Delivering high-quality homes since 1976, Frank Bell & Son Ltd is one of the most reputable and respected private residential house builders in the midlands.
If you’re living in Mullingar, there’s a good chance your home was built by the second-generation contracting firm which is approaching 50 years in business. Spearheaded by managing director Shane Bell, the company has maintained its reputation for excellence through five decades of consistent, quality craftsmanship.
The company flourished under the guidance of founder Frank Bell, who brought his international building experience from Canada back to Ireland. Today, Shane continues his father’s legacy, focusing on local development and maintaining high standards in construction. Superior workmanship, attention to detail and value-for-money are the hallmarks of the family-run business which is renowned for building cost-effective, high-quality and low-energy homes.
Frank Bell & Son operates with a streamlined business model, handling all aspects of home building from land acquisition to sales, ensuring tight control over every project. This approach has allowed it to navigate economic fluctuations smoothly and continue producing quality homes without compromise.
The Co. Westmeath builder’s small but dedicated team are supported and supplemented by the same tried and trusted subcontractors. By employing highly-skilled people, working closely with design teams and using only the very best building products in a safe working environment, this fully insured contractor is able to deliver the highest quality construction.
“We’re a small outfit who try to keep as much as we can local. We build and employ locally,” Shane says.
“We build a maximum of 20-30 homes a year, focusing on quality and attention to detail at all times. We’ve sold houses to generation after generation and have a great name in Mullingar and beyond. All of our homes are beautifully and professionally finished.”
Currently, Frank Bell & Son is carrying out the latest phase of an ambitious and exciting development at Ardmore Hills, Marlinstown on the east side of Mullingar, reflecting its commitment to building sustainable and well-appointed communities. Having already completed 132 homes on the same site, including 72 in the last phase, the builder is now embracing on a 65-unit development comprising three two-bed semi-detached and mid-terrace houses, 32 three-bed semi-detached and mid-terrace houses, 27 four-bed semi-detached houses and three five-bed detached houses.
The development provides for 123 car parking spaces, provision of communal open spaces, all associated hard and soft landscaping, boundary treatments, footpaths, and all other ancillary works above and below ground. The architects on the project are Coughlan Associates Architects in Mullingar.
“There’s great interest in this latest phase which is expected to take 30 months to complete. Sales are strong, with a number of units having been sold off the plans. Similar to the last phase, all of the units will have a minimum of an A2 energy rating.”
As with the last phase also, the €13 million development will be completed using the Altherm ICF System. Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) is an increasingly popular method of building construction using lightweight and hollow insulation forms that fit together and are then filled with concrete. Once set, the concrete becomes a high-strength structure and the formwork remains in place as thermal insulation.
Buildings delivered using ICF provide many advantages over traditional building techniques, the most obvious being speed of build, low labour requirements, the ability to work in all weather conditions and, of course, the inherent high energy efficiency in the end product. Frank Bell & Son’s ICF-built residential homes are designed to meet the highest standards in quality and compliance, with BER standards of A1-A2 typically delivered.
Despite recent challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and rising material costs, the family business has adapted well, maintaining a strong financial performance and looking forward to new opportunities.
“We’ve a very simple business model in that we just build houses for the private market. So, we’re the landowner, developer, builder, salesman – the whole lot in one,” explains Shane, who took over the reins from Frank after he retired in 2017.
“Frank was in Canada for years building houses for miners out in the Yukon and then he came back to Mullingar and started building with his late brother Tom.
“The company has carried out many developments around the town over the years, including Valley Bungalows, Oaklawns, Beechlawns, Martin’s Lane, Bellview Apartments, Auburn Village, Burnell Drive, Sherwood Park and now Ardmore Hills. In the past year, we’ve built a few detached homes on greenfield sites, but we wouldn’t really specialise in one-offs.”
Frank Bell & Son Ltd is a cornerstone of the Mullingar community, contributing to its growth by employing local tradespeople, sourcing materials locally and focusing on energy-efficient building practices that surpass industry standards. The family’s dedication to quality and community involvement has made them a trusted name in home building, cherished by multiple generations of homeowners.
Shane would like to take this opportunity to thank his clients and suppliers for their continued support as well as his staff and subcontractors for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
Here’s to the next 50 years!
Frank Bell & Son Ltd
Parsonstown,
Crookedwood,
Mullingar,
Co. Westmeath.
Telephone: 044 93 72138
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.bellhomes.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, August, Vol 11 No 9
