How we work
A project you can predict.
Most building horror stories are communication stories. Here is the exact sequence a Wilson & Cole project follows, and the promises attached to each stage.
The visit
We come to the house, measure, look at the structure and drains, and listen to what the space needs to do. You get straight answers on feasibility on the spot — including the honest no when a project isn't worth your money.
The quote
Detailed and itemised: what the steels cost, what the stairs cost, what is excluded and why. Structural calculations are arranged with the engineer (typically £500–£1,000, its own visible line).
Permissions
We tell you whether your project needs planning or falls under permitted development, and prepare drawings with our partner architects where needed. Building control applications are normally made by you — we prepare the pack, liaise with the inspector and book every site visit. Party wall notices, where they apply, are served by you as the owner; we brief you on exactly what and when.
The build
On site 8am–5pm, Monday to Friday. The sequence is agreed before we start — scaffold, structure, weathertight, first fix, plaster, second fix — and you know what is happening this week and next. Anything unexpected reaches you the same day, with options.
Money, staged
A booking deposit of around 10% secures your slot. After that we invoice against valuations of the work actually carried out — you pay for progress you can see, and the price only changes if you agree the change first.
Handover
Building control completion, electrical and gas certificates, guarantee paperwork, and a walk-round to snag anything that isn't right. Then we ask you to tell Google honestly how it went — that record is how we win the next job.
The part people remember
Living in the house while we build it.
Most of our clients stay home through the works, so the site standard is built for that: floors protected, dust walls where they earn their keep, tools away and rooms broom-clean every evening, and a working kitchen or bathroom kept alive for as long as the sequence allows.
You get a detailed, itemised quote — every line written down, so you can see exactly what you are paying for. The price only changes if you agree the change first.
A booking deposit of around 10% once you are in the diary — never a large sum up front. After that we invoice against valuations of the work carried out.
Start with a conversation, not a contract.
A visit costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We'll look at what your house can take, give you straight answers, and tell you plainly if the numbers don't stack up.
- You tell us the ideaThree quick questions — no essay required.
- We call within a working dayA real conversation about what your house can take.
- A visit, then an itemised quoteEvery line written down, and only if you want one.
- On site
- Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm
- Office calls
- until 6pm weekdays
- We reply
- within one working day