Resources
Free guides for your home improvement project
Cost guides, planning advice, calculators, glossary. Everything we'd want to read before starting a build.
Pages for your situation
Written for one kind of project or one kind of client, with the planning rules and the process in one place.
Fixed-Price Extension Builder, West Midlands
Kingdom Build is a fixed-price extension builder covering the West Midlands from Birmingham. After a free site visit we issue one written price for the whole extension — drawings, structural work, build and finishes — within 5–7 days. That figure is a contract, not an estimate, and every job carries a 12-month workmanship guarantee.
Read page1930s Semi Extensions — Side, Rear, Wrap-Around and Loft
A 1930s semi in Sutton Coldfield, Solihull or Walsall can usually take a side-return infill, a rear extension, a wrap-around that combines the two, or a hip-to-gable loft. Kingdom Build designs and builds all four on a fixed-price contract, with drawings, structural work and Building Regulations sign-off included, quoted in 5–7 days after a free visit.
Read pageBuy-to-Let Refurbishment Builder, West Midlands
Kingdom Build refurbishes buy-to-let property across Birmingham, the Black Country and the wider West Midlands for landlords and investors — void turnarounds, full refurbishments of new purchases, kitchens and bathrooms, and structural work to open up or add rooms. Every job is one fixed-price contract, quoted in 5–7 days after a free visit, with a 12-month guarantee.
Read pageCost & planning guides
Written from jobs we've actually priced and built across the West Midlands.
Roof Replacement Cost in the West Midlands (2026)
What a new roof costs in 2026, when to repair instead of replace, and why re-roofing is the one moment insulation is nearly free.
Read guideOpen-Plan Kitchen Diner: What Opening Up Actually Involves
The structural work, Building Regulations and heating changes behind an open-plan kitchen diner — and the mistakes that make them cold and loud.
Read guideHouse Renovation Cost in the West Midlands (2026)
What a full house renovation costs in 2026, the right order to do the work, and why the survey matters more than the quote.
Read guideDouble Storey Extension Cost in the West Midlands (2026)
What a two-storey extension costs in 2026, why it is better value per square metre than a single storey, and the planning and party wall issues to plan for.
Read guideRemoving a Load-Bearing Wall: Cost, Steel Beams and Building Regs
What it costs to remove a load-bearing wall in 2026, how to tell if a wall is structural, and why the steel is the cheap part.
Read guideGarage Conversion Cost in the West Midlands (2026)
What a garage conversion costs in 2026, why it is the cheapest habitable space you can add, and the damp and floor-level problems that catch people out.
Read guideBathroom Renovation Cost in the West Midlands (2026)
What a full bathroom renovation costs in 2026, what drives the price up, and the waterproofing failures that make cheap bathrooms expensive.
Read guideLoft Conversion Cost in West Bromwich (2026)
Realistic 2026 prices for Velux, dormer, hip-to-gable and mansard loft conversions in the West Midlands.
Read guidePermitted Development for Extensions in 2026
What you can build without planning permission — current rules for single-storey, two-storey and side extensions.
Read guideChoosing a Builder: A 12-Point Checklist
How to vet a builder properly — references, insurance, contracts, payment terms.
Read guideKitchen Extension Cost in 2026
Budget for an open-plan kitchen-diner extension in the West Midlands.
Read guideGlossary
- Article 4
- A direction that removes Permitted Development rights in a defined area, often a conservation area.
- Building Regs
- Statutory standards for the structural, energy, fire, ventilation and accessibility of new construction.
- Cavity Wall
- An external wall built in two leaves with a gap (cavity) between them, typically insulated.
- CDM 2015
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 — health and safety law for construction projects.
- DPC
- Damp-Proof Course. A horizontal barrier preventing rising damp.
- Dormer
- A window structure projecting vertically from a sloping roof.
- EPC
- Energy Performance Certificate. Required when selling or letting.
- Full Plans
- A detailed Building Regulations submission with full drawings and specifications.
- Joist
- A horizontal structural member supporting a floor or ceiling.
- Listed Building
- A building of architectural or historic interest, protected by listing.
- PD (Permitted Development)
- Rights to build certain extensions and alterations without planning permission, subject to rules.
- Party Wall Act
- Legislation governing work near or on shared walls between properties.
- Planning Permission
- Local authority consent required for many building works.
- Pier
- A vertical support, typically a brick column reinforcing a wall.
- RSJ
- Rolled Steel Joist. A steel beam used to support loads above a structural opening.
- Snagging
- The process of identifying and fixing minor defects after construction completes.
- Soakaway
- An underground pit allowing surface water to drain away.
- U-value
- A measure of how much heat passes through a building element. Lower is better.
- UFH
- Underfloor Heating. Wet (water) or electric heating distributed under the floor.
- VRV / VRF
- Variable Refrigerant Volume / Flow — multi-zone heat pump systems.