Building FAQs — Asked constantly. Answered straight.

Often not — most rear dormers and Velux conversions fall under permitted development, within volume limits. We recommend a lawful development certificate as proof for when you sell; since April 2026 it costs £274. Front-facing dormers, flats and homes in conservation areas usually do need an application, and we tell you which camp you are in at the first visit.

As a guide: Velux room-in-roof from £35,000, dormer from £40,000, hip-to-gable and mansard from £50,000, all plus VAT. The honest answer depends on your roof, the staircase position and the bathroom — which is why we quote from a survey, itemised line by line.

Eight to twelve weeks on site for a dormer, ten to fourteen for a hip-to-gable or mansard. Design, calculations and any certificate or planning decision add lead time before we start, and party wall notices need one to two months where they apply.

Most projects land between £1,800 and £3,000 per square metre plus VAT. A straightforward 20m² single-storey rear sits at the lower end; big glazing, complicated steels and high-spec kitchens push toward the top. We quote from a survey, itemised line by line.

Single-storey rear extensions within permitted development limits often don't; two-storey, side and wraparound schemes usually do. We tell you which applies at the first visit, and prepare the drawings with our partner architects where an application is needed.

Yes. Some clients want weathertight shell only, others want us through to the fitted kitchen. The itemised quote makes the split explicit so you can decide with real numbers.

Both. We run whole-house programmes with phasing that keeps part of the home liveable, and we take on single rooms where the job justifies a proper team — a structural kitchen knock-through more than qualifies.

Yes — we have rebuilt homes after tank and appliance leaks, including work referred through claims-management companies, and we are comfortable working to an insurer's scope while telling you honestly where the scope should be challenged.

Our minimum sensible project is roughly a bathroom. Below that, honest answer: a good local carpenter or handyman will serve you better than our site setup would.

Not on your behalf — that is the honest answer, and the right one. Handling a claim is a regulated activity; we are builders. What we do is work alongside your loss adjuster and give you an itemised scope and quote written so an adjuster can read it line by line, photograph everything as it comes out and goes back in, and answer the adjuster's technical questions directly. Most of our clients handle the claim themselves, and some appoint their own loss assessor.

Emergency make-safe work usually needs to happen immediately — insurers expect you to prevent further damage, and waiting makes everything worse. We can make safe and start drying straight away, then agree the reinstatement scope once the adjuster has been. We will always tell you which is which.

Longer than people expect — typically several weeks with dehumidifiers and air movers running. We do not close anything up until moisture readings say the structure is dry, because sealing damp into a wall or floor causes a second problem a year later.

Usually not for attached and integral garages — it is internal alteration plus a new wall in an existing opening. Detached garages, conservation areas and homes with planning conditions on parking can differ; we check before you commit.

Three to five weeks on site for a straightforward single garage, longer where plumbing for an en-suite or utility is involved.

That is the whole test. Insulation to current standards, matched flooring levels, a proper window and heating sized for the space — the result should be indistinguishable from the rest of the house.

Design is delivered with our partner architects — practices we work with repeatedly, briefed and coordinated by us, with the build team in the design meetings. You get architectural quality with construction honesty, under one contract.

When cost certainty and a single point of responsibility matter more to you than running a competitive tender — typically extensions, conversions and renovations where the budget is real and the timeline matters. For a landmark self-build with an open budget, an independent architect-led route can suit better; we will tell you honestly which side your project falls.

If you have your own superstructure team, take groundworks-only and we will hand over inspection-ready. If you want one team accountable from dig to weathertight, the combined package removes the riskiest handover in construction — the one at damp-proof course.

Yes — builders, developers and main contractors. Our health and safety is SafeContractor approved (SSIP), so the paperwork is ready for your pre-qualification. Send drawings, programme and site constraints; you will get an itemised package price and straight answers about capacity.

Not yet — it is confirmed government policy direction with a 2030 horizon rather than legislation already on the books, and details can still move. That distinction matters, and it is exactly why a costed plan now beats either panic or paralysis: you know your number and can phase the work on your terms.

Maybe not for long. Assessment methodology is expected to change later this decade, and marginal Cs on older ratings can drop when reassessed. If your certificate is old and your score is near the boundary, a fresh look costs little and settles it.

Grant-funded measures like heat pumps and solar must be installed by accredited installers under those schemes — so we route them through accredited partners as part of your schedule, while our team delivers the fabric works and coordinates the whole programme.

For a budget figure, yes — good drawings deserve a fast, honest range. For a contract price we walk the site first; it protects both sides from the surprises that wreck programmes.

From single-unit refurbishments and portfolio loft packages up to complete new-build homes. We would rather deliver a four-unit programme flawlessly than overreach on twenty.

Yes — phasing around trading is normal for us, including early starts, sectional handovers and out-of-hours work where it earns its cost. The programme is agreed before we start, in writing.

Yes, including works across multiple blocks — with the communication discipline that leaseholder-funded projects demand.

Yes — send photos and rough sizes for a budget figure, then we survey properly for the itemised quote. Where a project is glazing-only, we say so plainly and price it that way.

Product guarantees come from the manufacturer and are passed to you in writing; our workmanship on the installation is covered by our insurance-backed guarantee through the IWA.