Frequently Asked Questions

We're a full-service residential building company. We handle house extensions, loft conversions, home renovations, full refurbishments, kitchens, and bathrooms, all under a single contract with one project manager running the job.

Regularly. A large share of our work is architect-led. We can join at RIBA Stage 3 to give buildability and cost input before the design is fixed, or come in at tender with drawings already complete.

It depends on the address rather than the postcode. Kingston has no Article 4 Directions in force, so outside a conservation area, much of the interwar and Edwardian stock retains permitted development rights for rear extensions and lofts — worth confirming with a Lawful Development Certificate. Inside a conservation area, or on most two-storey schemes, a full householder application is needed. We check this on the first visit.

Four sit in and around the area: Surbiton Town Centre, Surbiton Hill Park, The Groves, and Southborough. Inside them, permitted development cannot be assumed; dormers and materials are scrutinised more closely, and build costs are typically ten to twenty per cent higher because of the specification the council expects.

Not necessarily. Kingston designates 19 Local Areas of Special Character, which are separate from conservation areas but still assessed at planning. Several fall within Surbiton and Berrylands, including Berrylands Road, Cranes Park, Grand and Elmbridge Avenue, St Matthew's Avenue, and Walpole Road. On these roads, new work is expected to respect the scale, form, materials, and detailing of the existing street. It's one of the more common surprises here, so we check it early.

Mostly the local stock: Italianate and Edwardian villas around Surbiton Hill and the town centre, mansion blocks near the station, Victorian terraces on the older roads, and interwar semis out toward Berrylands, Southborough, and Tolworth.

A single-storey rear extension typically runs 12–16 weeks on site. A loft conversion is usually 8–12 weeks. A whole-house refurbishment with an extension can run 6–9 months. You get a programme with your cost plan before work starts, not a vague estimate.

Yes. Rear and side extensions on terraces and semis almost always trigger Party Wall matters. We coordinate the process and serve notices early so neighbours aren't surprised, and the programme isn't held up.

We're based in SW20, around fifteen minutes away, and work across KT5 and KT6 regularly. Close enough for quick site visits and a genuine working knowledge of Kingston's planning, without being a one-street operation.

A dedicated project manager runs the job, with weekly written progress reports and scheduled valuations. You'll have one point of contact throughout rather than chasing different trades.