Builders
The builders listed here work on period, listed and traditional buildings, from routine repairs to full restorations and sympathetic extensions. What sets a conservation builder apart is familiarity with older construction: solid walls that need to breathe, lime mortars rather than cement, timber frames, and the habit of repairing rather than replacing. Many are main contractors who bring in specialist trades – lime plasterers, leadworkers, joiners – under one contract. Use this category when a project spans more than one trade or when the building’s age demands materials and methods a general builder may not offer.
What this category covers
- General repair and maintenance of period and listed buildings
- Restoration and refurbishment projects under one contract
- Sympathetic extensions and alterations
- Coordination of specialist trades such as lime plastering and leadwork
- Emergency and structural repairs to older fabric
A T Mead Traditional Restoration
BUILDING CONTRACTORS: A small independently-run business which specialises in the alteration of ...
A T Mead Traditional Restoration
BUILDING CONTRACTORS: A small independently-run business which specialises in the alteration of ...
AIM Heritage & Development
AIM is a heritage and luxury building contractor based at Emsworth in ...
Andrew Churchman Ltd
BULDING CONTRACTOR: Andrew Churchman Ltd is a long-established company based in Belper, ...
Aston Building (Conservation) Ltd
Aston Building (Conservation) Ltd is a family-run building company based in South ...
Bakers of Danbury Ltd
Bakers of Danbury is a privately owned building contractor established in 1878 ...
Bespoke Construction & Joinery Solutions
Bespoke Construction & Joinery Solutions (BCJS) is a building contractor based in ...
Bullen Conservation Ltd
Bullen Conservation is a building conservation contractor founded in 2003 and based ...
Choosing a builder for an older property
Ask what the firm would use on your walls. The answer distinguishes a conservation builder quickly: solid-walled buildings generally need lime-based mortars, plasters and breathable finishes, and a builder who reaches for cement and modern renders by default can do lasting harm.
Look for recent comparable projects and speak to the owners if you can. A builder used to Victorian terraces may still be learning on a timber-framed farmhouse; construction type matters as much as age.
Agree the approach to surprises before work starts. Old buildings reveal problems as they are opened up, so ask how variations will be priced and authorised, and keep a contingency – ten to twenty per cent is common on restoration work.
On listed buildings, confirm who is responsible for consent. Work that changes fabric or appearance usually needs Listed Building Consent, and the owner, not the builder, is legally responsible for making sure it is in place.
Questions to ask
What makes a builder suitable for listed building work?
Experience with the construction type in question, routine use of lime mortars and breathable materials, a repair-first approach to historic fabric, and comparable completed projects you can see or ask about. Membership of heritage trade bodies can help but is no substitute for a track record.
Should repairs to an old building use lime instead of cement?
Usually, yes, on buildings built before around 1919 with solid walls. Lime mortars and plasters stay permeable and flexible, letting moisture escape. Hard cement traps moisture in the wall and can accelerate decay of brick, stone and timber.
Who obtains Listed Building Consent, the owner or the builder?
The owner is legally responsible, though an architect, surveyor or agent often prepares the application. Carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building is a criminal offence, so confirm consent is in place before any work that alters fabric or appearance begins.
All 72 businesses listed under Builders
- A D Holden APC West Sussex
- A T Mead Traditional Restoration Wiltshire
- A T Mead Traditional Restoration Wiltshire
- A T Palmer Ltd Kent
- AIM Heritage & Development Hampshire
- Andrew Churchman Ltd Derbyshire
- Anthony Hicks Ltd Kent
- Aston Building (Conservation) Ltd Oxfordshire
- Bakers of Danbury Ltd Essex
- Bespoke Construction & Joinery Solutions Monmouthshire
- BuildTonic Ltd Surrey
- Bullen Conservation Ltd Lancashire
- Busby’s Builders Hampshire
- C R L Restoration Surrey
- CC Construction Group Greater London
- Chris Reading Associates Limited Hampshire
- Christopher Wright Restoration Ltd Worcestershire
- Chronstruct Ltd Somerset
- Church Conservation Ltd Cardiff
- CJR Heritage Services Herefordshire
- Clarke Roofing Southern Ltd East Sussex
- Cliveden Conservation Workshop Ltd Berkshire
- Collins & Curtis Masonry Ltd Suffolk
- Conservation Building Services Ltd Shropshire
- Country House Renovations Limited Gloucestershire
- Duncan Building Contractors
- Eco Tiffin Limited Hertfordshire
- Eco-Renovation Hertfordshire
- Ellan Gray Contractors Limited Kent
- ES Restoration Ltd
- Gills Joinery Ltd West Yorkshire
- Gransden Construction Ltd Kent
- H & W Sellors Ltd Derbyshire
- Heritage Property Preservation Ltd Bedfordshire
- Imperial Restoration & Construction Ltd Oxfordshire
- Ingeni Group Essex
- Inspire Building Specialists Ltd Oxfordshire
- J P Ladell Suffolk
- J. Titmus and Herts Restoration Co. Hertfordshire
- JH Building Restoration Ltd Cambridgeshire
- K C R Ltd (Kent Conservation & Restoration) Kent
- Mathias Brick and Flint Ltd Buckinghamshire
- McCurdy & Co Berkshire
- MD Plastering & Historic Conservation Essex
- ODS Group Oxfordshire
- Old Stone & Timber Ltd
- Olde English Buildings Essex
- Oliver & Sons Heritage Restoration West Sussex
- Orange Property Group East Sussex
- Organic By Design Cambridgeshire
- Owlsworth IJP Ltd Berkshire
- Parker & Son Construction East Sussex
- Parsons Building & Maintenance Kent
- R J Rowley Specialist Restorer of Historic Buildings Leicestershire
- Ravenhill Restoration Ltd Essex
- RestorationWork Surrey
- Rogate Construction Ltd Hampshire
- SGM Construction Services Ltd Warwickshire
- South East Conservation Kent
- Spencers Builders Ltd Gloucestershire
- Splitlath Limited Herefordshire
- Synergy (Construction Consulting) Limited Greater London
- Temple Leadworks Hertfordshire
- The Breathable House Company Ltd Oxfordshire
- The Oak Blokes East Sussex
- The Wessex Conservation Company Somerset
- Thompson’s Group Wiltshire
- Thorne Building Associates Ltd Dorset
- Traditional Heritage
- Trail Group Kent
- Valley Builders Ltd West Sussex
- W. J. Cove West Sussex
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.