Ilford Barking Dagenham East Ham OrpingtonCentral London

51.5397° N · 0.1478° E

Builders in Dagenham

Omni Builders work as builders in Dagenham across RM8, RM9 and RM10, where most homes are the brick terraces and end-of-terrace houses of the Becontree estate. These houses mostly call for loft conversions, rear extensions, driveways and whole-house renovations, and our team handles the structural work and the plumbing, electrics and decorating that follow.

Because so many Dagenham houses share the same few designs, local builders in Dagenham can usually tell you early what your roof and garden will allow. As building contractors in Dagenham, we still measure rather than assume, check the planning history and title, and set out the work in an itemised written quote, whether you are after a construction company to manage a loft and extension or one trade for a smaller job.

Book a free site survey Call 020 0000 0000

PostcodesRM8–10 postcodes

Planning decided byBarking & Dagenham Council

Typical homesInterwar Becontree estate

Your first stepFree site survey

01Local knowledge

Building in Dagenham

Dagenham lies within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, so its council decides planning applications and issues highway permits here. The RM8, RM9 and RM10 postcodes take in Becontree and Becontree Heath, the streets around Dagenham Heathway and Dagenham East, and the old village centre.

Most of Dagenham was built between the wars as the Becontree estate, which the London County Council laid out as one of the largest council estates ever built. Its housing shapes almost every project:

Mid-terrace houses usually have no side access, so materials and waste go through the house or along a shared rear path where one exists.

Repeated house types

The estate used a limited number of standard designs, many in short terraces with hipped roofs over the end houses. Options are predictable, but measurements and earlier alterations still vary.

End-of-terrace houses

The hipped end roof makes a hip-to-gable loft possible, and many end houses have room at the side, sometimes on a corner plot.

Front gardens

Many are deep enough for a car, so driveways and dropped kerbs are common requests.

Former council homes

Many houses have since been bought by their occupiers, often under Right to Buy, and some titles carry covenants worth checking before major alterations.

02The Dagenham line

Popular Projects in Dagenham

Lofts & extensions lineRenovation & outdoor line

Stop 01
Hip-to-gable loft conversions
The sloping hipped end of an end-of-terrace roof is rebuilt as a vertical gable, often paired with a rear dormer, turning a cramped loft into usable space.
See hip-to-gable loft conversions in Dagenham
Stop 02
Rear dormer loft conversions
On a mid-terrace house, a dormer across the rear slope is the usual way to add a bedroom you can stand up in.
See dormer loft conversions in Dagenham
Stop 03
Rear kitchen extensions
Original estate kitchens are often small, so a single-storey rear extension creates a kitchen and dining room opening onto the garden.
See kitchen extensions in Dagenham
Stop 04
Front driveways
Replacing a front garden with a driveway, usually alongside an application for a dropped kerb.
See block paving driveways in Dagenham See resin-bound driveways in Dagenham

Stop 05
EV chargers with a new driveway
Once a car parks off the road, a charge point is the natural next step, and the cable route is easiest to plan while the driveway is laid.
See EV charger installation in Dagenham
Stop 06
Whole-house renovations
Houses with older wiring, heating and layouts are often rewired, re-plumbed and refitted in one go.
See full house renovations in Dagenham See central heating installation in Dagenham
Stop 07
Garden rooms and summer houses
A garden building gives you a home office or hobby room without touching the house itself.
See summer house construction in Dagenham

03Planning & permits

Planning Permission in Barking and Dagenham

Permit check01 / 06

Often not

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

Often not, but the volume limit catches people out. Under permitted development, an end-of-terrace house counts as a terraced house, so a hip-to-gable conversion and any rear dormer together must add no more than 40 m³ of roof space, not the 50 m³ allowed for semi-detached houses. The dormer must also stay off the front roof slope, use similar materials, and have any side windows non-opening and obscure-glazed below 1.7 m. A neighbour's identical loft does not prove yours is permitted, as theirs may have been approved differently. See our loft conversion page.

Permit check02 / 06

Check at survey

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

Not for a modest rear extension. A single-storey extension can project up to 3 m from the back of a terraced or end-of-terrace house without an application, or as far as 6 m with prior approval from the council, which consults the neighbours. A side extension on a corner plot that would extend beyond a side wall facing the road needs planning permission, as does any two-storey side extension. See our house extensions page.

Permit check03 / 06

Usually yes

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

Usually yes, because Becontree houses were rarely built with cellars. Without a cellar to convert, a basement means new excavation, which generally needs planning permission, plus underpinning, building regulations approval and party wall notices. Converting an existing cellar internally is usually a building regulations matter only. See our basement conversions page.

Permit check04 / 06

It depends

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

It depends on the garage. Few Becontree houses were built with an integral garage, so the question is usually about a detached garage added later. Using it as a gym, store or home office is often possible without an application, but a bedroom or self-contained living space may need the council's approval. Converting an attached garage internally usually needs only building regulations approval. See our garage conversion page.

Permit check05 / 06

Check at survey

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

Not for the driveway itself, if it is permeable. Resin-bound, gravel or permeable block paving, or a surface draining into a planted area, avoids the need for permission; a non-permeable surface over 5 m² draining onto the road needs it. The dropped kerb is the bigger hurdle: it needs the council's consent, and street trees, lamp posts and verges can affect the outcome. On a classified road, the access may also need planning permission. See our driveways page.

Permit check06 / 06

Usually not

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

Usually not. A garden building is normally permitted development if it is single storey, stays behind the front wall of the house, is no higher than 2.5 m within 2 m of a boundary and, with any other outbuildings, covers no more than half the land around the house. It must stay incidental to the house (a garden office or workshop, say), not somewhere to sleep. On a former council home, check the title too, as some covenants cover outbuildings. See our conservatories and outbuildings page.

Listed buildings, conservation areas, Article 4 directions and earlier planning conditions can all remove these rights. We confirm with Barking and Dagenham Council what applies to your address, and can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate as written proof.

04On-site practicalities

Building Control, Party Walls and Practicalities

Building regulations

A loft, extension or garage conversion is approved by the council's building control team or a registered building control approver (the new name for an approved inspector), covering structure, fire escape, insulation and stairs. Any gas work is carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers, as the law requires, while new wiring is certified through one of the routes the building regulations allow.

Party walls on Becontree terraces

Loft steels bearing on the party wall, raising it to form a dormer cheek, or digging foundations close to a neighbour's (within 3 m, or 6 m for deeper work) usually require notices under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, served two months ahead for work on the wall and one month ahead for excavation.

Covenants on former council homes

If your house was bought under Right to Buy, ask your solicitor or conveyancer to check the title for covenants about alterations or outbuildings, and whether anyone's consent is needed.

Skips and scaffolding

If either has to stand on the highway, the council must issue a permit or licence first. Where the front garden has room, a skip can sometimes sit on your own land instead.

Parking and access

Where a residents' parking zone applies, permits or bay suspensions are booked in advance, and deliveries are timed to keep the road clear.

05Service directory

Our Services in Dagenham

You can book any of our services in Dagenham. Each link below goes to the local page for that service.

View all services

Loft conversions07

Velux Dormer Hip-to-gable Mansard L-shaped Trussed roof Shell

House extensions04

Side return Wrap-around Double-storey Kitchen extensions

Garage conversions01

Garage conversions in Dagenham

Basement conversions01

Basement conversions in Dagenham

Renovations and refurbishments04

Full house Kitchen Bathroom Period property restoration

New builds02

New build homes Flats

Commercial construction01

Commercial building work in Dagenham

Driveways07

Block paving Resin-bound Tarmac Gravel Concrete Stone setts Crazy paving

Conservatories and outbuildings04

Conservatories Shed installation and repair Summer houses Garden sheds

Piling and underpinning02

Piling Underpinning

Plumbing07

Emergency plumbing Bathroom plumbing Kitchen plumbing Leak detection and pipe repairs Saniflo Gas plumbing Pipework

Drains07

Drainage and blocked drains Drain unblocking CCTV drain surveys Emergency drainage Drain repairs and lining New and replacement drains Drain jetting

Boilers and heating16

Boiler installation Boiler repair Boiler replacement Boiler servicing Landlord gas safety certificates Emergency boiler services Radiator installation Radiator repairs Central heating installation Central heating maintenance Power flushing Thermostats and controls Control repairs Underfloor heating Underfloor heating repairs Emergency heating

Appliances05

Washing machines Dishwashers Gas cookers Gas ovens Gas hobs

Electrical work09

Domestic installation Commercial installation Repairs Maintenance Emergency electrics Air conditioning Fire alarms Solar panels EV chargers

Decorating08

Painting Wallpaper hanging Glossing Filling wall cracks Ceiling cracks Holes in walls Plaster patching Siliconing

Tiling04

Kitchen and bathroom tiling Regrouting Cracked tile replacement Sealing tile joints

Handyman jobs04

Curtains Blinds Mirrors Hanging and fitting

06Next door

Nearby Areas We Cover

Dagenham shares a council with Barking, but Barking's older terraces and newer flats raise different questions, which its own page covers. North-west of Dagenham is Ilford, in the London Borough of Redbridge, and further west is East Ham in Newham. South of the river and further out, we also cover Orpington. For the wider city, visit our local builders across London page, the full list of areas we cover and the Omni Builders home page.

Barking Ilford East Ham Orpington

Ilford Barking Dagenham East Ham OrpingtonCentral London

07Your journey

How We Work

01Step
Get in touch
Tell us what you want to do, your address, and whether the house was originally a council home.
02Step
Free site survey
We measure the loft, check the roof structure, the garden and the front, and work out which approvals apply.
03Step
Itemised written quote
You get a quote setting out each item, what is excluded and how payments are staged, with a programme.
04Step
Approvals
With the architects and designers we work with, we arrange drawings, prior approval, planning or a Lawful Development Certificate, building regulations approval, party wall notices and the dropped kerb application where needed.
05Step
Build and handover
Your project manager runs the site and the trades, then we arrange sign-off and pass the certificates to you.

08Ask the local team

FAQs

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

WhatsApp 07000 000000 Call 020 0000 0000

Do you cover RM8, RM9 and RM10?

Yes, all three. We work across Dagenham, including Becontree, Becontree Heath, Dagenham Heathway and Dagenham East, and will confirm straight away if you are on the edge of the area.

Can you work on a former council house?

Yes. Many Dagenham houses were bought from the council. The building work is the same, but we recommend checking the title for covenants before you commit to a design.

Can you prepare the drawings and make the application?

Yes. We arrange, with the architects and designers we work with, the drawings for planning, prior approval or a Lawful Development Certificate, and the building regulations drawings and calculations. Already have plans? We can price and build from those.

Will my neighbours need a party wall notice for a hip-to-gable loft?

Usually, yes. Hip-to-gable and dormer lofts normally involve steels bearing on the party wall, so notice is served on the attached neighbour. If they agree in writing, the work can go ahead without surveyors.

Do you charge for the site survey?

No. The site survey costs nothing and you are under no obligation. We follow it with an itemised written quote.

Can you do a loft, a driveway and an EV charger together?

Yes. One team covers the building work, the groundworks and the electrics, so several jobs can be planned as a single programme with one quote and one project manager.

Start in Dagenham

Plan Your Dagenham Project With Us

Send us your address and a few details of what you want to build or fix. We will book a free site survey and follow up with a written quote.

You can also use our contact form.

Builders in Dagenham

Building in Dagenham

Repeated house types

End-of-terrace houses

Front gardens

Former council homes

Popular Projects in Dagenham

Hip-to-gable loft conversions

Rear dormer loft conversions

Rear kitchen extensions

Front driveways

EV chargers with a new driveway

Whole-house renovations

Garden rooms and summer houses