Builders in TotnesYour Torquay-based team
Period homes and rural plots need a builder who understands old structures. We build your approved plans in Totnes with the groundwork and structure done properly.
- Director: 18 years' trade experience
- 11+ years trading in South Devon
- 1-year indemnity-backed guarantee
- Public liability insured
- City & Guilds bricklaying & carpentry
Building in Totnes, with care for what's already there
We serve Totnes from our Torquay base. Older properties may need careful structural assessment before an extension, alteration or refurbishment.
We work in Totnes itself and the surrounding area: Bridgetown, Dartington, Berry Pomeroy, Harberton, Ashprington, Staverton and the villages along the Dart valley.
Our services include extensions, structural alterations, barn conversions and underpinning. Send your drawings to discuss the work needed for your property.
Director Jake Brown is City & Guilds qualified in bricklaying and carpentry, two of the trades that matter most when working on traditional buildings.
Totnes's period and rural buildings
The town centre is full of historic buildings, many listed, with narrow frontages, deep plots and steep streets. Beyond the centre are Victorian and Edwardian homes, later estates in Bridgetown and the outskirts, and a wide ring of farmhouses, cottages and agricultural buildings.
Some older properties may have stone or solid masonry walls. The materials, moisture behaviour and structural condition should be assessed individually.
Building work for Totnes properties
- Extensions to period and Victorian homes
- Barn conversions on Dart valley farms
- Structural alterations in older layouts
- Underpinning where old foundations have moved
- Septic tanks for rural properties
Our services in Totnes
We offer the services below across our South Devon service area. Contact us to discuss the scope for your property in Totnes. Our core team handles groundworks, brickwork, blockwork and structural carpentry, with specialist trades managed through the company.
House Extensions in Totnes
Extensions that tie properly into older Totnes homes, from foundations to roof.
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Barn Conversions in Totnes
Structural repair and shell construction for barns and outbuildings around Totnes.
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Underpinning in Totnes
Foundation strengthening for older homes showing signs of movement.
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Structural Alterations in Totnes
Steels and wall removals carried out safely in period buildings.
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Basement Conversions in Totnes
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 Totnes
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 Totnes
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 Totnes
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 Totnes
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 Totnes
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 Totnes
Local base
We're based at 156 Newton Road, Torquay; within our South Devon service area.
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 issues common in Totnes
Older structures, access constraints and ground conditions can influence a project.
Shallow historic foundations
Older buildings often sit on minimal footings, so new loads and openings may need underpinning or careful design.
Solid walls and damp
Traditional masonry needs detailing that lets moisture escape. The wrong materials can trap damp.
Tight town-centre access
Narrow, steep streets make deliveries and plant access a planning exercise, not an afterthought.
Low-lying river ground
Areas close to the Dart can have softer, wetter ground, affecting foundations and drainage.
Building in Totnes: what to know
Planning and consents in Totnes
Listed-building consent, planning permission and Building Regulations requirements depend on the property and proposed work. Your architect should confirm the relevant approvals and any conservation restrictions. We build to the project drawings and can liaise with Building Control officers where needed.
Working with old masonry
Totnes's older buildings are typically built in local stone or rendered solid masonry. These walls behave differently from modern cavity walls: they move, breathe and manage moisture in their own way. When we extend or alter them, the junction between old and new needs careful detailing, and openings need properly sized lintels or steels with sound bearings. Director Jake Brown’s City & Guilds qualifications in bricklaying and carpentry is directly relevant to this kind of work.
Dartington, Bridgetown and the Dart valley
Beyond the historic centre, Bridgetown and the outskirts have later homes that suit conventional extensions, while Dartington, Berry Pomeroy, Harberton and Ashprington bring farmhouses, cottages and barns. Rural plots often need septic tanks, longer drainage runs and better access, all of which our groundworks team handles. Totnes is within our South Devon service area.
Flood risk and river ground
Parts of Totnes and Bridgetown sit close to the River Dart, where the ground can be softer and wetter and some areas carry flood risk. On these sites, foundation design, floor levels and drainage need extra thought, and your architect or engineer may specify particular measures. We follow those designs closely and raise anything unexpected found during excavation straight away, so decisions are made properly rather than improvised on site.
How we work in Totnes
Step 1
Send your plans
Share your drawings for your Totnes property, plus any structural calculations.
Step 2
Free site visit
We visit the site in Totnes 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 Totnes: common questions
Building in Totnes?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.