Extensions and groundwork
A single-storey rear extension is the most common building job we work on alongside plumbing installation. Foundations, DPC, blockwork up to roof plate, beam and block or timber floor, ready for the roof structure and internal fit. We don't need an architect for every job like this; a lot of small extensions can be built under permitted development and we can talk you through what applies to your property.
Groundwork comes before everything else: the strip foundation, the concrete base, the drainage run from the new building to the main drain. Getting the drainage falls right at groundworks stage saves significant problems later. A waste pipe from a new bathroom needs a clear run with sufficient fall back to the soil stack or the main drain, and that's designed at foundation stage, not retrofitted through a finished slab.
Rural properties across Dorset and Devon often have older drainage systems that need surveying before new work connects to them. We'd rather know what we're joining into before we start than discover a broken clay drain once the extension slab is down.
New walls and blockwork
New partition walls, garden walls, block piers, retaining structures, building up existing walls for an extension, or making good after an internal alteration: all standard work. Block and brick, cavity or solid depending on the application, lintel specification for openings, DPC where the construction meets ground level.
Older properties in the Southwest sometimes need like-for-like materials for building work rather than modern blockwork. Stone, lime mortar, matching brick for a period house in Dorchester or a Devon farmhouse: we know the local vernacular and work with it where it matters.
For work that involves removing or modifying existing walls, see internal alterations.
Building alongside plumbing work
One of the real advantages of working with OWB is that the building and plumbing work is coordinated. When a soil stack needs to be built into a new extension wall, we know where it needs to go before the wall goes up. When a bathroom is being added to a conversion, the drainage route is factored into the groundworks. There's no delay between the builder finishing and the plumber starting: it's the same team, sequenced properly.
For larger projects involving multiple rooms or a whole property, see refurbishments. For buildings where the work needs careful handling, particularly older properties, the building page covers our approach to period property work in more detail.
What our customers say
"We cannot recommend OWB highly enough. The team have been consistently hard-working, dedicated, knowledgeable and thorough. Work completed with no issues, time delay or concerns."
Dorchester · Checkatrade