East London
Builders in Havering
The largest plots we work on, and the most permitted development headroom in London.
Local contractor
Building, renovating and extending in Havering
Havering sits at the outer edge of Greater London and has the plot sizes to prove it. Detached and semi-detached interwar and post-war housing with wide frontages, side access and deep gardens is the norm through Hornchurch, Upminster, Gidea Park and Emerson Park.
The practical consequence is that projects that would be planning applications elsewhere are often permitted development here, and that side extensions, double-storey additions, garden rooms and garage conversions are all genuinely viable options rather than theoretical ones.
The housing stock in Havering
Interwar and post-war semi-detached and detached suburban housing across most of the borough, with substantial detached properties in Emerson Park, Gidea Park and Upminster. Romford town centre adds apartment and mixed-use stock, and Rainham and South Hornchurch include more varied and older housing.
Space to build, but check the constraints
Gidea Park's Romford Garden Suburb is a conservation area of national interest, and Upminster, Hornchurch and Havering-atte-Bower contain further designations. Parts of the borough sit within Green Belt, where extension limits are far more restrictive than the standard permitted development allowances. Low-lying areas towards Rainham and the Thames carry flood risk designation that affects floor levels and foundation design.
Planning note. Designations change, and two neighbouring streets can sit under entirely different rules. We confirm the conservation area status, any Article 4 direction and the relevant local policy for your specific address at survey stage — before any design work is paid for.
Areas we cover in Havering
Services
What we do in Havering
Every service below is delivered by our own teams in Havering — these four are the ones we are asked for most often here.
Loft Conversions
A whole extra floor without losing a square metre of garden.
House Extensions
Rear, side return, wrap-around and double-storey extensions.
General Building
Brickwork, roofing, groundworks and the repairs that hold a house together.
Kitchen Renovations
The room the whole ground floor is planned around.
On the map
Havering and the surrounding area
Our office is in Enfield, N18 — marked in white. Havering and the neighbouring boroughs we cover are shown in teal.
Also covering nearby
All of East LondonClient feedback
What clients say about working with us
Verified reviews from homeowners, landlords and commercial clients across London.
“A nice man who is a good worker and friendly, cheerful and helpful.”
“Very helpful and always fulfils his commitments. He has worked for us for four years in both a restaurant and a Pilates studio — excellent workmanship and works well with other traders.”
“A very thorough man who gave us excellent value for money and was considerate, conscientious and respectful. No complaints whatsoever and happy to recommend.”
“A really nice guy who was very helpful — nothing was too much trouble.”
Local FAQs
Building in Havering — common questions
On a detached property, permitted development allows four metres, or up to eight through the larger home extension prior approval route. With the plot depths common in Havering that is often achievable without eating the garden, provided the property is not in a conservation area or Green Belt.
Outbuildings are usually permitted development subject to height limits, coverage of the garden and the condition that they are not used as separate living accommodation. Insulation, power and drainage all need doing properly if the building is to be genuinely usable year-round.
Parts of Havering are, particularly towards Havering-atte-Bower, Cranham and the eastern fringes. It significantly restricts the scale of extension permitted, so it is one of the first things we check.
Free quotation
Planning something in
Havering?
Tell us what you have in mind and we will arrange a free site survey in Havering, then give you a written, itemised quotation.