Richard is a chartered quantity surveyor and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. His experience covers a wide variety of building projects across the education, housing, health and environmental sectors, both in the UK and the West Indies.

In 1989, Richard formed construction cost consultancy Dobson White Boulcott in partnership with Jonathan White and Philip Boulcott. He has lectured on the various forms of building contract procurement and, in particular, a form of fixed-sum building contract developed by Dobson White Boulcott in 1992.

In December 2007, Appleyards acquired Dobson White Boulcott and Richard joined the Board of the holding company.