Waterhouse's biographer, Colin Cunningham, states that between about 1865 and about 1885 he was "the most widely employed British architect".
[1] He worked in many fields, designing commercial, public, educational, domestic, and ecclesiastical buildings.
Here his major work was the rebuilding of Eaton Hall in Cheshire for the 1st Duke of Westminster, which was "the most expensive country house of the [19th] century".
[1] He also designed educational buildings including schools and works for the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, and Liverpool.
[1] He paid particular attention to detail and, although he designed many major buildings, he still accepted smaller commissions.