CIS checks for London contractors and labour providers
For firms in London that pay subcontractor companies or labour providers, and for the labour providers themselves.
SubSure works online across the UK. There's no office in London. The checks run in your browser, and the company check reads the Companies House register at the moment you ask.
Construction in London
In 2026 there were 62,995 construction businesses registered for VAT or PAYE in London (its 33 local authorities together), up 7% on 2021 (UK: up 9%).
| Construction businesses, 2026 | London | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Construction of buildings | 28,830 | 123,625 |
| Civil engineering | 2,725 | 22,840 |
| Specialised trades (electrical, plumbing, plastering, roofing and the rest) | 31,440 | 246,380 |
| All construction | 62,995 | 392,845 |
| Share of all businesses there | 11.4% | 14.1% |
| With fewer than 10 people | 97% | 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
- 97 in every 100 construction businesses in London have fewer than 10 people (above 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 50% of the construction businesses here (below 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 London
Two major projects, from official sources:
HS2 Old Oak Common station
A new HS2 station in west London with 14 platforms: six for high speed trains and eight for other lines.
Stage: Being built. HS2 says the underground station box is dug out and work has started on the high speed platforms.
Source: Old Oak Common, HS2 (last updated 7 October 2026), read 26 October 2026.
Meridian Water, Enfield
One of Enfield Council's largest regeneration schemes: new roads, bridges and parks to open up land for more than 1,500 new homes.
Stage: Works under way. In September 2025 the council said 274 homes, all affordable, were being built.
Source: Meridian Water moves into next phase with major works underway, Enfield Council (September 2025), read 26 October 2026.
Labour supply in London
In 2026 there were 2,760 temporary staffing agencies registered in London (its 33 local authorities together), out of 8,365 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.