homes maintained
repairs responded to every year
happy with the quality of work
Fortem is the Willmott Dixon group's specialist social housing business.
We deliver responsive repairs, empty-home refurbishments, planned and capital works, compliance and retrofit, exclusively for councils and housing associations. Everything we do is built around a single promise: that every home matters.
For the residents who live in the homes we look after, a fast, right-first-time repair and a warm, healthy home are what count - and that focus shapes everything we do.
Fortem has worked exclusively in social housing for more than 20 years. We're not a generalist that treats housing as one sector among many, it's all we do. That means every process, system, training programme and performance measure we have is designed for social landlords and their residents.
It also means we speak our clients' language fluently: consumer standards, the Decent Homes Standard, Tenant Satisfaction Measures and Awaab's Law aren't add-ons for us, they're the world we live in. When a housing provider wants a partner who genuinely understands their regulatory reality, that specialism is a difference they feel from day one.
Fortem has the agility of a specialist and the security of a major group behind it.
As part of Willmott Dixon, a privately owned business with more than 170 years of heritage and a reputation for financial stability, Fortem give clients the reassurance that their maintenance partner will be there for the long term.
In a sector where that security matters more than ever, it's a genuine source of confidence for the councils and housing associations we work with.
Warm, energy-efficient homes are central to the future of social housing, and retrofit is one of our fastest-growing strengths. Our PAS 2035/2030-accredited teams deliver the full journey - from assessment and design through to installation and post-occupancy monitoring - including external wall insulation, solar PV and thermal, air source heat pumps and ventilation upgrades.
We were shortlisted for Retrofit Provider of the Year at the 2026 Sunday Express Construction & Property Awards and hold a place on the SEC £1bn Decarbonisation Partnerships Framework. Crucially, because we integrate retrofit within our repairs and maintenance relationships, we can use real property data to target the homes that need it most and help clients access and deliver funding such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund - something a standalone installer simply cannot offer.
We believe residents should help shape the services they receive, not just comment on them after the event. Our Customer Partnership Board brings residents and Fortem leaders together to influence how services are designed and delivered, a resident-governance model that puts tenant voice at the centre of decision-making.
As the Regulator of Social Housing places ever greater weight on resident engagement and accountability, it's proof that "every home matters" is more than a slogan.
We're investing in the technology that turns maintenance from "fix what breaks" into "predict, prevent and plan." Award-winning customer service - recognised at the Northern Housing Awards - is backed by AI-powered analysis of resident contacts to spot trends early, integrated IT systems that strip administration out of the process, and innovations such as video handovers that speed up and improve quality.
The result is data-led asset intelligence that helps housing providers plan long-term investment with confidence.
Social housing is under more scrutiny than at any point in its history, and we're built to help clients stay ahead of it.
From meeting Awaab's Law timescales on damp, mould and emergency hazards, to gas and electrical compliance, fire safety and building-safety capital works, our specialist teams help landlords protect their residents and demonstrate compliance ,with assurance and transparency built in.