Retail Construction in Surrey

Whether you are building a new store in Surrey or upgrading one you already trade from, the pressure is usually the same. You have a date you can't miss, and every week of delay costs you money. Retail Construction Contractors (RCC) builds new retail units and refurbishes existing stores across Surrey. We act as principal contractor on every job. That means one contract, one team and one person you can call when you need an answer. We have delivered eleven new stores for Lidl. We know what a national retailer expects from a contractor, because we have been through their process many times.

Retail Construction Contractors Surrey

New Build Retail Construction in Surrey

When you are carrying out a new build, we take care of the entire process from the groundworks through to handover. The majority of the new build inquiries that we receive in Surrey are for:

We offer the construction of supermarkets, covering the groundworks, the framing, the envelope, the services and handover, in accordance with your brand standards. Learn more about our supermarket construction services.
Food retail units. Convenience stores, forecourt shops, and food-to-go units. See our food retail construction service.
Drive thru units. New-build quick-service restaurants, including the lane, drainage, and external works. See our drive-thru construction service.
The units in the retail park—whether new or involving extensions to the existing park—are handed over in shell and core form or in a condition ready for trading.
Mixed use schemes. Ground-floor retail with homes or offices above. See our mixed-use retail construction service.
Complete the fitting out after the shell and the core has been constructed; if a developer provides you with a shell then we will look after the rest. Please see our retail fitting-out service.

Retail refurbishment in Surrey

If your store needs work, closing it means losing takings every day the doors are shut. In most cases, we can do the work while you keep trading. We refurbish:

Supermarkets. New layouts, lighting, flooring, ceilings, and changes to checkouts and refrigeration, done in phases.
Shopping centre units. Strip out and refit, in line with the landlord's rules and hours.
Retail park units. Upgrading tired units to attract tenants or improve trading.
High street shops. Shopfronts, interiors, and back-of-house, including in conservation areas.
Building services. Replacing old heating, cooling, lighting, and electrical systems to cut running costs and improve your energy rating.
Vacant units. Getting an empty unit back to a lettable standard quickly.

For more detail, see our main retail refurbishment service page.

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How we keep your store open during a refurbishment

We carried out the work in phases, dividing the store into sections and completing one before moving on to the next.
We work night and early morning shifts, and when the premises are closed, noisy or dusty work is carried out.
The hoardings should be clean and secure; customers will see a neat barrier rather than a building site.
We will take separate routes so that our deliveries and staff may stay as far away from your customers as possible.
Each day, we carry out the handback procedure and ensure that the areas we have been working in are clean and safe before your staff arrives.

In some instances, a brief closure is cheaper than a lengthy phased closure. If this applies to your store, we'll show you the details of both options, including costs and timelines, so you can make your decision.

What Makes Surrey Different?

Surrey is easy to build in, but there are a few things that fool people when they plan there as they would in any other place.

1. Planning is changing in 2027

The number of councils in Surrey will be reduced from twelve to two. Starting on 1 April 2027, the new East Surrey Council will include Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge. The new West Surrey Council will comprise Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking.

Your application, if submitted at the moment, could be decided by another council from the one to which you originally sent it. We record which authority has your application and also who the case officer is, so that nothing is lost during the changeover. The Planning Portal gives an explanation of the basic requirements for consent.

2. Green Belt limits new build sites

A significant portion of Surrey is designated as Green Belt, which causes the majority of new retail developments to be situated on existing retail parks, on brownfield land or on sites at the edge of towns. These locations tend to have old foundations, contamination or uneven ground levels, and we take account of this from the beginning in order that it does not become an additional cost later on.

3. Many town centres are conservation areas

Guildford, Farnham, Dorking and Godalming all have conservation areas and include listed buildings. The interior parts are generally in good condition but if alterations are made to the shopfronts, the signs or the exterior of the building planning permission, listed building consent or advertisement consent may be required. We look into this before setting our prices.

4. Neighbours and access

Since many of the retail outlets in Surrey are located next to residential areas, the local councils usually impose strict working hours and delivery times. Those situated near the junctions of the A3, A23, A31 and M25 require careful planning when it comes to deliveries. The shopping centres in Guildford, Woking, Camberley, Redhill and Staines each have their own regulations concerning hours, deliveries and permits. All of this is taken into account when we prepare the programme before arriving at a date.

5. Delay costs more here

In Surrey land and rent prices are high; since every week your store has to open late or remains disrupted you end up paying rent without receiving full trading income, which is why we regard your date as fixed and plan backwards from it.

Our Track Record

We have delivered eleven new stores for Lidl, including new builds in Burnley and Manchester. Lidl sets strict standards for programme, quality and safety. Meeting them again and again is the best proof we can offer that we will meet yours.

Closer to Surrey, we completed a retail refurbishment in Kingston upon Thames, right on the county border.

How a Project Runs With Us?

We visit the site, walking around the store with you, usually outside normal working hours, when the place is being refurbished. We examine the access routes, neighboring properties, and other factors that could affect the cost or the program.
The prices and schedule are clear: you will receive a cost together with a weekly program tailored to your date. We don't just give you the figures, we also tell you about the risks.
Approvals. We handle planning, landlord approvals, and center management permits.
You should build the site, and the site manager will give you their direct number while keeping you posted; during a refurbishment, they will agree on a daily plan with your store manager.
The handover involves you receiving a store that is ready to open for business, along with a 12-month period during which defects can be identified. If any item within our scope proves to be defective, we will return to make the necessary corrections.

Since we are the principal contractor, we undertake the duties specified in the CDM Regulations 2015, and you will deal with a single team, which will be in charge of health and safety on site.

FAQ

What areas in Surrey do you cover?

We cover the whole county, including Guildford, Woking, Camberley, Farnham, Epsom, Leatherhead, Dorking, Reigate, Redhill, Staines, Weybridge, Walton-on-Thames, Esher, Godalming, Caterham and Oxted. We also work across the rest of the Home Counties and London.

How long does a new build supermarket take?

It depends on the size of the store and the ground conditions. Once planning is approved and the site is clear, most new-build food stores take a matter of months. We give you a full program at the quote stage based on your actual site.

How long does a refurbishment take?

A small shop refit can take a few weeks. A full supermarket refit done in phases takes longer. We give you a programme at quote stage

Do I need planning permission?

For a new build, yes. For a refurbishment, most internal work does not require it, but shopfronts, signs, external changes, or a change of use often do. Listed buildings and conservation areas have extra rules. We check this for you before we start.

Will the 2027 council changes delay our planning?

They might. Surrey's councils say planning will keep running during the change, but any handover between organisations can slow things down. Getting your application in early and staying in close contact with the case officer is the best way to reduce the risk.

Do you work for Big Retailers Only?

No. We work for national brands, developers, landlords, asset managers and independent operators. A single store gets the same attention as a rollout.

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