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In this table, we have ranked firms by the amount of contracting they do. Figures for non-contracting activities, including property, housebuilding and facilities management (which makes up much of the "other" column), are also shown.

Just edging into the top spot is Bovis, which handled £2.3bn of contracting – 60% of which was fee-based – in the year to December 1998. Last year's figures are not available because of Bovis' merger with Lend Lease, but once Lend Lease's June year-end figures are published in autumn, the figure is likely to be nearer £3bn. In contrast, many of the other majors are likely to reduce the amount of contracting they do in the next few years. Laing and Taylor Woodrow, for example, are both slashing turnover. Amec, which is moving into project management with the acquisition of Canadian firm Agra, is also fighting shy of traditional building.