General building work in Stroud and Gloucestershire

Forming a new doorway, widening an opening, inserting a beam or removing a chimney breast all change how loads travel through a house. These jobs need the correct support during the work and the correct permanent structure afterwards, usually designed by a structural engineer and approved by building control.

Getting this right protects the rest of the house. Cracks, sagging and movement are often the result of past alterations made without proper support.

Walls of all kinds are part of everyday building work, whether that is a new internal blockwork wall, a garden wall or rebuilding a section of stonework that has failed. Matching existing materials and bonding patterns makes repairs blend in, and using the right mortar matters, particularly on older stone and brick walls where lime mortar is often the better choice.

Many building projects start below ground. Foundations for walls and outbuildings, bases for patios and paths, and drainage connections all need to be set out, dug and built carefully, because problems below ground are hard to put right later. Surface water from roofs and hard surfaces also needs somewhere suitable to go.

Before digging, existing drains and services are located, and any work near public sewers is checked with the water company.

Older homes often carry the marks of earlier work: undersized lintels, poorly built walls, blocked or broken drains, or alterations that were never quite finished. Putting these right properly, rather than covering them up, protects the value of the house and avoids the same problem returning.

Structural alterations and new drainage normally need building regulations approval. Some work, such as building walls on a boundary or digging near a neighbour's foundations, may need notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Front garden walls and work to listed buildings or in conservation areas can need planning permission or consent. If you are unsure, ask us when you get in touch.