Questions about building work, answered

Use Quick Quote Online to tell us what you want built, where the property is and roughly when you would like the work done. Photos of the house, the garden or the area in question help a great deal. For most jobs, Pete Bartlett will then arrange to visit before putting a price together.

For almost every job, yes. A builder cannot price footings without seeing the ground, or a loft without seeing the roof. At the visit Pete looks at the structure, the access, where a skip and materials can go and anything that might complicate the work. That visit is what lets us give you a written price we can stand behind.

The quote sets out the work in stages, what is included, what is not, and any items that depend on what we find once the ground is opened or a wall is taken down. Where drawings, structural calculations or council fees are needed, we say so clearly. Nothing is hidden in a vague line at the bottom.

We build new homes, extensions, loft conversions, basement conversions and full renovations, along with brickwork, natural stone, groundworks, landscaping, carpentry, joinery and kitchens.

Not always. Many single storey rear extensions and loft conversions fall under permitted development, provided they stay within size and height limits and the house has not had those rights removed. Conservation areas and listed buildings are more restricted. We look at the planning position at the first visit, and you should always confirm it with your local council.

It is a formal confirmation from the council that a project is lawful, usually because it falls within permitted development. You do not strictly need one to build, but it gives you a written record, and buyers' solicitors often ask for it when you sell. We recommend one for most permitted development extensions and lofts.

We do. Almost all extensions, loft conversions and structural alterations need Building Regulations approval, whether or not they need planning permission. A building control inspector checks the work at set stages, such as the foundations before concrete is poured. We arrange those inspections and make sure each stage is ready, and you receive a completion certificate at the end.

Sometimes it is a legal requirement. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies to work on a shared wall, such as cutting in a steel beam, and to digging new foundations close to a neighbouring building. In those cases formal notice has to be served before work starts. We explain when it applies. Beyond the law, a friendly word before the skip arrives always helps.

Pete Bartlett, the owner. Buildings For Life is a family-run company, and Pete runs every job himself, from the first visit through to handover. He started as a bricklayer and has over 40 years in the building trade, so the person you talk to about the work is the person who knows how it should be built.

For most extensions and loft conversions, yes. We keep the house weathertight, break through into the existing rooms as late as possible and seal off dust where we can. There will be noise, deliveries and a few days with limited use of a room. For a full renovation, moving out for part of the job can be more practical.

We are based in Hedge End and work across Hedge End, Southampton and the towns around them, out as far as Winchester, Romsey and Totton. That covers places such as Botley, West End, Bishops Waltham, Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford. If you are unsure whether you are inside the area, send the details and we will tell you.

Old houses in particular can hide surprises: shallow footings, a rotten lintel, a drain in the wrong place. When that happens we stop, show you what we have found, explain the options and agree any change with you before carrying on. Our quote flags the items most likely to vary, so you know where the risks are from the start.

New builds carry our 10-year warranty. The warranty applies to new builds only. If you are planning a new build, Pete will talk you through it when he visits.

Where Building Regulations approval was needed, you receive the completion certificate from building control. If a lawful development certificate or planning permission was obtained, keep that with it. Together they are the documents a buyer's solicitor will ask for when you sell, and they confirm the work was approved and inspected.

Call Pete. Because we are a family-run firm based in Hedge End, the person who built the work is the person you speak to afterwards. If something related to our work needs looking at, we will come back, see it for ourselves and agree what needs doing with you.

New mortar needs time to cure, so avoid pressure washing brickwork or paving joints for the first few months. Keep soil and planting below the damp proof course on house walls. On patios, clear leaves and moss so water keeps running off, and deal with any loose joint early before frost opens it further. We explain anything specific to your job at handover.