Who we are
OWB Plumbing & Building was founded by Oakley Wilson Briant. The three initials give the business its name. With over 15 years' experience in plumbing and building work, Oakley started OWB to bring the kind of straightforward, properly done trade service he'd want for his own home to customers across the South West.
Today, OWB Plumbing & Building is a family-run trade business based near Dorchester, serving Dorset, Devon and Somerset: from Weymouth and Bridport on the south coast, across to Yeovil and Taunton, and down through Lyme Regis and Axminster to Exeter and Exmouth. Plumbing and building are our core specialisms, with combined decades of trade experience across the team.
The business is built around simple ideas: turn up when you say you will, give a fair price, do the work tidily, and stand behind what you've done. That's why our Checkatrade scores are what they are: 10 out of 10 for quality of work, 10 out of 10 for reliability, and 9.86 out of 10 for communication. It's not marketing. It's what customers wrote after we'd been to their homes.
What we do
Eight core services, all delivered in-house by our own team: plumbing, bathrooms, boilers, kitchens, renewables, building, refurbishments and 24/7 emergency callouts. We don't sub-contract the main work. Our plumber fits the bathroom; our team handles the building work; our installer fits the heat pump. For emergencies (burst pipes, boilers down in winter, no hot water) we're available 24/7 on 07984 856177.
Refurbishment & renovation
The South West has some of the best housing stock in the country: stone cottages, farmhouses, listed village terraces. A lot of it needs people who'll look after it properly. We take a careful approach to older homes, the right materials in the right places and work that respects how the building was put together, and we bring in trusted trades where a job needs specialist hands.
The trades we bring in
When a job calls for plastering, carpentry, painting and decorating, or gas-specific work, we bring in a small circle of trusted local trades we've worked with for years. They slot in around our own schedule, not the other way round. You still have one point of contact, one clear plan, and one invoice.
Accreditations & standards
City & Guilds qualified. City & Guilds is the benchmark trade qualification in the UK. It means the work you're paying for comes from someone trained and assessed against a recognised national standard, not a weekend certificate.
- 1,100+ jobs completed. Proven track record across Dorset, Devon and Somerset.
- NVQ Level 3 qualified. Nationally recognised trade qualification.
- Checkatrade verified. 9.95/10 average across all reviews. View our profile.
- Fully insured. Comprehensive public liability cover.
- Written quotes. Fixed prices before work starts, not vague estimates.
- Gas Safe registered for all gas and boiler work. Registration number XXXXXXXX.
- Manufacturer warranties. Where relevant, we register your new boiler's warranty on your behalf.
Where we work
Based near Dorchester, we regularly work across Dorset (Dorchester, Bridport, Beaminster, Weymouth, Sherborne, Lyme Regis), Devon (Axminster, Honiton, Seaton, Sidmouth, Exeter, Exmouth) and Somerset (Chard, Crewkerne, Yeovil, Ilminster, Taunton). Most of the region is within 90 minutes, and for emergencies we aim to be with you within one to two hours.
Our approach
We don't upsell. If a repair will do, we'll repair it rather than sell you a replacement. If a part is genuinely failing, we'll tell you, and show you. If a job isn't right for us (say, something outside our skill set or an insurance-led claim that needs a specialist) we'll say so rather than take the work anyway. The long-term customer is worth more to us than a single job, and we've built the business on that.
Get in touch
For a quote, call 07984 856177 or email [email protected]. Or fill in our contact form and we'll get back to you the same day.