Casamia Homes Director on a construction career sparked by Derby’s Pride Park

By Danny BallPublished On: September 14th, 2026Categories: News, Top Stories

Casamia Homes Construction Director Dan Taylor has reflected on a career in construction that began with a childhood visit to Derby County’s Pride Park stadium, where he watched the ground being built.

Taylor was 12 when his father took him to see the stadium under construction. The project’s rapid one-year build programme sparked an interest in construction that led to a career spanning quantity surveying, commercial management and housebuilding.

Dan said: “My dad took me to see the stadium being built and I was fascinated by it. I watched it rise from the ground over its incredibly fast one-year build programme.

“That was where my love of construction began. From then on, I knew I wanted to build things and pursue a career in the industry.”

Taylor is now based at Casamia Homes’ Pride Park headquarters and has served as the housebuilder’s Construction Director since 2022.

From quantity surveying to housebuilding

Taylor began his career in quantity surveying before moving into senior commercial roles, including Commercial Manager and Managing Quantity Surveyor positions with Miller Construction and Galliford Try Partnerships.

He later worked for regional housebuilder Radleigh Homes, where he worked alongside Tom Finnegan and other colleagues who subsequently joined him at Casamia.

His career has included involvement in construction schemes with contract values of up to £250 million, developing experience across procurement, commercial management, cost control, project delivery and multidisciplinary team leadership.

“As my career progressed, I became increasingly interested in property development and housebuilding. My time at Radleigh gave me valuable experience of regional housebuilding and showed me how rewarding it is to create homes and developments within the communities we know.

“Having spent time at other developers, I felt the time was right to explore the opportunity of establishing a development company, so approach Tom who id worked with at Radleigh.

“Coincidentally, Danielle and George had also been talking to Tom about setting something up and so everything seemed to align.”

Construction costs remain a key challenge

At Casamia, Taylor is responsible for construction and commercial delivery, covering procurement, health and safety, cost management, design coordination and the management of consultants, contractors and site teams.

He said his role involves challenging assumptions around cost, programme and risk.

“I’m probably the pessimist in the office – although I prefer to think of myself as the realist. In construction, you need somebody who is always asking what could go wrong, what something will really cost and whether enough time and contingency have been allowed.

“My role is to test the assumptions, identify risks early and make sure that when we commit to a development, we properly understand what it will take to deliver it.”

Taylor said housebuilders are operating against higher labour and material costs, longer planning and technical processes and increased regulation.

“The market is undoubtedly challenging. Build costs have risen at an unprecedented rate, planning and technical processes are taking longer, and finance costs can become crippling when a development’s gestation period extends beyond what was originally anticipated.

“Some businesses are still appraising sites using assumptions that no longer reflect where build costs are today, let alone where they may be by the time construction begins. That can quickly turn what appeared to be a profitable development into a very difficult one.

“For an SME housebuilder, every decision matters. You cannot afford to be naïve about costs, timescales or risk.”

Casamia progresses Derbyshire developments

Taylor has played a central role in delivering Casamia’s The Firs development in Allestree, comprising 10 homes.

The company is also delivering Black Fir Farm at Dalbury Lees, a development of three homes, with further schemes progressing through planning and pre-construction.

George Tyler, Land and Sales Director at Casamia Homes, said: “Dan’s experience has been invaluable as Casamia has grown and taken on increasingly ambitious developments.

“He combines the commercial discipline gained from delivering major construction projects with a genuine understanding of regional housebuilding and a passion for creating exceptional homes.

“Dan calls himself the pessimist in the office, and we often joke about it, but his ability to interrogate costs, challenge assumptions and anticipate problems is essential. In this industry, enthusiasm needs to be balanced by commercial reality, and Dan provides that balance.”

For Taylor, The Firs represents another milestone in a career that began with the construction of Pride Park.

He said: “The Firs is a very special development, and it has been a privilege to help bring it together.

“When the scheme is complete, I will be able to stand back and know that I played my part in creating something distinctive and lasting. That will be an incredibly proud moment.”