Their own payment-practices filing · gov.uk
Colas Limited pays suppliers in 34 days on average — within its stated 30–45 day terms
Their H2 2025 filing puts the average 4 days past the shortest term they state (30 days), still within their 45-day upper term.
- Their stated terms
- 30–45 days
- Paid outside agreed terms
- 22% of invoices
- Paid after 61+ days
- 4%
- Reporting period
- 1 Jul 2025 – 31 Dec 2025
- Source
- their gov.uk filing, filed 29 Jan 2026
Self-reported figures from their statutory filing. How this is compiled.
Terms vs reality · their H2 2025 filing
Paid within their stated range — 34 against 30–45 days
Where their invoices landed · share of all invoices
The pattern · last 6 of 16 reports
Holding steady around 34 days
The read · computed from their figures
Colas Limited's H2 2025 filing puts their average at 34 days against stated terms of 30–45 days; 22% of invoices were paid outside agreed terms and 4% took 61 days or longer. Filed 29 Jan 2026.
The pattern is steady — their reported average moves within about ±2 days period to period.
On the latest reported averages: Slower than 53% of the 394 large companies reporting in construction.
That is 16 statutory periods on record (earliest H1 2018) — a historical record, not a promise for a new invoice.
What they tell their suppliers
In their own words · from the filing
Standard payment terms
Colas limited has standard payment terms of 45 days from receipt to invoice except SMEs for which payment term is 30 days. However payment terms were agreed with suppliers as part of contract negotiations.
Dispute resolution
Colas Limited actively seeks to resolve disputes by discussing them with the relevant suppliers, typically involving member of the accounts payable and accounts receivable departments and/or the procurement and commercial teams and / or where necessary members of management. However, where it is not possible to reach agreement, a number of potential dispute resolutions methods may be used. For example, mediation, adjudication, expert determination, litigation and / or arbitration.
Other information
During 2024 Colas Limited implemented a no PO no Pay policy which ensures Purchase orders are raised in advance of services received so that invoices can be promptly matched on receipt. The implementation of the policy has led to a more prompt supplier payments and during 2025 Colas Limited has met its target to pay > 95% of its suppliers within 60 days.
Every statutory report on record
Most recent first.
| Period | Avg days | Outside terms | 61+ days | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H2 2025 | 34 | 22% | 4% | 29 Jan 2026 |
| H1 2025 | 32 | 10% | 4% | 31 Jul 2025 |
| H2 2024 | 35 | 16% | 5% | 23 Jan 2025 |
| H1 2024 | 35 | 24% | 7% | 22 Jul 2024 |
| H2 2023 | 44 | 29% | 10% | 29 Feb 2024 |
| H1 2023 | 34 | 15% | 6% | 29 Feb 2024 |
| H2 2022 | 63 | 61% | 32% | 27 Jan 2023 |
| H1 2022 | 72 | 86% | 43% | 29 Jul 2022 |
| H2 2021 | 44 | 79% | 10% | 28 Jan 2022 |
| H1 2021 | 46 | 78% | 9% | 21 Jul 2021 |
| H2 2020 | 46 | 65% | 13% | 27 Jan 2021 |
| H1 2020 | 49 | 75% | 17% | 29 Jul 2020 |
| H2 2019 | 40 | 33% | 8% | 22 Jan 2020 |
| H1 2019 | 36 | 68% | 8% | 24 Jul 2019 |
| H2 2018 | 35 | 37% | 6% | 30 Jan 2019 |
| H1 2018 | 35 | 13% | 6% | 30 Jul 2018 |
On the public register · Companies House
Company record
- Status
- Active
- Type
- Private Limited Company
- Incorporated
- 11 Sept 1991
- Registered office
- 6210 BISHOPS COURT BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS PARK, BIRMINGHAM, B37 7YB
Illustrative · working-capital arithmetic
What a 34-day cycle ties up
A worked example, not a finding. On a hypothetical £12k/month account, at a 34-day vs a 30-day payment cycle.
Late Payment Act. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 lets a supplier charge statutory interest and fixed compensation on invoices paid past agreed terms. Work out what a late invoice is worth → Whether it applies depends on your contract — check with an adviser.
Quick answers · Colas Limited
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More large companies in construction
Clugston Construction Limited · Colas Rail Limited · Clipfine Limited · Collins Earthworks Limited · Clarkson Evans Limited · Compco Fire Systems Limited
How UK payment reporting works
What is a Payment Practices Report?
What does "paid outside agreed terms" mean?
How often is this data updated?
Is this official government data?
How this is compiled. Built from official records only: Companies House and the gov.uk payment-practices service. The payment figures are self-reported — companies over the size threshold must file them by law and the board signs them off. No credit-agency data. The numbers are theirs; the plain-English read is ours. This is information compiled from public records under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — not a credit rating and not advice.
The 31-day comparison figure is the median across 6,104 companies with a current statutory report — every sector pooled, not an average of sector medians (how the figure is built).
Report PL-02644726 · latest period to 31 Dec 2025
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