From new builds, extensions and renovations to loft conversions, kitchens, bathrooms and carpentry work, Mullen and Sons Ltd. delivers a complete range of industry-leading construction solutions. Building Ireland travelled to the scenic east coast village of Laytown and met proprietor Alan Mullen to find out more.
Specialising in residential and commercial new builds, renewable energy solutions, heat pumps, solar PV, underfloor heating and home extensions, renovations and conversions, Mullen & Sons is an exceptional, client-focused building contracting company operating out of Laytown in County Meath.
The company is fronted by Alan Mullen – a fifth-generation construction professional with over 30 years’ experience working on building sites nationwide. Like his father Tony before him, Alan is a brick layer by trade and by incorporating all the latest building methods he prides himself on invariably delivering high-quality, value-added solutions on projects large and small, always with a keen eye on the latest architectural styles.
One thing that’s guaranteed on every Mullen and Sons project – be it a new build, small upgrade or the painstaking conservational transformation of a centuries-old building – is that the end product will both look fantastic and perform to the most modern energy efficiencies.
Whether he’s constructing a high-end new home or breathing new life into a heritage building, Alan affords every project the utmost care and attention to detail.
A hands-on contractor who believes in spending as much time as possible on site, he makes a point of keeping lines of communication with clients open throughout the duration of the works: “I’m up front and keep in regular touch with the client,” he confirms. “It’s their home at the end of the day and you can’t not be there for them.
“It’s important to listen to the client and also to explain and express yourself properly at all times, and to do so in a timely and mannerly way. Essentially, you are there to make it as easy as you can for the client. To understand that it’s their home and, once they understand the process and understand what’s going on, everything will generally work out well.”
It goes almost without saying that word of mouth and reputation are everything in construction. “We’ve been in business in this area for a long time now and we get a lot more work out of word of mouth and referrals than we do from advertising. Most of our work tends to be in the locality and people get to know you when you are part of a small community.
“If you consistently work to a high level and keep clients happy, then you will reap what you sow, whereas if you did something wrong in the area or let somebody down, it wouldn’t be long getting around. So there’s no option other than delivering high-quality workmanship each and every time.”
Fully insured and Fully-compliant with all building regulations, the National Guild of Master Craftsmen, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Register of Electrical Contractors of Ireland (RECI) and Safe Electric, Mullen and Sons are new build and home extension professionals, who specialise in traditional wood frame building methods, but are also market leaders in Insulated Concrete Formwork [ICF] construction.
Alan and his team have the capacity to take on any project type and as such Mullen and Sons is a one-stop shop for all construction needs. “We do everything. We have our own engineer and can also recommend architects, with whom we work closely. We’ll involve the client with the engineer and the architect to make sure everybody is on the same page. We know our job well and can sit down with people and draw up plans if needed. All of our jobs are signed off by engineers, which gives the client complete peace of mind.
“At the moment, the majority of our work is loft conversions, home extensions / renovations and building restorations – a lot of work on upgrading existing buildings. Myself and my dad built a lot of housing estates in Dublin and did a lot of new houses in Ratoath as well. We’ve done some lovely new builds here as well, but they are few and far between these days for a variety of reasons.
“We try to stick to local work as much as possible and are lucky that there’s a lot of renovations and upgrades going on in the area. I’m also getting more involved in deep retrofits, which is a relatively new market and one where there are opportunities for a quality contractor. We’ve done a lot of underfloor heating, heat pumps, solar PVs and intergas boilers and that’s an area we can definitely expand into.”
Following in a long line of builders, Alan has been working on building sites since he was a young teenager. “I’ve been at it since I was 14. We did a lot of stonework initially and that’s where it comes from. That’s what got us into building. I can trace back through the generations to my grandfather’s grandfather, who was one of the foremen on the construction of the Rotunda. They wore bowler hats on site back in those days – Health & Safety wasn’t what it is today!”
Construction is in the Mullen DNA. All Alan’s uncles are tradesmen, be it plumbers, electricians or brick layers. One uncle, Brian, is even his plumbing subcontractor. Meanwhile, son Adam is also currently learning his trade and following in the proud family tradition. Alan employs six men directly and everything else is taken care of by a tried-and-trusted team of regular subbies. “We use all skilled and experienced local lads, covering North Dublin, East Meath and East Louth.”
Quality is a given with every Mullen and Sons project. “The lads are all highly skilled and the finish is very important to us. The client has to be satisfied,” Alan concludes. “We have a sign-off sheet at the end of every job and the client will only sign it if he is satisfied All the work is fully certified.
“Construction costs are going through the roof and the new 10% levy on concrete is a joke because it’s the construction industry that keeps everything going and they are only shooting themselves in the foot – and shooting us in the foot. When we price a job, we break everything down so that the client can see clearly what the various costs are – labour, subcontractors and materials. That gives them peace of mind and clarity and they can rest assured that everything is above board with no hidden extras.”
Mullen and Sons Ltd.,
Laytown,
County Meath.
Tel: 086 1733396
Email: [email protected]
Web: mullenandsons.ie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mullenandsons
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, January 2023, Vol 9 No 1
