Builders in South DevonYour Torquay-based team
One team for the hard part of any build. We deliver groundworks, extensions, conversions and structural work across South Devon, from your plans to a watertight shell.
- Director: 18 years' trade experience
- 11+ years trading in South Devon
- 1-year indemnity-backed guarantee
- Public liability insured
- City & Guilds bricklaying & carpentry
South Devon's groundworks and structural specialists
JB Carpentry and Building Ltd has been trading across South Devon for over 11 years from its base on Newton Road, Torquay. Director Jake Brown brings 18 years of hands-on trade experience.
Our coverage takes in Torbay (Torquay, Paignton and Brixham), the South Hams, including Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe, and Teignbridge, including Newton Abbot and the surrounding villages.
Across the region, we focus on our core services: groundworks and heavy structural work. Extensions, barn and basement conversions, underpinning and structural alterations are core services.
A core in-house team of six handles groundworks, brickwork, blockwork and structural carpentry, growing to as many as 15 with long-standing subcontractors, and vetted specialists deliver plumbing, electrics and plastering through the company.
South Devon's varied building stock
South Devon covers Victorian seaside towns, historic market towns, modern estates, farmhouses and agricultural buildings, and exposed coastal homes. Each comes with different structural considerations, from cellars and solid walls to shallow foundations and off-mains drainage.
Slopes and varied ground conditions can affect sites across the region, so groundworks experience is central to building well here.
Building work for South Devon properties
- House extensions across Torbay and beyond
- Barn and basement conversions
- Underpinning and structural alterations
- Septic tanks, driveways and landscaping
- Rubber flat roofing and refurbishments
Our services in South Devon
We offer the services below across our South Devon service area. Contact us to discuss the scope for your property in South Devon. Our core team handles groundworks, brickwork, blockwork and structural carpentry, with specialist trades managed through the company.
House Extensions in South Devon
Full structural extensions from groundworks to roof, anywhere in South Devon.
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Barn Conversions in South Devon
Complete conversion of agricultural and traditional buildings.
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Underpinning in South Devon
Heavy structural foundation strengthening and ground stabilisation.
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Structural Alterations in South Devon
Wall removals, steels and structural reconfigurations.
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Basement Conversions in South Devon
Turn a damp, unused cellar into dry, usable space. We carry out the structural conversion and waterproofing to the system specified for your project.
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Refurbishments in South Devon
Bring a tired or neglected property back to life. We tackle the structural upgrades first, then manage the trades through to the finish you want.
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Flat Roofing in South Devon
A flat roof that keeps the weather out. As approved rubber roofing installers, we fit rubber membranes on properly built decks for extensions, garages and replacements.
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Septic Tank Installation in South Devon
Reliable drainage for properties off the mains. We prepare the ground, excavate and install your tank to the agreed drainage design and installation requirements.
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Driveways in South Devon
Driveway excavation, sub-bases and surfacing. We prepare the ground and build to the agreed levels, drainage design and surface specification.
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Landscaping in South Devon
Make a sloping or awkward garden usable. We re-shape levels, build retaining walls, patios and steps on solid foundations to the agreed design for your site.
View landscapingWhy choose us in South Devon
Local base
We're based at 156 Newton Road, Torquay; where we've been trading for over 11 years, from our base in Torquay.
Director’s trade experience
Director Jake Brown is City & Guilds qualified in bricklaying and carpentry, with 18 years of trade experience.
11+ years trading
The company has been building across South Devon for over 11 years.
In-house structural team
Groundworks, brickwork, blockwork, structural carpentry and underpinning are handled by our own core team.
Building Control liaison
We work alongside client architects and engineers and can liaise with Building Control officers on site where needed.
Guaranteed and insured
1-year indemnity-backed workmanship guarantee, plus business and public liability insurance.
Building conditions across South Devon
The same handful of conditions shape projects right across the region.
Hilly, variable ground
Slopes and mixed ground mean foundations and drainage have to be designed for the site, not assumed.
Older building stock
Victorian and older buildings often hide structural defects that surface when work starts.
Coastal weather
Driving rain and salt air demand careful weatherproofing details on roofs and openings.
Rural infrastructure
Off-mains drainage and limited access are common outside the towns.
Building in South Devon: what to know
Planning across South Devon
South Devon spans three councils: Torbay Council for Torquay, Paignton and Brixham; South Hams District Council for Totnes, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe; and Teignbridge District Council for Newton Abbot and the surrounding area. Each has its own conservation areas, and much of the coastline lies within the South Devon National Landscape. We build once drawings and consents are in place, and liaise with Building Control on site wherever the project is.
Why groundworks experience matters here
South Devon's hills, mixed ground and coastal exposure make the earliest stages of a build the most important. Foundations need designing for the actual ground, drainage has to handle steep slopes and heavy rain, and retaining is often needed just to create a level site. Our core in-house team carries out groundworks, brickwork, blockwork, structural carpentry and heavy underpinning directly, so the stages that decide whether a building lasts stay under our control.
Shell handover or full finish, anywhere in the region
Across South Devon, our strength is delivering watertight, structurally sound shells. From there, clients choose whether we manage the internal fit-out through vetted specialist trades, or hand over at shell stage so they can use their own kitchen, bathroom and decorating contractors to manage cost. Either way, one accountable team builds the structure from the ground up.
One team across Torbay, the South Hams and Teignbridge
Working across the whole of South Devon means clients in Torquay, Totnes, Salcombe or Newton Abbot get the same in-house team, the same structural focus and the same approach to project management. A core team of six handles groundworks, brickwork, blockwork and structural carpentry, growing to as many as 15 with long-standing subcontractors on larger projects. Whether your project is a single-storey extension or a full barn conversion, it's run the same way: from your plans, with your designers, and with Building Control liaised on site.
How we work in South Devon
Step 1
Send your plans
Share your drawings for your South Devon property, plus any structural calculations.
Step 2
Free site visit
We visit the site in South Devon to check access, ground conditions and how you'd like it finished.
Step 3
Clear written price
You get a written quote for the work, with any fit-out priced separately if you want it.
Step 4
Managed build
Groundworks, shell and specialist trades coordinated, with Building Control liaison where needed.
Step 5
Completion and guarantee
Handover of the finished work, covered by our 1-year indemnity-backed workmanship guarantee.
Building in South Devon: common questions
Building in South Devon?Get your plans priced.
Free site visit and a clear written quote. Director Jake Brown brings 18 years of trade experience. All completed work carries a 1-year indemnity-backed workmanship guarantee.