By adopting a painstaking approach to delivering the most exacting craftsmanship on every project undertaken, W Gore Construction has delivered a magnificent portfolio of residential building projects for coming up on half a century. Still driven by the unswerving attention to the finest detail that has personified this industry-leading family business since inception, W Gore Construction continues to set the standards and spread its wings.
A painstaking pursuit of building excellence is one of the hallmarks of W Gore Construction. Literally no stone – be it physical or metaphorical – is left unturned in ensuring that every project exceeds client expectations and managing director Liam Gore’s insistence on quality workmanship and attention to detail has helped copper-fasten the company’s status as one of the Royal County’s most-sought-after residential contractors.
Synonymous with breath-taking residential new builds, restorations and upgrades, W Gore Construction is a dedicated master-builder with a flair for conservation and an uncanny ability to deliver even the most challenging or ambitious projects.
Rather than living on past glories and resting on his laurels, Liam remains forward-thinking and focused on constantly taking things to the next level. In this regard, these are exciting and defining times for W Gore Construction, who have recently expanded into the renewable energy sector as Ireland’s sole installer of Eco Hydro electricity-generating systems as well as venturing into the builder-developer market for the first time.
Considering W Gore Construction’s proven reputation for invariably delivering stunning high-end residential homes, their private developments – which will benefit from the very same meticulous investment of stellar workmanship, experience and time – are amongst the most-anticipated imminent new arrivals in County Meath:
“We used to work on around ten high-end residential houses per year but we’re down to five or six of those now as a result of the projects getting larger,” says Liam. “As well as the private resi houses we take on a little bit of commercial work for some of our clients.
“We’ve also bought a couple of sites and are going to do residential developments on those as a builder-developer. These are located in County Meath and will be a 50-unit and 10-unit development of three- and four-bedroom homes. We will be bringing our trademark fussiness to these largescale developments where we intend to emulate the high-quality work we put into one-off houses.”
Embracing the fundamentals of traditional building, W Gore Construction is an exclusive and niche contractor whose approach is patient and precise, resulting in exceptional quality every time. Liam takes ownership of every project, irrespective of size or complexity, and his team completely immerse themselves in every facet of the work, which maximises client satisfaction, repeat business and referrals through positive word of mouth – the oldest form of advertising and still the most effective!
Regarding the thorough nature of W Gore Construction’s magnificent methodology, Liam confirms: “We still insist on attention to detail and are stepping up a gear year on year. We do a lot of very bespoke stuff, which is challenging, but we love it. For example, we’re working on an array of Georgian refurbishments and extensions where features can include underground wine cellars, tunnels and swimming pools. It’s impossible not to get excited by projects like that.
“These would typically incorporate very large wall and floor tiles and the planning for that is rigorous – you could start planning two years before you put a tile in place.”
Liam points out that, much like a fine wine, a good construction project needs time. Irrespective of the chasm that can often exist between client expectations and actual cost of construction in the real world, short cuts are not an option. “The construction industry is very busy and there’s big demand for builders so a lot of lads are just happy to get in and out without bothering themselves too much about the day-to-day challenges of ensuring high quality work. We are different in that we are here for the long haul and have always taken a long-term view, with attention to every detail from start to finish.
“There are still a lot of people who believe that white is white and don’t realise that there are a thousand shades of white if you look closely enough. We always take great pride in the specific details of all projects, even what might appear to be a more straightforward 3,000 – 5,000 sq ft residential. You have to put the time and attention into them all or you won’t reach the standards clients expect. It’s demanding – especially as projects get bigger – but this is the approach we have always taken and it’s all we know, so we are able for it.”
On each project, W Gore Construction has a policy of engaging only the best craftsmen to achieve the best results. “It’s one of our greatest attributes but also sometimes one of our great downfalls as it can be difficult to explain to a client why we are prepared to wait a month to get the right stone mason, brick layer or plasterer,” Liam points out.
“But we are absolutely adamant that it has to be the right tradesmen for the job. There is a huge lack of training in the industry, too, and a lack of skilled tradesmen and this is why a lot of people are prepared to go down the ‘just get it done’ route.
“We are too fussy to settle for anything less than perfection. That comes from myself and from my father and an extended group of us who have been working together for a long time and who know what each other is thinking and expecting. The common bond is that we all want everything done right. When you insist on using the best skills, there will always be a time condition attached to this because good tradesmen are always busy.
“This isn’t something that we necessarily try to do … it’s just the way we do business and a natural consequence of our approach. The attention to detail and fussiness is always there as an unwritten rule and clients seem to really appreciate it because I have customers we built houses for 20 years ago who are looking for extensions to those houses or a new house for their daughter.”
Regarding W Gore Construction’s exciting partnership with Eco Hydro, which ties in with the company’s reputation for building sustainable, high-performance homes, Liam concludes: “This involves retrofitting new-technology hydro electrical systems on old river weirs to generate 100 per cent clean, renewable energy. We have worked on sites like Slane Castle, Birr Castle and The K club. For this work, it’s like walking into a time capsule and going back in time. It’s very challenging and also very enjoyable.”
W Gore Construction,
Rathfeigh,
Tara,
County Meath.
Tel: 041 9825489
Mobile: 086 3502155 / 087 2515192
Email: [email protected]
Web: wgoreconstruction.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, April 2024, Vol 10 No 4
