Buyers & trades

Contractor Demand

A live read of which main contractors are on site now - a job commenced but not yet completed - and therefore actively buying subcontract and supply packages.

A main contractor with a project that has commenced but not yet reached completion is, by definition, mid-build: they are letting trade packages and buying materials. Contractor Demand aggregates every such active site by contractor, so you can see who is busiest right now, across how many jobs and counties, and - from the modelled build-phase windows - which specific trades each is likely procuring this month. It is a descriptive, organisation-level read of the statutory record, not a forecast.

Why it matters

It flips lead-finding on its head. Instead of chasing a project and then hunting for the buyer, you get the buyers themselves, ranked by how much work they have on the go, with a hint of what they are buying now - a warm, prioritised call list for a subcontractor or supplier.

Where it shows up in the data

PlanningLeads groups on-site leads (commenced, not completed) by their named main contractor, counts active sites and counties, and overlays the open trade windows - surfaced on the Contractor Demand feed (Pro).

Common questions

How do you know a contractor is buying now?

A commencement notice names the builder and marks the site as under way; until a completion cert is filed the job is live, so the contractor is still procuring packages and materials.

Where do the trades buying now come from?

From the modelled trade windows - a deterministic slice of the commencement-to-completion span per trade. It is an indicative timing aid, not a confirmed procurement date.

Why is the list small right now?

It only counts sites where the builder is named on the register. Coverage grows as more commencement notices name their contractor.

This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Planning rules carry conditions and exceptions - always verify a specific case against the official source or a planning professional before acting.

Turn this signal into live leads.

PlanningLeads tracks contractor demand activity alongside every planning application and commencement across all 31 local authorities - scored and filtered to your trade.