Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers, before you ask.
The questions we are most often asked at first consultation. If yours isn't here, please call the studio — Nicholas will speak to you the same working day.
- What is the minimum budget you take on?
- We typically begin around £150,000 for a single-storey extension or comparable conversion in Buckinghamshire. Below that level we are unlikely to be the right fit — there are excellent smaller-scale local builders we are happy to recommend.
- What is the largest project you have delivered?
- Multi-million-pound whole-house remodels and listed-manor restorations. Our typical project sits between £200,000 and £1.2m. Larger commissions, including replacement new-builds and basement digs, are taken on selectively.
- How long does a typical project take?
- Single-storey extensions: 12–18 weeks on site. Two-storey extensions: 20–28 weeks. Loft conversions: 10–14 weeks. Whole-house refurbishments: 6–14 months. Every quotation includes a written week-by-week programme — we hit the dates we quote.
- Do you offer fixed-price contracts?
- Yes — every project. We sign on a JCT contract appropriate to the value, with itemised pricing and no day-rates. Variations are priced and signed before they happen, never after.
- Can we stay in the house during the build?
- Almost always, yes. We build sealed dust corridors, agree working hours up-front, run a daily clean-down and provide a single dedicated site contact. Most of our clients stay in residence through the entire programme.
- Do you handle Planning and Building Control?
- Yes, in-house. We coordinate the architect, structural engineer, Planning, Building Control, Party Wall and Listed Building Consent applications — one point of contact across the whole consent process.
- Can you work from our architect's drawings?
- Absolutely. We tender to architect-led drawings frequently. We also offer a single-point design-and-build contract where we appoint the architect ourselves — whichever model suits the project.
- Do you offer a guarantee?
- A written 10-year workmanship guarantee on every project, backed by Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance. On new-build elements we also arrange NHBC or comparable structural warranty cover.
- How does the payment schedule work?
- Staged payments tied to certified completion of each build phase — no payment ahead of progress. A typical schedule splits the contract value across seven stages, with the final 10% held to snag-free handover.
- What happens if costs rise during the build?
- Our contract is fixed-price, so material and labour inflation is our risk — not yours. Client-instructed changes are priced as a written variation, signed, and added to the contract sum before any work proceeds.
- Which areas of Buckinghamshire do you cover?
- Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Amersham, Chesham, Chalfonts, Gerrards Cross, Great Missenden, Marlow, High Wycombe, Wendover, Princes Risborough, and the villages between. We will travel further for the right commission.
- Are you insured and accredited?
- £5m Public Liability, Professional Indemnity in place, CHAS accredited, Federation of Master Builders member, TrustMark registered. All certificates available on request.