Craig Eldred

Craig Eldred is a UK-based commercial fit-out specialist with over 30 years of experience across site delivery, project leadership, and main contracting.

Craig Eldred is an independent client-side commercial fit-out advisor specialising in pre-contract cost, risk, and contractor review.

He founded OMMC to provide organisations with independent, commercially grounded oversight before and during major refurbishment and fit-out decisions — particularly where internal construction expertise is limited and capital risk is high.

Craig works directly with business owners, leadership teams, landlords, and occupiers to help them challenge contractor proposals, clarify scope, and retain control over budgets, risk, and delivery outcomes.

Professional Background

Craig's career spans the full construction lifecycle — from hands-on site work to running a main contracting business delivering commercial and industrial fit-out projects.

This dual perspective means he understands both:

• how projects are delivered
• and how they are priced, structured, and commercially managed

Over three decades, he has worked across:

• commercial fit-out and refurbishment
• contractor-side project delivery
• cost planning and procurement
• client-side project leadership
• programme and risk management
• tender evaluation and contractor oversight

He has worked on projects ranging from smaller refurbishments to multi-million-pound commercial fit-outs, including schemes exceeding 7 figures in value.

His experience allows him to see where projects typically drift — and where costs quietly escalate before construction even begins.

Independent Position

OMMC is deliberately structured as an independent advisory layer.

Craig does not:

• tender for construction work as a contractor
• earn margin from trades or suppliers
• operate within traditional contractor incentive structures

His role is to sit on the client's side of the table — providing commercial clarity, challenge, and experienced judgement at key decision points.

This independence allows organisations to:

• verify contractor proposals
• identify cost inflation and scope misalignment
• reduce exposure to variations and disputes
• make informed decisions before committing capital

Approach

Craig's work combines practical construction experience with structured commercial analysis.

Rather than adding complexity, his focus is on:

• clarity of scope
• transparency of cost
• alignment with business objectives
• risk visibility before commitment

Technology and benchmarking tools are used to support this process, but decisions are always driven by experience and commercial logic — not automation alone.

Typical Engagement Context

Craig is most often engaged when an organisation:

• is reviewing contractor proposals for a commercial fit-out
• is planning a refurbishment or workspace project
• lacks internal construction or delivery expertise
• wants an independent perspective before committing to spend
• needs to regain control of a project already in motion

His involvement ranges from early-stage independent reviews through to client-side oversight during delivery.

Track Record

Across his career, Craig has contributed to the delivery and commercial management of projects ranging from smaller refurbishment works to multi-million-pound commercial fit-outs.

Typical outcomes for organisations engaging OMMC include:

• significant pre-contract cost reductions
• improved clarity over scope and specification
• fewer variations and disputes during delivery
• stronger commercial positioning with contractors
• projects aligned more closely with operational needs

Professional Philosophy

Construction projects rarely fail because of a lack of expertise.

They fail because:

• incentives are misaligned
• information is incomplete
• assumptions go unchallenged
• decisions are made under pressure

Craig's role is not to replace project teams or contractors.

It is to provide experienced, independent judgement so organisations can make confident, informed decisions before and during their most capital-intensive projects.

OMMC exists to rebalance the table, ensuring organisations enter construction decisions informed, protected, and commercially prepared.

Connect with Craig on LinkedIn

Industry commentary, project thinking, and commercial insights.

linkedin.com/in/craig-eldred-847870316

Contact

For organisations considering a commercial fit-out, refurbishment, or contractor engagement:

• Review project proposals independently
• Clarify risks and commercial exposure
• Gain a second perspective before committing