Extensions, lofts and brickwork. Builders in Barking and East London.

We build extensions, loft conversions, roofs and brickwork from our base in Barking, across Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Hornchurch and the rest of east London.

    Rated 5.0 on GoogleBes Cuni: Registered Building Inspector (Class 2), MCIOB, AssocRICS. All three registers are public.

    Three public registers, and a review count we print honestly.

    • RBIRegistered Building Inspector, Class 2, on the Building Safety Regulator's register
    • MCIOBChartered Member, Chartered Institute of Building
    • AssocRICSAssociate, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
    • 5.0From 1 Google review

    Six things, done properly, across Barking and east London.

    We are a building contractor rather than a single trade, so we take the whole job, including the structural work, the other trades and building control sign-off. If your job only needs a bricklayer, we will say so.

    See all our building services

    Recent work.

    Extensions, lofts, roofs and brickwork photographed on our own sites. Finished rooms first, then the structural work underneath them, because that is the part that decides whether the finish lasts. Each caption says where the job was.

    • Completed brick facade of the four-storey Barnfield College building in Luton
      Completed brick facade of the four-storey Barnfield College building in Luton
    • Completed living space in a rear extension with a coffered ceiling and glazed roof lantern
      Completed living space in a rear extension with a coffered ceiling and glazed roof lantern
    • Finished open-plan kitchen and dining space with a marble-effect porcelain floor
      Finished open-plan kitchen and dining space with a marble-effect porcelain floor
    • Box dormer loft conversion above a new single-storey rear extension with a finished flat roof
      Box dormer loft conversion above a new single-storey rear extension with a finished flat roof
    • Newly slated roof looking up the hip to a brick chimney stack with fresh lead work
      Newly slated roof looking up the hip to a brick chimney stack with fresh lead work
    • Completed bathroom with a freestanding bath, twin vanity and full-height glazing onto the garden (London)
      Completed bathroom with a freestanding bath, twin vanity and full-height glazing onto the garden (London)
    • Painted shaker kitchen with a range cooker and a stone-topped island
      Painted shaker kitchen with a range cooker and a stone-topped island
    • Loft conversion with a vaulted plastered ceiling running to a gable window
      Loft conversion with a vaulted plastered ceiling running to a gable window
    • Completed single-storey rear extension with a new porcelain patio running out from it
      Completed single-storey rear extension with a new porcelain patio running out from it
    • New brickwork raised to eaves with a completed slate roof and roof window above
      New brickwork raised to eaves with a completed slate roof and roof window above
    • Completed walk-in shower with a curved glass screen, fluted panelling and brass fittings
      Completed walk-in shower with a curved glass screen, fluted panelling and brass fittings
    • Newly slated roof with a run of dormer windows
      Newly slated roof with a run of dormer windows
    • Finished room with a vaulted ceiling, wood burning stove and a herringbone parquet floor
      Finished room with a vaulted ceiling, wood burning stove and a herringbone parquet floor
    • Loft en-suite tiled floor to ceiling with a herringbone tiled floor
      Loft en-suite tiled floor to ceiling with a herringbone tiled floor
    • Large detached brick house nearing completion with the roof and windows in
      Large detached brick house nearing completion with the roof and windows in
    • Finished open-plan living space with wide sliding doors opening onto a newly laid garden
      Finished open-plan living space with wide sliding doors opening onto a newly laid garden
    • Newly laid fibreglass flat roof with the timber upstand formed ready for a roof lantern
      Newly laid fibreglass flat roof with the timber upstand formed ready for a roof lantern
    • Fitted hallway joinery with a painted bench and tall cupboards over a parquet floor
      Fitted hallway joinery with a painted bench and tall cupboards over a parquet floor
    • Timber frame of a detached garden room standing on its base
      Timber frame of a detached garden room standing on its base
    • Structural steel beams installed across a newly formed opening during an extension build
      Structural steel beams installed across a newly formed opening during an extension build
    • Steel beam installed over a knocked-through opening on acrow props
      Steel beam installed over a knocked-through opening on acrow props
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    One project, photographed properly. Manchester.

    These are from a single job in Manchester. Our London and Bedfordshire work is above.

    • Finished dining area under a large glazed roof lantern with sliding doors onto the garden (Manchester)
      Finished dining area under a large glazed roof lantern with sliding doors onto the garden (Manchester)
    • Rear elevation of a house with a completed orangery extension and a new raised porcelain terrace (Manchester)
      Rear elevation of a house with a completed orangery extension and a new raised porcelain terrace (Manchester)
    • Completed orangery-style extension with a glazed roof lantern and new stone steps to a porcelain patio (Manchester)
      Completed orangery-style extension with a glazed roof lantern and new stone steps to a porcelain patio (Manchester)
    • Finished kitchen with a sink island and a glazed roof lantern over the space beyond (Manchester)
      Finished kitchen with a sink island and a glazed roof lantern over the space beyond (Manchester)
    • Finished kitchen island with bar stools under a glazed roof lantern (Manchester)
      Finished kitchen island with bar stools under a glazed roof lantern (Manchester)
    • Finished kitchen island with a sink and a glazed roof lantern over the space beyond (Manchester)
      Finished kitchen island with a sink and a glazed roof lantern over the space beyond (Manchester)
    • Finished kitchen island with a glazed opening to the garden and a roof lantern beyond (Manchester)
      Finished kitchen island with a glazed opening to the garden and a roof lantern beyond (Manchester)
    • Tall glazed gable window in a finished extension with a vaulted ceiling (Manchester)
      Tall glazed gable window in a finished extension with a vaulted ceiling (Manchester)
    • Painted kitchen mantel over an induction hob with a stone splashback (Manchester)
      Painted kitchen mantel over an induction hob with a stone splashback (Manchester)
    • Run of tall painted kitchen units with two built-in ovens (Manchester)
      Run of tall painted kitchen units with two built-in ovens (Manchester)
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    Questions homeowners in Barking and east London ask before they commit.

    Straight answers on cost, timescales and how to tell a good builder from a cheap quote.

    How much do house extensions cost in the UK?

    There is no single figure, and any builder who gives you one over the phone is guessing. The cost of an extension is driven by its footprint, whether it is single or double storey, how much structural steel the opening needs, the ground you are building on and the level of finish you want. What we do is come and look, then put a written itemised quote in front of you for free, so you can see where the money actually goes.

    How do I choose a builder?

    Check that the person quoting is a member of a professional body with a public register you can search, ask for a written itemised quote rather than a single number, and ask who will actually be on site. Bes Cuni is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB) and an Associate of RICS (AssocRICS), and both registers are public. There is a longer answer in our guide to how to choose a builder in Luton.

    What is the difference between a builder and a building contractor?

    In everyday use they mean the same thing. The distinction people are usually reaching for is between a tradesman who does one trade, such as a bricklayer or a roofer, and a contractor who takes responsibility for the whole job, including the other trades, the programme and building control. BXC Developments does both, and we will tell you which one your job actually needs.

    Do you charge for a quote?

    No. Quotes and site visits are free, and that is the only price promise on this website. We do not publish fixed prices for building work because no two houses in Luton are the same, and a price list would either be wrong or padded to cover the worst case.

    Which areas do you cover?

    We are based at 12 Jackson Road in Barking, so most of our work is in Barking and Dagenham and the boroughs around it: Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, East Ham and Rainham. We also still take work in Luton, Dunstable and Hertfordshire. If you are somewhere else, ask anyway and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right firm for it.

    How long will my building work take?

    It depends on the job, and the honest answer is that we will not know precisely until we have surveyed it. What we will do is give you a programme with your quote, tell you what could move it, such as building control sign-off, party wall agreements or a material lead time, and then keep you posted week by week rather than leaving you guessing.

    What is a Registered Building Inspector, and does it mean you sign off your own work?

    Bes is a Registered Building Inspector, Class 2, registered with the Building Safety Regulator. Registration became a legal requirement for building inspectors in England on 6 April 2024 and the register is public, so you can look him up before you ring. What it does not mean is that BXC does your building control. An inspector is not permitted to carry out building control on work his own company has designed or built, and we would not try to. Your building control still comes from the council or from a building control approver you appoint, exactly as it would with any other builder. What it means for you is that the person running your job has been assessed against the Building Regulations from the inspector's side of the table, so the details that normally get picked up at inspection tend to be right the first time.

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    Barking, Dagenham and east London, plus Luton and Hertfordshire.

    We are based in Barking and most of our work is in east London: Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Havering and Newham. We also still take work in Luton, Dunstable and Hertfordshire. Each area with its own page says plainly what we do there and where our photographs were actually taken.

    Not on the list? Ask anyway. If it is a job worth doing we will travel for it, and we will tell you honestly if you would be better off with someone closer.

    Tell Bes about the job.

    Send a few photos or just describe what you are after. You will get a written quote that itemises the work, so you can see exactly what you are paying for and compare it fairly against anyone else's.

    • Free site visit, we come to you
    • A written, itemised quote
    • Run by a Registered Building Inspector (Class 2) and Chartered Member of the CIOB
    • Luton, Dunstable, Hertfordshire, London and Manchester
    Get a free quote Call Bes on 07448 465880