There are many aspects of a building project that you need to consider such as:

• Your overall project budget
• Planning requirements
• Building regulations
• Location and surrounding area of your building (including proximity to boundaries and other buildings)
• Overall project management
• Other contractors needed
• Access to the site during and after construction
• Timing of the project

Our sales consultants can provide valuable advice and information about the process and also introduce you to other contractors where needed.

Our consultants can provide you with valuable information and help answer any questions you may have with the design of your building. 

They will also be able to provide any advice you may need with the project and options available with the oak frame and ensure that your requirements are fully understood so that our quotation can fully reflect the building and features that you want.

There are no hidden charges on your quote from us. The only variations in cost that could potentially be made are in the following circumstances:

• If you change your mind about any aspect of the building, the costs may increase or reduce as appropriate
• If we are contracted to provide groundworks, we will specifically state within our quote what type foundations and the depth of the footings we have allowed for. If the Building Control Officer demands deeper footings or alterations in the foundations design, there may be an extra charge
• If ground conditions at the time of delivery require any temporary access to be installed to get to the site of the building, this may be charged as an extra cost unless this has been specifically allowed for in your quote

Our quotation will normally include the oak frame, studwork, padstones, pegs, fixings, roof timbers, cladding, insulation, wallboards and joinery. We are also happy to provide the following services for our buildings if needed:

• planning service
• building regulations application
• groundworks
• roofing.

We would not include any additional landscaping, decoration or internal fixing work (eg sandblasting, plastering, electrics, plumbing etc) and we would suggest that this is completed by contractors who specialise within these areas. We would be happy to introduce you to contractors who are experts in this field.

Where a full turnkey solution is needed including overall project management, we have partner companies who are experienced in working alongside us who will co-ordinate the entire project for you. Our consultants can advise you when this may be needed and what this will involve.

Planning is not necessarily needed for your oak frame building as it depends on whether you have permitted development rights and on the position, size and usage of the proposed building. We can advise accordingly and help with any application. Where it is needed, we use an external company who will process planning applications on our behalf.  This ensures that we are able to provide a high standard of service, with a very high success rate.

We are experts in designing oak frames.  Once we have designed your building we then pass the design on to a structural engineer to get confirmation that the design complies with all current design criteria and that it will meet all structural requirements.

Once we have received confirmation from you that you are happy with the design of your new building (deposit payment together with signed drawing, quotation and terms & conditions) then delivery is normally around eight weeks.

Each frame is different so the time for erection can vary.  For example: a standard 2 bay garage normally takes approximately 1 day to erect and an average house can take around 7-10 days.

A 10-year guarantee for the timber frame structure is issued on completion of our works and payment of the final contract balance. The glazing carries a 5 year guarantee in line with Pilkington’s guarantee period. Our guarantees are automatically transferred to any new owners for the remainder of the guarantee period should you sell your building.

Yes, many.   All our trees are sourced from managed forests where more trees are planted for each one felled.  As we all know growing trees absorb more CO2 than a mature tree thereby helping to reduce greenhouse gases. On top of this oak is also more energy efficient to produce than other man made building materials.  After all wood is the only truly renewable building resource.

We make joinery as a standard in iroko, softwood, oak or sapeli wood. Other types of timber may be used if you have any particular requirement, please ask and we will advise whether this is possible

Most people choose standard sizes but we listen to your individual needs and all of our joinery is tailor made to meet the requirements of each and every individual frame – therefore bespoke sizes are always possible!

The main reason people choose an oak frame building is the stunningly beautiful look and feel of the building compared with a conventional build. Also in many instances, an oak frame suits the environment and satisfies the needs of planners in listed areas.

You will also be surprised at how competitively priced an oak frame is in comparison to a conventional build and it can often be less expensive! An oak frame build is also a lot quicker and cleaner on site than a conventional build as the frame is manufactured off site – this means far less disruption on site during the construction of the building.

We have our own dedicated in-house lorries to transfer your building direct from our factory to your site. When you have placed your order, we carry out a survey of every site before delivery so if there are any access restrictions on site, we ensure that suitable delivery vehicles are used and appropriate arrangements are made to get the materials to the required location.

There are many oak framed buildings in the UK that date from the 15th and 16th Centuries.  We use the same traditional oak framing techniques in constructing our buildings.

We have a lot of experience working alongside other subcontractors.  Our operations department will assist them throughout the build and will provide them with any information they need to ensure your project runs as smoothly as possible.

The main structure is of the best quality green oak. Weatherboarding, studwork and roof rafters can be either oak or softwood depending on individual requirements.

The only ongoing maintenance normally required for an oak frame after initial erection and decoration is re-protection and decoration of any joinery and any softwood weatherboard. The oak frame timbers and any oak cladding should not require any ongoing maintenance.

One of the characteristics of green oak is that as it dries, it moves and twists across its width. This strengthens and adds charm to the building. Splits and shakes are therefore an expected part of the beauty and character of the building and do not cause any structural issues.

Attaching an oak frame extension to a modern property is not a problem. Many of our oak framed extensions are designed with a contemporary feel to complement the existing building.

Maintaining a constant comfortable temperature is a common problem.
However a traditional oak framed extension, insulated to building regulations, will stay warm in the winter and cooler in the summer.

We can meet you on site to produce sketches, plans and costings. We can then help see the whole job through to completion.

You will need to be fit, have basic building skills and have access to a small team of helpers. English Heritage Buildings will deliver pre-cut timbers with all necessary instructions. We can also offer installation advice over the telephone.

This should not be an issue. A design that is in keeping with the original and in harmony with the local environment will usually be granted permission.

No, but you can contact them on +44 (0)20 79733000.