IlfordBarkingDagenhamEast HamOrpingtonCentral London

51.5362° N · 0.0798° E

Builders in Barking

Omni Builders are builders in Barking for homeowners, leaseholders and landlords across IG11. We take on loft conversions, extensions and renovations on the older terraced houses around the town centre, and the kitchens, bathrooms, repairs and maintenance that newer flats and rented homes need, with one team covering the building work and the trades that finish it.

Good local builders in Barking check the practical side first: what your lease allows, whether your house still has permitted development rights and what the council needs to see. As building contractors in Barking, we do that at the survey and set out the work in a written, itemised quote, whether you need a construction company for a full refurbishment or one trade for a single repair.

Book a free site survey Call 020 0000 0000
PostcodesIG11 postcode
Planning decided byBarking & Dagenham Council
Typical homesOlder terraces & newer flats
Your first stepFree site survey

01Local knowledge

Building in Barking

Barking is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, whose council handles planning, building control and highway permits here. Most of Barking is in IG11, from the town centre and Upney down to Thames View and Barking Riverside.

Barking's housing falls into two broad groups, which lead to very different projects:

Access differs too. Many terraced streets have no off-street parking, so skips, scaffolding and deliveries are planned around the road. In blocks of flats, materials travel through shared corridors and lifts, often at times the managing agent sets.

Older terraced houses

The streets around the town centre are lined with terraces, many with a rear outrigger and a narrow side passage. These houses have the most scope for adding space, through a rear dormer or L-shaped loft or a single-storey extension. Chimney breasts, bay windows and solid brick walls need thought before they are altered.

Newer flats and developments

Much of Barking's recent housing is apartments, with Barking Riverside (a large riverside development with its own Overground station) the biggest example. In a flat, work is mostly internal: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, electrics and heating, governed by your lease and managing agent as much as by the council.

02The Barking line

Popular Projects in Barking

Lofts & extensions lineRenovation & outdoor line

These projects suit Barking's homes most often. We confirm what will work for yours at the survey.

  1. Stop 01

    Rear dormer loft conversions

    On a terrace, a box dormer across the back roof slope is often the simplest way to add a full-height bedroom.

    See dormer loft conversions in Barking

  2. Stop 02

    L-shaped loft conversions

    Where a terrace has a rear outrigger, a second dormer over it joins the main one to form an L, with room for a bedroom and shower room.

    See L-shaped loft conversions in Barking

  3. Stop 03

    Side return and kitchen extensions

    Filling the strip beside the outrigger, or building across the back, turns a galley kitchen into an open kitchen and dining room.

    See side return extensions in Barking See kitchen extensions in Barking

  4. Stop 04

    Kitchen renovations in flats

    A new layout, units and appliances, planned around the lease and the building's existing services.

    See kitchen renovations in Barking

  1. Stop 05

    Bathroom renovations

    In a flat, the room below matters as much as the room itself, so waterproofing and waste routes are planned with care.

    See bathroom renovations in Barking

  2. Stop 06

    Full renovations of older terraces

    Rewiring, new heating, replastering and a new kitchen and bathroom are best done as one project in a house that has not been updated for decades.

    See full house renovations in Barking

  3. Stop 07

    Landlord safety checks and repairs

    Annual gas safety checks, electrical inspections and repairs between tenancies keep a rented home safe and ready to let.

    See landlord gas safety certificates in Barking See electrical maintenance in Barking

03Planning & permits

Planning Permission in Barking and Dagenham

Barking and Dagenham Council decides planning applications for Barking. The national permitted development rules below apply to houses only: flats and maisonettes have no householder permitted development rights, so most external changes to them need a planning application as well as the landlord's consent under the lease.

Permit check01 / 06

Usually not

Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Barking and Dagenham?

Usually not for a house, if the loft stays within permitted development limits. On a terraced house, that means no more than 40 m³ of extra roof space, a dormer that does not sit on the roof slope facing the road, materials similar to the existing roof, and side windows that are obscure-glazed and fixed shut below 1.7 m. A rear dormer on a Barking terrace often fits; a front dormer or mansard usually needs an application. Roof work on a block of flats needs both planning permission and the freeholder's agreement. See our loft conversion page.

Permit check02 / 06

Not always

Do I need planning permission for a house extension in Barking and Dagenham?

Not always. A single-storey rear extension to a terraced or semi-detached house can go up to 3 m deep under permitted development, or up to 6 m through the council's prior approval process, which gives neighbours a chance to comment. Side return infills and wrap-around extensions on terraces usually need a full application, because they extend to the side as well as the rear. Earlier extensions count against the limits. See our house extensions page.

Permit check03 / 06

It depends

Do I need planning permission for a basement conversion in Barking and Dagenham?

It depends on whether you are converting or digging. Turning an existing cellar in an older house into a habitable room is usually internal work without a planning application, though it always needs building regulations approval. Digging a new basement, or adding lightwells or external steps, usually needs permission and party wall notices. See our basement conversions page.

Permit check04 / 06

Usually not

Do I need planning permission for a garage conversion in Barking and Dagenham?

Usually not, if the garage is integral or attached and the work is mainly internal. Older Barking terraces rarely have garages, so the question mostly arises on newer development houses, where the estate's planning permission sometimes removes permitted development rights or requires the garage to be kept for parking. We check the planning history first. Building regulations approval is needed either way. See our garage conversion page.

Permit check05 / 06

Check at survey

Do I need planning permission for a driveway in Barking and Dagenham?

Not if the surface is permeable or drains onto a permeable area within your property. A new or replacement hard surface of more than 5 m² in a front garden that runs off onto the road needs planning permission. A new dropped kerb needs the council's consent. Many Barking terraces have short front gardens, so we check there is enough depth to park before you pay for paving. See our driveways page.

Permit check06 / 06

Usually not

Do I need planning permission for an outbuilding in Barking and Dagenham?

Usually not for a house, if the building is single storey, sits behind the front of the house, covers no more than half the garden and is no taller than 2.5 m within 2 m of a boundary. Its use must be incidental to the house, such as a home office, gym or store, not a bedroom. In a communal garden belonging to a block of flats, a shed or garden room needs the freeholder's agreement and usually planning permission. See our conservatories and outbuildings page.

Permitted development is restricted in conservation areas, for listed buildings and where an Article 4 direction applies; we check with Barking and Dagenham Council for your address. Where a project is permitted, a Lawful Development Certificate gives you the council's written confirmation.

04On-site practicalities

Building Control, Party Walls and Practicalities

Building regulations

Lofts, extensions, conversions and structural alterations need approval from the council's building control service or a registered building control approver (formerly an approved inspector). Gas work is carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers, as the law requires, and electrical work is certified through one of the routes the building regulations allow.

Party walls

Steel beams in a shared wall, or foundations dug nearby, usually need notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996: two months for work to the wall itself, one month for excavation within 3 m or 6 m of a neighbour's building, depending on depth.

Leasehold consent

For a flat, check your lease before planning any work. Most need the landlord's written consent for structural changes, and some restrict hard flooring. If your flat was bought from the council, the council is usually still the freeholder, and its consent as landlord is separate from planning. Changes near fire doors or escape routes need extra care.

Skips and scaffolding

A skip or scaffold on the road or pavement needs a council permit or licence, which we arrange.

Parking

Where a residents' parking zone applies, we arrange permits or a bay suspension before work starts.

Rented homes

If you let a property in Barking, check whether a council property licensing scheme applies to it and what its conditions mean for the work you plan.

05Service directory

Our Services in Barking

Every service we offer is available in Barking. Choose a service to see how we carry it out locally.

View all services

Loft conversions07

VeluxDormerHip-to-gableMansardL-shapedTrussed roofShell

House extensions04

Side returnWrap-aroundDouble-storeyKitchen extensions

Garage conversions01

Garage conversions in Barking

Basement conversions01

Basement conversions in Barking

Renovations and refurbishments04

Full houseKitchenBathroomPeriod property restoration

New builds02

New build homesFlats

Commercial construction01

Commercial building work in Barking

Driveways07

Block pavingResin-boundTarmacGravelConcreteStone settsCrazy paving

Conservatories and outbuildings04

ConservatoriesShed installation and repairSummer housesGarden sheds

Piling and underpinning02

PilingUnderpinning

Plumbing07

Emergency plumbingBathroom plumbingKitchen plumbingLeak detection and pipe repairsSanifloGas plumbingPipework

Drains07

Drainage and blocked drainsDrain unblockingCCTV drain surveysEmergency drainageDrain repairs and liningNew and replacement drainsDrain jetting

Boilers and heating16

Boiler installationBoiler repairBoiler replacementBoiler servicingLandlord gas safety certificatesEmergency boiler servicesRadiator installationRadiator repairsCentral heating installationCentral heating maintenancePower flushingThermostats and controlsControl repairsUnderfloor heatingUnderfloor heating repairsEmergency heating

Appliances05

Washing machinesDishwashersGas cookersGas ovensGas hobs

Electrical work09

Domestic installationCommercial installationRepairsMaintenanceEmergency electricsAir conditioningFire alarmsSolar panelsEV chargers

Decorating08

PaintingWallpaper hangingGlossingFilling wall cracksCeiling cracksHoles in wallsPlaster patchingSiliconing

Tiling04

Kitchen and bathroom tilingRegroutingCracked tile replacementSealing tile joints

Handyman jobs04

CurtainsBlindsMirrorsHanging and fitting

06Next door

Nearby Areas We Cover

Dagenham shares Barking's council but has very different housing, mostly the interwar Becontree estate; see our page for builders in Dagenham. To the north is Ilford, and to the west, in Newham, is East Ham. In south-east London we also work in Orpington. Elsewhere, see our local builders across London page, every area we cover, or the Omni Builders homepage.

Dagenham Ilford East Ham Orpington
IlfordBarkingDagenhamEast HamOrpingtonCentral London

07Your journey

How We Work

Five stops from your first message to the certificates in your hand — with one project manager the whole way.

  1. 01Step

    Enquiry

    Tell us about the job, your address and whether you own the freehold or a lease.

  2. 02Step

    Free site survey

    We check the structure, access, services and likely approvals.

  3. 03Step

    Written, itemised quote

    What is included, what isn't and how payments are staged, with an outline programme.

  4. 04Step

    Approvals

    With architects and designers, we arrange drawings, planning, building regulations and party wall notices, and help with what the freeholder or managing agent asks for.

  5. 05Step

    Build and handover

    One project manager runs the work, then we arrange sign-off and hand over the certificates.

08Ask the local team

FAQs

Real questions from homeowners in Barking, answered the way we would answer them on the phone.

WhatsApp 07000 000000 Call 020 0000 0000

Do you cover my part of Barking?

We work across IG11, from the town centre and Upney to Thames View and Barking Riverside. Near the edge of the area? Send us your postcode and we will confirm.

Do you work for landlords and letting agents in Barking?

Yes. We carry out gas safety certificates, electrical inspections, repairs and refurbishments between tenancies, and can arrange access through the tenant or the agent.

Can you handle the drawings and planning application?

Yes. Working with architects and designers, we prepare the drawings and submit the application or Lawful Development Certificate request. If you already have plans, we can build from them.

Do I need a party wall agreement for a loft on a terraced house?

Usually, yes, if steel beams rest on the shared wall or it is cut into. If each neighbour consents in writing, no surveyor is needed; if they dissent, a party wall award is agreed before that work starts.

Is the site survey free?

Yes, with no obligation. Afterwards you receive a written, itemised quote to compare before deciding.

Can you do several jobs in one visit or project?

Yes. Our team covers building work and the trades, so a new kitchen, rewiring, a boiler replacement and redecorating can run as one programme with one quote.

Start in Barking

Talk to Builders Who Work in Barking

Tell us what you are planning, whether you own a house or a flat, and your postcode. We will arrange a free site survey and send you a written quote.

Or use our contact form.

Postcode checker

Do we cover your street?

Yes — we cover Barking

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