Questions We Get Asked A Lot
No sales patter, just honest answers. If your question is not here, ring us and ask.
Working with us
What areas does Keystone Construction Group cover?
We cover the whole of the North East. Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham, South Shields, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and the wider Teesside area, along with all the towns and villages in between. For larger contracts we travel nationwide.
Is there a minimum job size?
No. We take on everything from a garden wall or a bit of repointing right through to full extensions and commercial groundworks. Small jobs are welcome and we would rather do a good small job for someone than turn them away.
How quickly can you start?
It depends what is in the diary, but small jobs can often be fitted in within a couple of weeks. Bigger builds need planning around materials and any council sign off. We will always give you a realistic start date rather than telling you what you want to hear and then not turning up.
Who will I actually be dealing with?
One person, start to finish. You get a direct number, not a call centre. If something needs sorting on site you ring the same bloke you got the quote from.
Do you clean up after the job?
Yes. Site gets swept and materials and waste get taken away as part of the job. You should not be left with a pile of rubble in the drive.
Quotes and payment
Are your quotes free?
Yes, quotes and site visits are free with no obligation. We would rather come and measure a job properly than guess at it over the phone and get it wrong.
Is the quote fixed or could the price go up?
The quote is fixed for the work described on it. The only time it changes is if you ask for something extra or something genuinely unforeseen turns up, like rotten timber or bad ground once we have opened up. If that happens we stop, show you, and agree the cost before carrying on. We never just add it to the final bill.
Do you take a deposit?
On jobs with significant materials we will usually ask for a materials payment up front, and the rest is staged or on completion. We will never ask for the full amount before work starts, and neither should anyone else.
How much does a house extension cost in the North East?
As a rough guide most single storey extensions in the North East land somewhere between £1,600 and £2,400 per square metre for a decent standard finish, so a modest 4m by 4m rear extension often works out around £26,000 to £38,000 once everything is included. It shifts a lot depending on ground conditions, glazing, steels and how good you want the kitchen or bathroom fit out to be. That is a guide, not a quote, and the only way to get a real number is a site visit.
Why are some builder quotes so much cheaper than others?
Usually because they are not quoting for the same thing. A cheap price often leaves out muck away, building control fees, steels, making good, or it assumes the ground is perfect. Compare quotes line by line rather than just on the bottom number, and be wary of anyone who will not put it in writing.
Guarantees and cover
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes. Our workmanship is guaranteed, and materials carry whatever warranty the manufacturer provides on top of that. If something we did is not right, we come back and put it right.
Are you insured?
Yes, we carry public liability insurance and we are happy to provide the certificate before work starts. Never let anyone on your property who will not show you theirs.
How much experience does the team have?
The trades on our books have over 25 years of experience on the tools across the North East. Keystone Construction Group as a company is newer, but the hands doing the work are not.
Planning and building regulations
Do I need planning permission for an extension?
A lot of single storey rear extensions fall under permitted development, so no full planning application is needed. Single storey rear extensions are generally allowed up to 4m deep on a detached house and 3m on a semi or terrace, with height limits too. Go beyond that, live in a conservation area, or have a flat rather than a house, and you will need permission. We will tell you which side of the line you are on before you spend anything.
What is the difference between planning permission and building regulations?
Planning permission is about whether you are allowed to build it, so size, appearance and impact on neighbours. Building regulations are about whether it is built safely and properly, so structure, insulation, drainage and fire safety. You can need both, one, or neither. Most extensions need building regs even when they do not need planning.
Do I need planning permission for a garden wall?
If the wall is next to a road, footpath or public highway, anything over 1 metre high generally needs planning permission. Away from a highway that limit goes up to 2 metres. If you are putting railings or a fence on top of a wall the total height counts, not just the brickwork, and that catches a lot of people out.
Do you deal with building control for me?
We work with building control throughout the job and make sure the work passes inspection at every stage. On most jobs the application is in the homeowner's name, but we handle the practical side and are there on site for the inspections.
When does re-roofing need a building regulations application?
If you are renewing 25 percent or more of the total roof area, it counts as a re-roof and building regulations apply, which usually means bringing the insulation up to current standards. Under that and it is treated as a repair.
Trades and technical
What is the difference between a warm roof and a cold roof?
On a warm roof the insulation sits above the structural deck with the waterproof membrane over the top, so the timber structure stays on the warm side and does not need ventilating. On a cold roof the insulation goes between the joists and you have to leave a ventilated gap above it. Warm roofs perform better and are far less likely to give you condensation problems, which is why they are the usual choice for new flat roofs in the UK.
Should old stone or brick walls be pointed with lime or cement?
Anything built before roughly 1919 with solid walls should be pointed in lime. Lime lets the wall breathe so moisture can escape through the joint. Cement traps it, and the water then comes out through the face of the brick or stone instead, which spalls the face off over a few winters. Plenty of damage in older North East property comes from cement pointing that should never have gone on.
Why is my wall damp and is it rising damp?
Genuine rising damp is far rarer than damp proofing salesmen would have you believe. Most damp we see is penetrating damp from failed pointing, cracked render, a blocked or leaking gutter, or a bridged cavity, or it is condensation from poor ventilation and cold walls. Get the outside of the wall looked at before you pay for an injected damp course.
How long does a single storey extension take?
Most single storey extensions in the North East run around 10 to 16 weeks on site from breaking ground to finished, depending on size, ground conditions and how quickly decisions get made on the fit out. Design and planning beforehand can add another couple of months on top of that.
Do you install steel beams for knock throughs?
Yes. You will need a structural engineer's calculation first so the beam is correctly sized, and building control will want to inspect it. We can point you towards an engineer if you have not got one.
Is cavity wall insulation worth it?
On the right property, yes, it is one of the better value things you can do. But it is not right for every house. Exposed coastal properties and walls that already get wind driven rain can end up worse off if the cavity gets bridged. We will look at the property first and tell you honestly whether it suits.
Still not sure?
Give us a ring and ask. We will tell you straight, even if the answer is that you do not need us.