The client always comes first at Hackett Construction Ltd. and that’s one of the many reasons why this exceptional second-generation family-run contracting business is in such big demand. We took the trip to North Tipp and touched base with hands-on director Bernard Hackett to find out more.
Since taking the reins of the family business 15 years ago, Bernard Hackett has maintained the same client-focused ethos instilled by his father Liam before him: by invariably leaving a good job behind them on every project large and small, Hackett Construction Ltd. in Toomevara, County Tipperary continues to go from strength to strength some four decades after its inception.
A carpenter by trade, Bernard has been in construction for 30 years, following in the footsteps of his father Liam and uncle Jimmy, who established Hackett Construction in the 1980s. Liam passed his passion for building down to his sons Bernard, Padraig and Ray, who have continued the proud family legacy of consistently delivering an outstanding portfolio of high-quality residential and commercial construction projects in the local area.
“We generally cover North Tipp,” Bernard notes. “A lot of our work is generated through word of mouth. I like to leave a good job behind me and if you do that, the next job will follow. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been very fortunate to have had work every day, even through the crash. I’d put that down to leaving good work behind us.”
The esteem in which Hackett Construction are held was underlined by their appearance on RTE’s Room to Improve TV show a decade ago, when Bernard and his team carried out the complete renovation of a cottage that had been built in the 1950s.
Boasting an unrivalled track record for the delivery of residential new build, extension and renovation projects as well as a series of educational and commercial projects, Hackett Construction have also worked extensively for Tipperary County Council down through the years, although they’ve stepped back from public works to focus more on private projects.
Regarding the unhappy circumstances that led to him taking over the running of the family business a lot sooner than he would have expected, Bernard recalls: “I was working alongside my father for about 15 years and was knee deep in it. He ran the business and I learned the ins and outs of it from him.
“Sadly, he suffered a stroke and was no longer able to continue, so we took over. I got the full reins quicker than I expected or wanted, but we’ve pushed on and continued to focus on quality workmanship. Dad had a very good reputation and we felt we had to preserve and build upon that.”
The family business that exists today is a credit to its founders. Direct employment is generated for a tight crew of five full-time, as well as an extended team of subcontractors – plasterers, electricians, plumbers, painters, tilers, etc. “We’d have the skills to cover a good bit of that ourselves for smaller jobs, but I’d tend to get subbies in for the bigger projects,” says Bernard.
“I’m very lucky in that I have lads I can count on who won’t leave me hanging for weeks on end or see me stuck. I might pay a little bit more for the privilege but it’s worth it when you are getting a good service. I believe in the motto that you should treat others as you’d like to be treated yourself. If you look after people, then it’s likely the favour will be returned.”
At the time of writing, Bernard was just about to hand over the keys to a new build in Toomevara and was preparing to commence work on the extension / renovation of a two-storey property in Cloughjordan, just 15-20 minutes’ drive from his home place. Keeping the jobs as close to home as possible is always preferable and, in this regard, Hackett Construction is benefiting from the brilliant reputation they have locally:
“I’m heavily involved in the GAA club here and am juvenile chairman for my troubles,” he reveals. “You’d find yourself down at the field every evening and the hours are scarce, so the less time you spend travelling for work, the better. It also keeps the overheads down and is of course better for the business and for the lads who are working for me.”
Quality workmanship and exceptional customer service have been key to the continued success of Hackett Construction across the decades and generations. “I like to develop lasting, trusting relationships with clients,” Bernard continues. “When they are spending so much of their hard-earned cash on a project, you want them to have complete faith in what you are doing.
“We always do the very best we can for every client – my attitude is ‘if you wouldn’t do it at home, then don’t do it in their house’.
“It goes without saying that you always work to the highest standards and never cut corners. If you cut corners, it’ll come back to haunt you. So the quality of work has to be there, but for me building trusting relationships is first and foremost.
“Our working hours are 8-5 but clients know they can call me any time from 7 in the morning through until 10 or 11 at night. If something is on their mind, I’m more than happy to take that call and reassure them and put their mind at ease.
“With any job, there are always going to be snags and issues that arise, so you have to deal with them as quickly as possible. We pride ourselves on our aftercare service – if there is a problem, we will deal with it as quickly as possible.
“Every customer has friends and family; some of these might be doing an extension or a new build at some point in the future. If you look after people, give them good work and a good service, then they might recommend you to somebody else. From there, you might not always get the job but you do your best and give them a keen price.
“From the very outset, I include the very best of everything in my quotation instead of coming back further down the line and saying ‘this isn’t included in the quote and that isn’t included and it’s going to cost you extra’,” Bernard concludes. “That’s no way to treat people.
“We make sure to have everything out in the open and to be honest with people. Look, I’m in this game a long time and I know how tough it is to build a family home today. I certainly wouldn’t like to be building one myself at the minute. It’s a tough, tough gig and they are paying big, big bucks, so you have to be mindful of that and work with them as best you can when they put their trust in you.”
Hackett Construction Ltd.
Knockane,
Toomevara,
Nenagh,
County Tipperary.
Tel: 087 6138959
Email: [email protected]
Web: hackettconstructionltd.com
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, October 2025, Vol 11 No 11
