of construction firms are using AI in any form, the lowest of any UK sector.
ONS, 2026
AI for construction
The paperwork is beating your people.
Updated September 2026
I'm a London-based fractional AI officer helping UK contractors and civils firms automate tender assembly, valuations, RAMS, subcontractor paperwork and site reporting, and training their own teams to run what gets built.
The sector's own numbers
of construction firms have no plans to adopt AI at all.
DSIT, 2026
of UK SMEs say they "use AI", but only around one in ten are actually automating any part of their operations.
BCC, 2026
The sector with the most repetitive paperwork has the least automation.
Where the time actually goes
Four places it shows up on most jobs, with the arithmetic behind each shown honestly, not promised.
Tender & framework submissions
Now: every ITT starts from a blank document: method statements, pricing schedules, CVs and policies pulled from old bids and reformatted by hand, usually by your best estimator.
Instead: a maintained library of clauses, CVs and policies assembles a first-pass submission your team reviews and finishes, rather than rebuilds from scratch.
Illustrative: 4 submissions/month × ~1.5 days released × ~£400/day loaded ≈ £2,400/month
Subcontractor & supplier invoices
Now: delivery notes and applications for payment get rekeyed into the accounting system line by line, then chased when the numbers don't match.
Instead: invoices and delivery notes are read and matched against the order automatically; only genuine mismatches land on someone's desk.
Illustrative: 250 invoices/month × ~7 min released × ~£22/hr loaded ≈ £640/month
Valuations & variation orders
Now: each month's valuation means a QS working back through variation instructions, reconciling them against the original quote, project by project.
Instead: variations are logged against the original quote as they happen, so the valuation pack goes into the meeting already reconciled.
Illustrative: ~2 days/month released across a typical live project list × ~£380/day loaded ≈ £760/month
Site reporting
Now: photos, progress notes and plant/labour figures get written up into a daily or weekly report by hand, usually after the site's gone quiet.
Instead: photos and notes captured through the day are turned into a first-draft report; the site manager checks it and sends it.
Illustrative: 4 site managers × ~20 min/day released × ~£28/hr loaded ≈ £930/month
Illustrative, based on typical figures for a firm this size, not a promise. Your audit prices your own operation, project by project.
How it works
Four stages · most start at stage two
1. Readiness check
FreeTwelve questions, about four minutes, no signup. A scored breakdown across leadership, operations, data and people.
Take the check →2. AI Opportunity Audit
£3,500Half a day on site. Every recommendation comes back priced in £/month saved. The roadmap is yours to keep, whether or not you hire me again.
Book a walkthrough →3. Fractional AI Officer
From £4,500/moMonthly strategy with you, the MD. Systems built with your estimators, QSs and site teams, not around them, plus the training so they can run it themselves.
Ask about this →4. Installed systems
OngoingA live view of your tenders, valuations and site reports, and a set of automations your own people can run and maintain without me in the room.
Ask about this →Most start with the audit, it's built to stand on its own, not as a funnel into the retainer.
Why not the usual
I build things myself
This page is hand-coded, at the same domain you're reading it on: no agency, no template. The readiness check is a working tool, not a mockup. You can see the rest of the work on the homepage.
Your team learns to run it
Coaching your estimators, QSs and site managers to run a system beats renting mine to run it for you. The capability stays on site after I leave.
Priced in your arithmetic
Every recommendation carries its own £/month figure. If it doesn't pay for itself, it doesn't go on the roadmap.
Frequently asked questions
What does the AI Opportunity Audit cost, and what do I get?
The audit is £3,500 for half a day on site. Every recommendation comes back priced in £/month saved, and the roadmap is yours to keep, whether or not you hire me again.
Is the readiness check free?
Yes. It's twelve questions, about four minutes, no signup, and gives you a scored breakdown across leadership, operations, data and people.
What does the Fractional AI Officer retainer include?
From £4,500 a month: monthly strategy with you, the MD, systems built with your estimators, QSs and site teams rather than around them, plus the training so they can run it themselves.
Ready to see where you stand?
Start with the four-minute check, or skip straight to a conversation, whichever you'd rather do. No testimonials or case studies here yet: the check and the field notes are the proof so far.
Prefer email? rory@roryphillips.dev