Builders in the UK
General contractors for structural work, renovations and anything needing several trades coordinated. The broadest category on the site and the one where a written contract matters most.
- Towns and cities
- 51
- Small structural job from
- £1,500
- Accreditations explained
- 4
- Small structural job
- £1,500 – £5,000knock-through, lintel
- Renovation, per room
- £5,000 – £15,000strip back and rebuild
- Full house renovation
- £60,000 – £150,0003 bed, to a good standard
- Day rate
- £200 – £350builder plus labourer
Typical UK ranges for 2026, excluding VAT. Local figures on each city page are adjusted for regional labour rates.
Builders by town and city
51 towns and cities, each listing up to 10 firms from Google's results for that town, ranked on Google rating, online presence and other factors.
Launch cities
- Builders in LondonGreater London
- Builders in BirminghamWest Midlands
- Builders in ManchesterGreater Manchester
- Builders in LeedsWest Yorkshire
- Builders in BristolBristol
- Builders in LiverpoolMerseyside
- Builders in SheffieldSouth Yorkshire
- Builders in NottinghamNottinghamshire
- Builders in CoventryWest Midlands
- Builders in LeicesterLeicestershire
- Builders in DerbyDerbyshire
- Builders in SouthamptonHampshire
- Builders in CroydonGreater London
Everywhere else
- EdinburghCity of Edinburgh
- GlasgowGlasgow City
- CardiffCardiff
- AberdeenAberdeen City
- YorkNorth Yorkshire
- NorthamptonNorthamptonshire
- NorwichNorfolk
- OxfordOxfordshire
- PlymouthDevon
- BrightonEast Sussex
- BelfastCounty Antrim
- NewcastleTyne and Wear
- WolverhamptonWest Midlands
- CambridgeCambridgeshire
- Stoke-on-TrentStaffordshire
- Milton KeynesBuckinghamshire
- BlackpoolLancashire
- BathSomerset
- SwindonWiltshire
- ColchesterEssex
- DoncasterSouth Yorkshire
- CheltenhamGloucestershire
- ExeterDevon
- GloucesterGloucestershire
- SwanseaSwansea
- St AlbansHertfordshire
- PortsmouthHampshire
- BromleyGreater London
- EnfieldGreater London
- HarrowGreater London
- RomfordGreater London
- EalingGreater London
- BarnetGreater London
- RichmondGreater London
- North LondonGreater London
- East LondonGreater London
- South LondonGreater London
- West LondonGreater London
What the badges actually mean
The accreditations that matter for builders, in plain English.
Federation of Master Builders
Independently inspected and vetted before joining.
TrustMark registered
The only government-endorsed quality scheme for work in and around the home. Covers trading standards as well as technical competence.
CHAS accredited
Health and safety pre-qualification. Matters most on structural work and anything involving scaffolding.
Which? Trusted Traders
Assessed by Which? on customer service and business practice, including a credit check and reference calls.
Before you get quotes
Work out the budget and the paperwork first. It changes the conversation you have with the firm.
House renovation cost in the UK: a 2026 breakdown
Per-square-metre rates for light, standard and full renovations, prices job by job, rates by region, and the VAT, fees and contingency that sit on top of the build.
Garage conversion cost: single and double garages priced
2026 prices for single and double garage conversions by garage type and room, what a quote should include, the fees and VAT around the build, and the rules in each UK nation.
Building regulations explained for homeowners
Which jobs are notifiable, how the application routes work, what building control inspects, and what a completion certificate is worth when you come to sell.
Do you need planning permission for a garage conversion?
When a garage conversion needs planning permission and when it does not, the building regulations every conversion needs, what the approvals cost, and how Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Renovating a house: where to start and the order of works
Where to start, the 9 stages from survey to snagging, what needs approval in England, how long the main jobs take and what to budget, contingency included.
Chimney breast removal: is it worth it, and what permission you need
What taking out a chimney breast costs in 2026 with every fee counted, the approval and party wall notice it needs, steel beam or gallows brackets, and when it is worth doing.
Snagging list: what to check before the final payment
A room by room snagging checklist for new builds and renovations: when to snag, what a survey costs, who fixes what, and what to hold back until the list is cleared.
Builders: common questions
Should I use a JCT contract for domestic work?
For anything over about £10,000, yes. The JCT Home Owner contract is short, plain English and free to buy. It fixes the payment schedule and the process if things go wrong, which is exactly what an informal arrangement does not.
How much deposit should a builder ask for?
Materials up front is reasonable. A large percentage of the total is not. Stage payments against completed work are the norm, and a firm insisting on 50% before starting is a warning sign.