We are a leading commercial subcontracting company in the South Island
Despite our size, our structure is lean.
We self-perform selectively where it improves outcomes, reduces risk and strengthens programme control. Specialist subcontractors are engaged where they add the greatest value, integrated into a delivery model we actively manage. We purposefully minimise layers of management—keeping South Island construction projects competitive, flexible and well governed.
“Farrell Construction brings experience and excellence to the commercial building industry across Canterbury and the South Island, measuring itself against the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and accountability."
Senior personnel
Sean Farrell
Sean Farrell is the Founding Director of Farrell Construction, bringing over 30 years of experience across New Zealand and Europe. From his beginnings as a carpenter to leading multimillion-dollar projects, Sean is known for his hands-on approach, strong leadership, and commitment to client relationships. He established Farrell Commercial Construction following the Christchurch earthquakes, building a reputation for quality, trust, and community resilience.
Alison Farrell
Alison Farrell as an Owner and Finance Manager, Alison brings over 10 years of financial leadership combined with 26 years as a qualified structural engineer. This provides a unique ability to connect on-site delivery with financial performance, improving cost certainty and margin outcomes. Alison is committed to building a resilient, growth-focused business that operates efficiently with strong financial performance incorporating operational alignment alongside clear strategic direction.
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Barry Bragg
Barry Bragg is a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants. He began a governance career in 2002 involving minerals industry associations, the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust and various international commercial joint ventures. He has been a director of Farrell Commercial Construction since its inception. He is currently Chair of Te Kaha Project Delivery Limited, Pegasus Health Charitable Limited, and Quarry Capital Limited together with other Directorships. He brings a wealth of governance experience.
Claire McCallum
Claire McCallum is a commercially astute construction professional with over a decade of experience across major projects in Christchurch and Auckland. She specialises in cost control, financial reporting, subcontractor management, and risk mitigation. Known for her strong contract knowledge and leadership, Claire delivers clear commercial insights, supports high-performing teams, and consistently contributes to successful project outcomes.
Governance & independence
Clear roles. Clear accountability
Our main contracting and subcontracting business units operate with clear commercial separation and governance.
- When acting as Main Contractor we retain full accountability for commercial project delivery.
- Self-perform capability is used strategically to ensure programme certainty, not by default.
- External subcontractors are engaged on merit to ensure best-for-project outcomes.
- When acting as a subcontractor, we operate independently within the Head Contractor’s systems.
This structure ensures fairness, transparency and best-for-project decision-making for our partners.
Careers: Join Our Construction Team
At Farrell, we’re proud to employ some of the best talent in the Canterbury construction industry. You will be working alongside highly skilled tradespeople, experienced foremen, Site Managers, and Project Managers who are leaders in their fields and committed to excellence on every project. Health and safety are at the heart of everything we do. Our culture is built on care, accountability, and best-practice systems that protect our people and partners on every site, every day.
Apprenticeships that support change
Our community is important to us and we want to giveback. We offer construction apprenticeships for Canterbury youth who have had challenging circumstances. This is our way of supporting our local Christchurch community in a positive way. Contact us today for further information.
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“We are a business with nowhere to hide. Everyone here is expected to work hard and contribute to a positive culture. In turn, we are supportive, fair and reward a job well done."