In the UK , Mace and McAlpine reopened their sites during the coronavirus pandemic while Barratt and Taylor Wimpey shut down .
Barratt and Taylor Wimpey shut all sites 24 March 2020 www.constructionnews.co.uk , accessed 26 March 2020 Some contractors , including Mace and McAlpine , later reopened some sites , and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey planned to deploy safe working procedures and reopen sites in May . Meanwhile , confusion about what constituted essential work , along with contractors ' enforcement of subcontractors ' contractual obligations , meant some projects remained operational , and many site workers experienced highly variable application of social distancing precautions ( some projects were temporarily halted after workers breached social distancing rules ) .