Division 42 of the UK SIC 2007 list. It holds 4 codes, listed in full below with the number of active UK companies filed under each.
Civil engineering is about infrastructure, not buildings. Roads sit under 42110 and railways under 42120. Utility networks for power and telecoms use 42220. The broad code 42990 covers other civil projects, and it is the division's most used UK code. That catch-all holds groundworks and infrastructure contractors. Their work spans drainage, foundations, flood defences and external works. Companies range from national contractors down to small civils firms serving housebuilders. Subcontracting chains run deep here, so much of the register is specialist subcontractors.
Plant is at the heart of selling to civils firms. Hire companies, excavator and attachment dealers, fuel suppliers and operator training providers all work this division hard. They watch for growth, because growth means a bigger fleet. Recruiters supplying operators and site engineers follow the same signals, as do insurance brokers and surety bond providers. Civils work comes from frameworks and tenders. So a new company often means a management team has spun out to chase one contract. They need bonds, accreditation and plant right away. Utility contractors under 42220 buy in step with fibre and grid investment cycles.
Both codes exist and the split is genuinely fuzzy. Site preparation and excavation is 43120. Broader civil engineering work fits 42990. Many groundworks contractors choose 42990, because their scope covers drainage, roads and structures. Others use 43120 for enabling works. Listing both is common and allowed within the four-code limit. Nothing is enforced on the choice. It is a self-declared classification.
Yes. Companies House allows up to four SIC codes and does not restrict which divisions they come from. A contractor doing building work, civils and equipment hire can list codes from divisions 41, 42, 43 and 77 at the same time. You set codes at incorporation on the IN01, and change them on the CS01 confirmation statement. There is no approval step. Updates take effect once the statement is filed.
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