pay.
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New to the rules? Start with the CIS guides.