diff --git a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/bench_main.rs b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/bench_main.rs
index db6e5dc4e..bc0619c48 100644
--- a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/bench_main.rs
+++ b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/bench_main.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 //! Benchmarks
-#[allow(dead_code)]
+#![allow(dead_code)]
+
 mod benchmarks;
 
 use criterion::criterion_main;
 
 criterion_main! {
     benchmarks::hugr::benches,
+    benchmarks::types::benches,
 }
diff --git a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs
index 231a1efa1..7da7b4c12 100644
--- a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs
+++ b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/hugr.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,57 @@
 #![allow(clippy::unit_arg)] // Required for black_box uses
 
-use criterion::{criterion_group, AxisScale, Criterion, PlotConfiguration};
+use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, AxisScale, Criterion, PlotConfiguration};
+use hugr::builder::{BuildError, CFGBuilder, DFGBuilder, Dataflow, DataflowHugr, HugrBuilder};
+use hugr::extension::prelude::{BOOL_T, USIZE_T};
+use hugr::extension::ExtensionSet;
+use hugr::types::FunctionType;
+use hugr::{type_row, Hugr};
 
-fn bench_it_works(c: &mut Criterion) {
-    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("it_works");
+pub fn simple_dfg_hugr() -> Hugr {
+    let dfg_builder =
+        DFGBuilder::new(FunctionType::new(type_row![BOOL_T], type_row![BOOL_T])).unwrap();
+    let [i1] = dfg_builder.input_wires_arr();
+    dfg_builder.finish_prelude_hugr_with_outputs([i1]).unwrap()
+}
+
+pub fn simple_cfg_builder<T: AsMut<Hugr> + AsRef<Hugr>>(
+    cfg_builder: &mut CFGBuilder<T>,
+) -> Result<(), BuildError> {
+    let sum2_variants = vec![type_row![USIZE_T], type_row![USIZE_T]];
+    let mut entry_b =
+        cfg_builder.entry_builder(sum2_variants.clone(), type_row![], ExtensionSet::new())?;
+    let entry = {
+        let [inw] = entry_b.input_wires_arr();
+
+        let sum = entry_b.make_sum(1, sum2_variants, [inw])?;
+        entry_b.finish_with_outputs(sum, [])?
+    };
+    let mut middle_b = cfg_builder
+        .simple_block_builder(FunctionType::new(type_row![USIZE_T], type_row![USIZE_T]), 1)?;
+    let middle = {
+        let c = middle_b.add_load_const(hugr::ops::Const::unary_unit_sum());
+        let [inw] = middle_b.input_wires_arr();
+        middle_b.finish_with_outputs(c, [inw])?
+    };
+    let exit = cfg_builder.exit_block();
+    cfg_builder.branch(&entry, 0, &middle)?;
+    cfg_builder.branch(&middle, 0, &exit)?;
+    cfg_builder.branch(&entry, 1, &exit)?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub fn simple_cfg_hugr() -> Hugr {
+    let mut cfg_builder =
+        CFGBuilder::new(FunctionType::new(type_row![USIZE_T], type_row![USIZE_T])).unwrap();
+    simple_cfg_builder(&mut cfg_builder).unwrap();
+    cfg_builder.finish_prelude_hugr().unwrap()
+}
+
+fn bench_builder(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("builder");
     group.plot_config(PlotConfiguration::default().summary_scale(AxisScale::Logarithmic));
-    group.bench_function("it_works", |b| b.iter(|| 42));
+    group.bench_function("simple_dfg", |b| b.iter(|| black_box(simple_dfg_hugr())));
+    group.bench_function("simple_cfg", |b| b.iter(|| black_box(simple_cfg_hugr())));
     group.finish();
 }
 
@@ -13,5 +59,5 @@ criterion_group! {
     name = benches;
     config = Criterion::default();
     targets =
-        bench_it_works,
+        bench_builder,
 }
diff --git a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/mod.rs b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/mod.rs
index 4b93580c2..a153caa15 100644
--- a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/mod.rs
+++ b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/mod.rs
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 pub mod hugr;
+pub mod types;
diff --git a/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/types.rs b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/types.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b599983c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quantinuum-hugr/benches/benchmarks/types.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Required for black_box uses
+#![allow(clippy::unit_arg)]
+use hugr::extension::prelude::{QB_T, USIZE_T};
+use hugr::ops::AliasDecl;
+use hugr::types::{FunctionType, Type, TypeBound};
+
+use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, AxisScale, Criterion, PlotConfiguration};
+
+/// Construct a complex type.
+fn make_complex_type() -> Type {
+    let qb = QB_T;
+    let int = USIZE_T;
+    let q_register = Type::new_tuple(vec![qb; 8]);
+    let b_register = Type::new_tuple(vec![int; 8]);
+    let q_alias = Type::new_alias(AliasDecl::new("QReg", TypeBound::Any));
+    let sum = Type::new_sum([vec![q_register].into(), vec![q_alias].into()]);
+    Type::new_function(FunctionType::new(vec![sum], vec![b_register]))
+}
+
+fn bench_construction(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("types");
+    group.plot_config(PlotConfiguration::default().summary_scale(AxisScale::Logarithmic));
+
+    group.bench_function("construction", |b| {
+        b.iter(|| black_box(make_complex_type()))
+    });
+
+    group.finish();
+}
+
+criterion_group! {
+    name = benches;
+    config = Criterion::default();
+    targets =
+        bench_construction,
+}