House extensions in Cambridgeand renovations for city terraces,college-area homes and new-builds
Extensions, renovations, structural work, brickwork and stone pointing across Cambridge, from Victorian terraces near the centre to modern estates on the city's edges.
£2 million insured · 6-month workmanship guarantee · 5.0 from 36 Google reviews
5.0 from 36 reviews
100% recommended on Facebook
10 years in the trade
Jack on site daily
£2 million insured
Public & employers' liability
Phone open 24 hours
6-month workmanship guarantee
Working in Cambridge
Building work in Cambridge
Cambridge is a genuinely mixed city to build in, and no two areas are quite the same. Close to the centre and around the colleges you've got dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces, narrow frontages, shared party walls, original brickwork and, in a good number of streets, conservation area status that affects what can be changed at the front of a property. Move out towards areas like Cherry Hinton, Trumpington, Arbury or the newer development around Cambridge North, and you're into a completely different building stock: 1930s semis, post-war estate housing, and large modern new-build developments with current-spec cavity construction.
That range means the work we do in Cambridge varies more than most towns on our patch. In the terraced streets we're regularly asked about rear extensions and side-return knock-throughs where the original kitchen and scullery layout no longer suits how people live, plus a fair amount of brickwork repair and re-pointing on Victorian solid-wall construction that's been left too long. Where a house sits in a conservation area, Jack will tell you plainly when something is likely to need planning permission before work goes further, and any approved work is carried out to the drawings that have been signed off, we don't take shortcuts around that process.
Out on the newer estates, the work looks more like Cambourne or St Neots, garage conversions, kitchen-diner extensions with steel beams, driveway and patio replacement, and garden landscaping on plots that were built to a developer spec rather than an individual design. We've also done grand-design new-build work locally, including a self-build home in Hemingford Grey, which gives us a working understanding of what's involved when a Cambridge-area client wants a genuinely bespoke new house rather than an estate extension.
Cambridge sits on a mix of clay and river gravel ground conditions depending on which part of the city you're in, particularly closer to the Cam, and that's factored into foundation depths and drainage on anything structural, whether that's a new extension, a boundary wall or groundworks for a new build.
Distance from base
Cambridge is around 30-40 minutes' drive from our St Neots base depending on the route and time of day, and is a regular part of our coverage across Cambridgeshire.
Property stock
A genuine mix: Victorian and Edwardian terraces near the centre and colleges, 1930s and post-war semis further out, and modern new-build estates on the city's edges.
Conservation areas
A number of Cambridge's older streets sit within conservation areas, which can affect what changes are permitted at the front of a property; Jack will flag this early where it applies.
Ground conditions
Mixed clay and gravel depending on location, particularly near the Cam, which is accounted for in foundation and drainage design on structural work.
What we do here
Services we carry out
in Cambridge
House extensions
Rear and side-return extensions on Cambridge's terraced streets, and kitchen-diner extensions on the city's 1930s and modern estate homes.
House extensions in Cambridge
Home renovations & knock-throughs
Full renovations and knock-throughs of Victorian terrace layouts and post-war semis across Cambridge's residential areas.
Home renovations & knock-throughs in Cambridge
Structural work & steel beams
Load-bearing wall removal and steel beam installation for open-plan living in period terraces and modern properties alike, checked properly on every job.
Structural work & steel beams in Cambridge
Brickwork & bricklaying
Brickwork repairs and new boundary walls matched to Cambridge's older red-brick terraces and Cambridgeshire white brick, plus modern developer brick.
Brickwork & bricklaying in Cambridge
Re-pointing & stone slips
Lime pointing on Victorian solid-wall properties, and natural stone slip work for homeowners wanting a feature finish, including recent 60 sq m lime pointing and stone slip work for a Cambridgeshire client.
Re-pointing & stone slips in Cambridge
Garage conversions
Garage conversions on Cambridge's post-war and modern estate homes, turning underused space into a usable room.
Garage conversions in Cambridge
Driveways & block paving
Driveway and block paving replacement across Cambridge's suburban streets and newer estates.
Driveways & block paving in Cambridge
Patios
New patios laid on properly prepared foundations to suit the city's mixed clay and gravel ground.
Patios in Cambridge
Fireplace builds & renovation
Fireplace builds and renovations for period Cambridge terraces with original chimney breasts and openings.
Fireplace builds & renovation in Cambridge
New build & self-build homes
New-build and self-build homes for plots in and around Cambridge, drawing on experience from a grand-design self-build in nearby Hemingford Grey.
New build & self-build homes in CambridgeWhy Prime Build in Cambridge
Why Cambridge homeowners call Prime Build
Jack Prime has ten years in the trade, taught by his dad Martin, who still works alongside him on site every day. We're based in St Neots, close enough to make Cambridge a regular and familiar part of our working area rather than a rare trip across the county.
We carry £2 million insurance and back every job with a 6-month workmanship guarantee. We're rated 5.0 from 36 Google reviews and 100% recommended on Facebook. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, and Jack will arrange a time to come and look at the job in person.
- 10 years' experience, trained by Martin, who still works on every job
- £2 million public and employers' liability insurance on every job
- 6-month workmanship guarantee on completed work
- 5.0 rating from 36 Google reviews, 100% recommended on Facebook
- Phone answered 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Experience across period terraces, post-war semis and modern new-builds
Local building conditions
Common issues we're called out for in Cambridge
Cambridge's mixed building stock throws up a fairly consistent set of issues depending on the age and type of property.
Failing pointing on Victorian terraces
Original lime mortar on many of Cambridge's older terraces has hardened, cracked or been replaced at some point with cement pointing that traps damp in the wall. Re-pointing with the correct lime mix is usually the fix.
Tight side-return extensions
Terraced houses close to the centre often have narrow side returns that need careful structural planning to open up into a usable kitchen-diner without compromising the party wall or neighbouring structure.
Conservation area restrictions on front elevations
Where a property sits in a conservation area, changes to the front of the house are more tightly controlled. Jack will tell you early when this applies and work is carried out to approved drawings where permission has been granted.
Dated garages on 1930s and post-war homes
Older single garages on Cambridge's suburban streets are often too small for modern cars and sit unused. Converting them adds usable living space without changing the footprint.
Cracked driveways on clay-heavy plots
Ground movement in clay-rich areas of Cambridge can crack or lift older block paving and concrete driveways over time. Replacing on a properly prepared base addresses the cause, not just the surface.
How the job runs
The same order of work,
every job in Cambridge
Step 1
1. Call or enquiry
You call 07482 244276 or send details through the site. The line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Step 2
2. Site visit
Jack comes to look at the job in Cambridge in person before anything is priced.
Step 3
3. Proper pricing
Jack prices the job from what he's seen on site: access, condition of the existing structure, and the actual scope of work required.
Step 4
4. Planning and drawings
For extensions, conservation-area properties and structural work, Jack will tell you if planning permission or building control approval is needed, and work is carried out to approved drawings where this applies.
Step 5
5. The build
Jack and Martin work the job on site, bringing in other trusted trades where needed, on a timescale that depends on the size and complexity of the project.
Step 6
6. Handover and guarantee
The finished job is signed off with you, backed by a 6-month workmanship guarantee.
Common questions
Building in Cambridge:
straight answers
Do you cover Cambridge, including the city centre and outer suburbs?
Yes. We cover Cambridge and the surrounding villages as a regular part of our Cambridgeshire work, from the terraced streets near the centre to the estates further out.
How fast can you get out to look at a job in Cambridge?
The phone is answered 24 hours a day, and Jack will arrange a time to come and look at the job around what's already booked in.
How much will my extension or renovation cost?
We don't give figures over the phone. Jack visits, looks at the job properly, access, structure, scope, and prices it from what's actually there.
Are you available out of hours?
The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Site work is carried out during normal working hours, on a schedule agreed with you.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes, every completed job carries a 6-month workmanship guarantee, backed by £2 million insurance.
How long will my project take?
It depends on the job, property age, access and whether structural work is involved all affect the timescale. Jack will give you a realistic timeframe once he's seen the site.
Will my extension need planning permission, especially in a conservation area?
It depends on the property and its location. Jack will tell you when something needs planning permission or building control approval, and any structural work is carried out to approved drawings where these are required.
Do you work on Victorian terraces as well as modern houses?
Yes. We regularly work on Victorian and Edwardian terraces near the centre, 1930s and post-war semis further out, and modern new-build estates on the edges of the city.
Can you match brick, stone or lime pointing to my existing property?
Yes, matching materials to the existing building matters most on Cambridge's older terraces, and it's a regular part of our brickwork and pointing work, including recent lime pointing and stone slip work for a local client.
Do you take on smaller jobs in Cambridge as well as full extensions?
Yes, we take on projects of all sizes, from a single garden wall or patio through to full extensions, renovations and new-build homes.
Next step
Get your Cambridge project looked at properly
Call 07482 244276, any time, or send your details through the site. Jack will come and look at the job in Cambridge and price it from what he sees.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · £2 million insured · 6-month workmanship guarantee