Operating out of Howth, Co Dublin, WCB Construction Ltd is a company which delivers bespoke, turnkey new build, extension and refurbishment solutions. Building Ireland touched base with one its two directors, Tadhg McGinley to discuss the ins and outs of this thriving business, its current projects and overall hopes going forward.
When twin brothers Tadhg and Cathal McGinley started up their construction venture 18 years ago, they did so with the intention of one day running a company that would be renowned for its professionalism and quality projects.
Today, WCB Construction Ltd stands as the go-to contractor when it comes to high-end residential homes in north county Dublin.
The company operates with the best tradesmen in the business and, by doing this, it produces excellent results with each project that it undertakes.
Building Ireland caught up with Tadhg McGinley recently to find out more about the state of business at the moment and what he feels separates WCB Construction from the competition out there.
“We’re really busy at the moment, we’re as busy as we want to be. We’re turning away as much work as we’re taking on,” he outlined.
Comparing the current busy times to those when the company first got up and running in ‘07, Tadhg added: “When we first started here, we worked very hard for very little money and that’s kind of the way it was for a long time. Then, in 2014, we did our first domestic project and found our niche and just grew from there and 11 years later we are where we are.”
In that time, WCB Construction has evolved into a leading family-run building contracting firm in the north Dublin region, specialising in high-end new builds, extension and home renovation projects for its clients.
Right now, it’s immersed in numerous projects which are set to keep the team based at 82 St. Peter’s Terrace, Howth, Dublin 13 busy well into the second half of 2026.
“We’re working on a period home there in Clontarf which is a really nice attention to detail refurb,” said Tadhg.
“Then we have a 4,500 square foot big extension refurb on, and around the corner from that I’m building a 12,000 square foot brand new three-story house. It’s one of the biggest houses ever built in the Dublin 3 area, and then we’re still chipping away with smaller bits and bits of landscaping and all of that.”
He continued: “I’m busy now for the next year, but we’re always looking at more projects and I’ve got some stuff coming up on Shrewsbury Road there.
“Look, we’re always kind of busy here and it’s high-end projects that we do. We spent the last two or three years doing a lot of modern stuff, so we’d have five or six quite modern projects which are big projects and very, very nice. Then, pretty much this time last year, we’ve been working on some more traditional stuff.”
So, all of that considered, the clear question is what has been the secret behind the success of WCB Construction to date?
How has a small start-up, born in the midst of an economic recession which hit the construction sector as hard as any, grown itself in what is now very much a thriving high-end project company which holds an excellent reputation amongst its clients.
For Tadhg, there’s a combination of different factors that contribute to WCB’s success, but the word “quality” seems to be the common denominator.
“I would say quality of work would be one reason and our client’s relationship, our relationships with our architects,” said the Dubliner.
“We pride ourselves in turnkey and we also pride ourselves in our after sales service. We work with all our own people, so if clients have a problem, then it kind of starts with ourselves and we deal with it. We don’t leave clients to go back to their electrician and their plumber. That’s a huge thing for us.
“And our relationship with our clients afterwards as well. We tend to have a very good relationship with our clients and that leads to us getting better work as time goes by and we have good high-profile clients as well.
“Our word of mouth and reputation would be our most important feature and the pride we take after the job as much as during the job would be a huge thing for myself anyway, personally.”
He continued: “The advantage of it is that we’re working for people that would have a facility to get the payers to come back. We do a lot of repeat work for clients and alterations and changes and it’s a huge part of my business, forming a relationship with somebody and then they ring you if they want you to do a job for their kids or whatever. It’s just a huge level of trust there.”
The team at WCB Construction currently stands at around 20-strong and it only subcontracts out the block-laying, M&E, kitchens and windows work, meaning that the company does all its own tiling, plastering, first and second fix carpentry among other services.
The core staff have been with the business for the best part of a decade now and Tadhg and Cathal are delighted with the team they’ve built, with no designs on further expansion personnel-wise as things stand.
“At the moment, there’s no plans to add to that staff that we have and I’ll tell you why. I tried to expand a little bit maybe two years ago now and took on a new Project Manager and just couldn’t get good staff. It’s just hard to get good staff and I’m not going to sacrifice my standards to do more work,” Tadhg pointed out.
“We doubled our business every year from about 2016 to about three years ago and it’s pretty much stayed the same since then. Same turnover, better profit, mind you but similar turnover, because I just can’t get the people. Can’t get the quality at all and, until things quieten down a bit, I think I’m just going to keep it as it is. Instead of expanding the business, I’m trying to expand the margin.”
Looking at the months ahead for the business and into next year, Tadhg says the plan for WCB Construction is to continue rising its already high standards as it edges closer and closer towards 20 years in business.
“We want to get to the top of the pile in terms of quality. I wouldn’t say we’d be far off one of the better ones out there. The hopes are to be the best at what we do and maybe to be recognised for that would be nice,” the director concluded.
WCB Construction Ltd
82 St. Peter’s Terrace,
Howth,
Dublin 13
Tel: 086 065 8382
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @wcbireland
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, December 2025, Vol 11 No 13
