Whether it's a crumbling garden wall or a loft conversion, building work goes better when you know roughly what it should cost, which rules apply and how to pick the right person for the job. This guide brings together our cost guides, our planning explainers and everything we've written about hiring and paying a builder.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Garden wall repair cost: repair, rebuild or DIY? Costs, whose wall it legally is, and when planning applies.
How to read a builder's quote Quote or estimate, provisional sums, and the red flags to walk away from.
Permitted development vs planning permission Whether you need permission, in plain English.
Exterior repairs are easy to put off, but small faults in roofs, render, fascias and walls let water in, and water damage costs far more to fix than the original problem. Getting the diagnosis right, repair or replace, is the most important money decision.
Inside jobs are where budgets drift most, usually because of what's found once walls and floors are opened up. Always budget a contingency, and know the order the work should be done in.
Adding space is one of the biggest projects most homeowners take on. Planning permission and building regulations are separate things: a project can be allowed under permitted development and still need building regulations approval, and you'll want the completion certificate when you sell.
Three things catch homeowners out before a brick is laid: whether you need planning permission, whether the Party Wall Act applies, and whether your insurer needs to know.
Most building disputes start before work begins: a vague quote, no written scope, or too much money paid upfront. A few checks and a fair payment schedule protect both you and a good builder.
Home+ keeps a dated record of every job, stores quotes, invoices, guarantees and building control certificates in one place, and lets you get quotes from up to three vetted local trades.
Create your free Home+ account to record the work done on your home and get quotes from vetted local trades.