How long does a typical home extension take?

Most single-story extensions take 8-12 weeks from start to completion, depending on size and complexity. We provide detailed timelines during our initial consultation.

Do I need planning permission for a home extension?

Many extensions fall under permitted development rights, but this depends on your property type and extension size. We help assess requirements and handle planning applications when needed.

Are you fully licensed and insured?

Yes, we are fully licensed with £2 million public liability insurance. All our tradespeople are qualified professionals and members of relevant trade associations.

Prime London's Trusted Luxury Builder

Vine Construction luxury London home renovation — Kensington townhouse extension with heritage sash windows and stone facade

Vine Construction is a family-run firm of luxury London builders specialising in the discreet, high-specification renovation of period townhouses, mews properties and prime residential estates across the capital. Since 2008 we have delivered complex home extensions, loft conversions, basement conversions and full period property restorations for owners of Grade II listed homes, conservation-area properties and estate-managed leaseholds including Grosvenor, Cadogan, Portman and Howard de Walden.

Our teams combine traditional trades — lime plastering, timber joinery, lead work, stone masonry and traditional sash window restoration — with modern building science: airtightness detailing, MVHR, underfloor heating and heritage-appropriate secondary glazing for acoustic and thermal upgrades that preserve historic character. Every project is led by a dedicated contracts manager, delivered under a JCT contract, and covered by £2m public liability and £10m employer's liability insurance.

Signature Services

Rear kitchen extension with steel-framed Crittall doors opening onto a landscaped Chelsea garden

Home & Kitchen Extensions — single, double and wrap-around rear extensions with structural steels, glazed lanterns and seamless internal reconfiguration.
Loft Conversions — mansard, L-shape and dormer loft conversions engineered for Victorian and Edwardian roofs across RBKC, Westminster and Camden.
Basement & Vault Conversions — single-storey basement digs, lightwell formation and Party Wall Act coordination for terraced London homes.
Bespoke Kitchen Renovations — architect-led kitchens with hand-made cabinetry, stone worktops and integrated appliance packages.
Luxury Bathroom Refurbishment — spa-standard master suites with book-matched stone, walk-in showers and underfloor heating.
Period Property Restoration — sympathetic restoration of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian townhouses under listed-building consent.
Sash Window Restoration — full overhaul, draught-proofing and reinstatement of timber box-sash windows.
Heritage Secondary Glazing — discreet slimline systems that deliver acoustic and thermal performance without altering the primary window.
Roofing & Leadwork — natural slate, clay tile and traditional lead detailing for heritage roofs.
Interior Fit-Out — joinery, decoration and finishes coordinated with our in-house project managers.

Areas We Serve Across Prime London

Map of prime Central and West London neighbourhoods served by Vine Construction including Kensington, Chelsea, Mayfair and Belgravia

We work across the most demanding postcodes in the capital, coordinating with local conservation officers, estate surveyors and heritage architects to deliver renovations that respect neighbourhood character.

Builders in Kensington (W8) — Victorian and Edwardian townhouses under RBKC control.
Builders in Chelsea (SW3) — Cadogan Estate leaseholds and King's Road properties.
Builders in Mayfair (W1) — Grosvenor Estate townhouses and Georgian terraces.
Builders in Belgravia (SW1) — stucco-fronted Grade II listed homes.
Builders in Knightsbridge (SW1X, SW7) — high-security prime residential renovations.
Builders in Notting Hill (W11) — stucco terraces and mews houses.
Builders in Hampstead (NW3) — Arts & Crafts and Georgian properties.
Builders in Marylebone (W1U) — Howard de Walden and Portman Estate homes.
Builders in Fulham (SW6) — Victorian terraces and family extensions.
Builders in Richmond (TW9, TW10) — riverside conservation homes.
Kensington Victorian & Edwardian Restorations
See all 40+ London areas served →

Recent Projects & Case Studies

Chelsea townhouse whole-house renovation featured in Vine Construction portfolio

Our portfolio documents ten flagship renovations completed across Central London, each with detailed scope, timeline, challenge and solution notes:

Chelsea Sash Window Restoration — full overhaul of 18 heritage box-sash windows.
Discreet Secondary Glazing, Belgravia — acoustic upgrade to a Grade II listed townhouse.
Mayfair Townhouse Whole-House Refurbishment
Kensington Basement Conversion & Lightwell
Notting Hill Mansard Loft Conversion
Knightsbridge Rear Kitchen Extension

Journal — Insights on Heritage Renovation

Long-form guides written by our contracts managers and heritage specialists:

Our Process — From Enquiry to Handover

Confidential consultation — a site survey and NDA-backed initial discussion.
Feasibility & costing — a detailed cost plan aligned with your architect's drawings.
Pre-construction — planning, listed-building consent and Party Wall Act notices.
Construction — dedicated contracts manager, weekly reporting and JCT contract administration.
Handover & aftercare — 12-month workmanship warranty and defects liability period.

Trust, Credentials & Insurance

Vine Construction is a fully insured contractor with £2m public liability, £10m employer's liability and contract works cover to £5m. We hold CSCS-carded trades, Gas Safe registered engineers and NICEIC-approved electricians, and we work regularly with heritage architects, conservation officers, and estate surveyors. Every completed project is backed by a written 12-month workmanship warranty in addition to standard manufacturer guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a typical London home extension take?

Most single-storey rear extensions take 14–20 weeks on site once planning and Party Wall matters are resolved. Larger wrap-around and basement projects range from 6 to 14 months.

Do you work on Grade II listed buildings?

Yes — a significant portion of our workload is Grade II listed and conservation-area properties in Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia and Mayfair. See our period property restoration page.

Are you fully insured?

Yes, we carry £2m public liability, £10m employer's liability and project-specific contract works cover.

Can you coordinate with our architect and interior designer?

Absolutely — we regularly work as principal contractor alongside leading London architects and design studios.

Request a Confidential Site Survey

To discuss your project in confidence, call 020 7060 1579, WhatsApp +44 7853 322555, or email info@vineconstruction.com. Book online via our contact page or request a complimentary site survey.

Fine Joinery · Perimeter Detailing

Skirting Boards, Architraves & Decorative Trims

Skirting and architrave are the details that quietly signal a well-built London home. A crisp mitre, a shadow gap that runs perfectly straight across a 12-metre wall, an architrave that matches the profile of the original doors in a Victorian villa — these are the touches that lift a renovation from finished to considered. Our joinery team fits skirting, architrave and decorative trim on every scale, from a single bedroom refresh to full-house restorations in W1, W8, SW3 and NW3.

We work in primed MDF for painted finishes, tulipwood for higher-end paint work, and solid oak or reclaimed pine where a stained or waxed finish is specified. Profiles are sourced from period specialists or milled bespoke to match originals — a service that matters enormously in listed and conservation-area properties where a modern square profile would be visually wrong and, in listed cases, non-compliant.

Every installation includes proper scribing to uneven walls, mitred internal and external corners, filled and sanded joints, and full decorator-ready finish so painters can apply topcoats without any remedial work.

Ogee, Torus, Victorian, Bullnose and modern square profiles

MDF, tulipwood, oak and reclaimed pine

Bespoke profile milling to match originals

Shadow-gap detailing for contemporary interiors

Scribed joints to uneven walls in period properties

Full architrave, door lining and skirting packages

Choosing the Right Profile for Your Property

The profile you choose should relate to the age and character of the building. A Victorian villa typically calls for a deep Ogee or torus at 145–170mm high; an Edwardian home a squarer torus or bullnose; a Georgian townhouse a taller, more elegant Ogee that respects the higher ceilings. Modern flats and new-build extensions can carry a simple square-edge or shadow-gap detail that reads cleanly against contemporary joinery.

For period properties we always take a section from an existing original board — usually behind a radiator or in a cupboard — and match the profile exactly. In some houses this means milling a bespoke cutter, which we manage in-house with our joinery partners.

Georgian: 220–250mm Ogee, mitred external corners
Victorian: 145–170mm Ogee or Torus
Edwardian: 120–145mm squared torus / bullnose
Contemporary: 15–20mm shadow gap or square-edge

Materials: MDF, Tulipwood, Oak & Reclaimed Pine

Primed MDF is the workhorse of London skirting — dimensionally stable, straight from the mill, and unbeatable value for painted finishes. For high-end painted specifications we use tulipwood, which takes paint beautifully and holds a crisper mitre than MDF. Solid oak is specified where the client wants a natural, oiled or waxed finish; reclaimed pine matches originals in Victorian and Edwardian restorations.

Shadow Gaps & Contemporary Detailing

A shadow gap in place of skirting is one of the defining details of a modern London extension. Done well, it appears as a razor-sharp reveal running the entire perimeter of the room; done poorly, it wobbles, over-fills with paint and highlights every deviation in the plasterwork. We install shadow gaps with plaster stop-beads, MDF backing boards and mitred corners, achieving a 15–20mm reveal that runs true across the largest rooms.

Architraves, Door Linings & Coordinated Perimeter

A full-house renovation should treat skirting, architrave, door linings and picture rails as a coordinated package. We supply and install all four to a matched profile system, hang doors within the new linings, and prepare everything for decoration in a single visit — avoiding the phased approach that leads to mismatched profiles from different trades.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you match an existing Victorian skirting profile?

Yes. We take a section of the original, and either match from a period supplier's stock range or have a bespoke cutter milled — the standard route for listed and conservation-area properties.

Should skirting be fitted before or after flooring?

For carpet, skirting is fitted first. For hardwood, LVT and tile, we fit skirting after the finished floor, which produces a cleaner scribe and hides expansion gaps.

What height of skirting do you recommend?

As a rule of thumb, taller ceilings take taller skirting: 145–170mm for Victorian rooms, 200–250mm for Georgian, 100–120mm for modern flats. Going too small in a period room makes the whole space feel visually cheaper.

Do you paint the skirting or just fit it?

We install to decorator-ready standard (filled, sanded, caulked). Painting is handled by our decorating team on request as a coordinated package.

Related Services

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