Detailed insights into our operational standards, project management philosophy, and technical capabilities.
Prime Build Works Limited is a building contractor based at 46 Rudloe Road, London SW12 0DS, working across South London and North Kent. The company has been trading since 2012 and covers ten building services in-house, from structural work such as extensions, loft conversions and roofing through to finishing trades including carpentry, kitchens, flooring and electrical installation.
Prime Build Works Limited has been trading since 2012. In that time the work has ranged from single-room refits through to full structural extensions and whole-property refurbishments across South London.
Most of our trades are directly employed rather than brought in job by job. This matters for scheduling: when the carpenter, the kitchen fitter and the flooring team all work for the same company, the finishing stages of a build run as one continuous programme rather than a series of handovers between separate firms. Subcontracted trades are used only for specialist work, and we tell you when that applies.
We take on projects from a single door being hung through to a complete property refurbishment. The most common work is extensions, loft conversions, roofing, kitchen installation and whole-house renovation. Small jobs are often easier to schedule than large ones, so it is worth asking even if the work seems too minor for a building contractor.
Yes. Alongside domestic work, Prime Build Works Limited carries out commercial refurbishment, office and retail fit-outs, HMO conversions and void property turnarounds for landlords, letting agents and property managers. Portfolio arrangements are available where the same specification is applied across several properties.
Yes. Our projects page shows completed work with the town, the scope and the duration for each. We can also arrange for you to speak to a previous client, or in some cases to see a completed project in person, before you commit to anything.
No. Quotations from Prime Build Works Limited are free and carry no obligation. We arrange a site visit, look at the property, and then provide a written quotation. There is no charge for the visit or the quotation itself.
No, not for building work. A figure given without seeing the property is a guess, and in our experience it is usually the optimistic guess that costs the customer more later when the real conditions emerge. We visit, look at the structure, the services and the access, and quote against what is actually there.
Usually within five to seven working days of the site visit for straightforward work, and up to two weeks for larger projects that need structural input or supplier pricing. If it is going to take longer than that we tell you at the visit rather than leaving you waiting.
Itemised, broken down by stage and by trade. A single lump sum makes it impossible to compare quotations properly or to understand what is included. Our quotations show what each stage covers, so you can see where the money goes and identify what any other quotation may have left out.
Our quotations state their own validity period, typically 30 days. Material prices in construction move, so a quotation from several months ago may need revisiting. If yours has expired we will tell you what has changed rather than simply reissuing a higher number.
Usually because they cover different things rather than because one contractor is cheaper. A quotation that excludes foundations, drainage diversion, structural steel, making good or waste removal will look substantially lower than one that includes them. When comparing quotations, compare the scope line by line before comparing the totals.
No. If another quotation is lower we will happily go through it with you and explain what the difference covers, because in most cases it is a difference in scope rather than in margin. What we will not do is remove necessary work to reach a number, because the work is still necessary and you will pay for it later.
Planning permission is about whether you are allowed to build something; building regulations are about whether it is built safely and to standard. They are separate systems with separate applications. A project can fall under permitted development and need no planning application at all, while still requiring full building regulations approval. Almost all structural building work needs building regulations approval regardless of the planning position.
Permitted development is a set of rights allowing certain building work without a full planning application. For a single storey rear extension the standard limits are a projection of three metres from the original rear wall for a terraced or semi-detached house, and four metres for a detached house, with a maximum height of four metres. Flats and maisonettes have no permitted development rights, and conservation areas and listed buildings are treated differently.
Yes. Prime Build Works Limited manages the approvals route from the survey onwards, whether that means a certificate of lawful development, a full planning application or the prior approval process, along with the building regulations package and the inspections during the build.
A party wall agreement is a formal arrangement with a neighbour under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, required where work involves building on or into a shared wall, or excavating close to a neighbouring property. It is entirely separate from planning permission and building regulations. Notice periods add time to a project, so it is worth identifying early. We flag it at survey stage and can point you to a surveyor.
It usually surfaces during a sale, when your solicitor asks for certificates that do not exist. Unapproved work can sometimes be regularised retrospectively through building control, and in some cases indemnity insurance is used instead. We will tell you what we find during a survey, and we will not build on top of unapproved work without raising it with you first.
Yes. We arrange the building control submission and book the inspections at the required stages, including before foundations are covered. On completion you receive the completion certificate. This is not something we expect a homeowner to organise themselves.
In most cases yes. For extensions and loft conversions the majority of clients stay in the property throughout. We seal the working area from the rest of the house, agree access and working hours in advance, and sequence the work so kitchen and bathroom facilities remain available for as long as possible. For a full refurbishment or a whole-house rewire, moving out is faster and usually cheaper.
Normal working hours are 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, with Saturday mornings by arrangement. Many London boroughs restrict noisy construction work outside broadly similar hours, and the specific restrictions vary by borough. We agree the hours with you before starting and stick to them.
One person, for the whole project. You will have a named contact who knows the job rather than a general office number, and you will have their direct details from the start. Passing a client between people is how information gets lost between trades.
Waste removal is included in our quotations. Where a skip is needed we arrange it, along with a skip permit from the council if it has to stand on the road. Some London streets have restrictions that make a skip impractical, in which case we use a waste collection service instead.
We discuss parking at the survey, because in much of South London it materially affects the cost. Where permits or suspensions are needed we arrange them and the cost appears in the quotation. If access is restricted — no side access, narrow streets, or upper floor flats — we plan the material deliveries around it rather than discovering the problem on day one.
We will if it helps. Most disputes during building work come from surprise rather than from the work itself. We are happy to introduce ourselves to adjoining neighbours before starting, explain the programme and give them a contact number. Where a party wall notice is required, that process is formal and separate.
We stop, tell you, and price it before proceeding. Unexpected findings are common in older property — rotten joists, unsupported walls, asbestos, drainage in the wrong place. What should not happen is work continuing and an invoice appearing later. Any variation is agreed in writing before it is carried out.
For most projects yes, to cover materials ordered ahead of the start date. The amount depends on the size of the project and is set out in the quotation. We do not ask for large upfront payments before work begins, and you should be cautious of any contractor who does.
Payments are staged against defined milestones set out in the quotation, so you pay for work as it is completed rather than in advance. For a typical extension that means payments at points such as foundations complete, structure weathertight, first fix complete and practical completion. The schedule is agreed before work starts.
Yes. The written quotation, the specification and the agreed programme form the basis of the contract, and for larger projects we use a formal contract document. Building work should never proceed on a verbal agreement, for the protection of both sides.
[CONFIRM] — the client must supply the VAT registration position and number before this answer is published. State clearly whether quoted prices include or exclude VAT, because this is one of the most common causes of misunderstanding on building quotations.
The programme in your quotation is the working timetable and we report against it. Where a delay is ours, it does not change the price. Where it comes from a variation you have requested, from an unexpected finding, or from an external factor such as a planning delay or a supplier lead time, we tell you as soon as we know and explain the effect on both the date and the cost.
[CONFIRM] — the client must supply the public liability cover level and employer’s liability position in writing before this answer is published. This is one of the questions most likely to be asked by a business client, and a vague answer costs enquiries.
[CONFIRM] — the client must confirm the workmanship guarantee period and precisely what it covers. The answer should also make clear that materials, appliances and installed products carry their own separate manufacturer warranties, which typically differ in length from the workmanship guarantee.
It depends on the work. Structural projects receive a building control completion certificate. Electrical work receives either an electrical installation certificate or a minor works certificate depending on its scope. Gas work receives its own certificate. Keep all of them — your solicitor will ask for them when you sell, and missing certificates are a routine cause of delay during conveyancing.
[CONFIRM] — the client must confirm any trade body memberships, competent person scheme registrations and contractor accreditations in writing, with registration numbers, before this answer is published. Do not publish a claimed membership that has not been verified.
Contact us and we will come and look at it. Defects that fall within the workmanship guarantee are put right at no cost. Where an issue turns out to be a product fault rather than an installation fault we will help you pursue it with the manufacturer. A contractor who is difficult to reach after handover is one of the clearest warning signs in this trade, and we do not intend to be one.
Prime Build Works Limited is based in Balham SW12 and works throughout South London, including Clapham, Brixton, Streatham, Tooting, Wimbledon, Mitcham and Worcester Park. We also take on extension, loft conversion and refurbishment work across North Kent, including Gravesend, Northfleet and Dartford. If you are not certain whether we reach you, call 07472 137237 and ask.
It varies with the size of the project and the time of year. Small jobs can often be scheduled within a few weeks. Extensions and loft conversions usually need booking several months ahead, particularly because planning and building regulations approval have to happen first. We give you a realistic start date at quotation stage rather than an optimistic one.
Compare the scope of each quotation before comparing the totals, because differences in what is included explain most of the gap. Check that whoever you appoint is properly insured, ask which competent person scheme certifies their notifiable work, and ask to speak to a recent client. Be wary of anyone who quotes without visiting, asks for a large payment upfront, or pressures you to decide immediately.
The reliable warning signs are a quotation given without a site visit, a demand for a large cash payment before work starts, no written contract or specification, reluctance to provide insurance details, no fixed address, and pressure to decide on the spot. Doorstep callers offering to fix a problem you cannot see from the ground are a particular risk in roofing work.
