House Extensions & Building Workin St IvesCambridgeshire
Extensions, renovations, structural work and outdoor building for St Ives homes, from riverside cottages to the newer estates out towards the A1096.
Jack Prime, 10 years in the trade, £2 million insured, 6-month guarantee
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 St Ives
Building work in St Ives
St Ives sits on the River Great Ouse a short drive from our base in St Neots, and it's a town Jack has worked in regularly over the years. The mix of property here is wide: the old riverside core around the Norris Museum and the medieval bridge has narrow lanes, listed buildings and conservation-area restrictions, while streets like Ramsey Road and the area around Hill Rise have solid Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Further out towards Somersham Road and the newer developments off the A1123 and Meadow Lane, you get 1970s-through-2000s estate housing and, in places like the newer parts of the town, more recent new-build plots. Each of those building types comes with a different set of problems and a different way of working, and Jack prices each job on what's actually in front of him rather than a standard rate for the town.
The riverside and flood-plain edges of St Ives, particularly land close to the Ouse and the old water meadows, need proper attention to drainage and ground conditions before any extension or outbuilding goes in. Clay ground is common in this part of Cambridgeshire, which affects foundation depths and how patios and driveways are built up so they don't heave or sink over a few winters. On the older housing stock, especially anything within the town's conservation area or near listed buildings such as the church of All Saints, matching brick, stone and pointing to what's already there matters more than on a modern estate, and Jack will tell you plainly when something is likely to need listed building consent or planning permission before work starts, that's a conversation to have early, not something to assume either way.
Where St Ives has grown with newer estate housing, the typical work is different again: rear and side extensions to give families more space, garage conversions on 1980s and 1990s plots where the garage was never really used for a car, and structural alterations to open up boxy 1990s kitchen layouts into something more usable. Jack and his dad Martin have done exactly this kind of work across the town and the surrounding villages, and they'll look at your specific house, your specific ground and your specific budget before saying what's sensible.
Distance from base
St Ives is around a 15-20 minute drive from our St Neots base, depending on traffic on the A14 and A1096.
Property mix
Riverside conservation-area cottages, Victorian and Edwardian terraces, 1970s-2000s estate housing and some newer builds towards the edges of town.
Ground conditions
Largely clay-based Cambridgeshire ground, with flood-plain considerations close to the Great Ouse.
Local planning
Parts of central St Ives fall within a conservation area with listed buildings nearby; Jack will flag when planning or listed building consent is likely to be needed.
What we do here
Services we carry out
in St Ives
House extensions
Rear and side extensions are common on the town's Victorian terraces and 1970s-90s estate housing, where the original kitchen or lean-to no longer works for the family living there.
House extensions in St Ives
Home renovations & knock-throughs
Whole-house renovations and knock-throughs on St Ives' older terraces, opening up narrow Victorian layouts into usable kitchen-diner space.
Home renovations & knock-throughs in St Ives
Structural work & steel beams
Load-bearing wall removal and steel installation for open-plan conversions, common where 1930s and post-war St Ives houses are being modernised.
Structural work & steel beams in St Ives
Brickwork & bricklaying
Brick matching and new brickwork on and around the town's older streets, where existing brick colour and bond need to be respected.
Brickwork & bricklaying in St Ives
Re-pointing & stone slips
Lime pointing and stone slip work suited to the older cottages near the river and the conservation area, where cement pointing does more harm than good.
Re-pointing & stone slips in St Ives
Patios
Patios built up properly for St Ives' clay ground and, close to the Ouse, with drainage thought through so water doesn't sit against the house.
Patios in St Ives
Driveways & block paving
Block-paved driveways for both older terraced frontages with limited space and the wider plots on the newer estates.
Driveways & block paving in St Ives
Landscaping & garden redesign
Garden redesigns for St Ives gardens that run down towards the river or meadows, working with the levels rather than against them.
Landscaping & garden redesign in St Ives
Garage conversions
Garage conversions on 1980s and 1990s St Ives estate homes where the garage has become storage rather than parking.
Garage conversions in St Ives
New build & self-build homes
New build and self-build projects on plots around St Ives and the neighbouring villages, including grand-design style homes such as the one Prime Build completed in nearby Hemingford Grey.
New build & self-build homes in St IvesWhy Prime Build in St Ives
Why St Ives homeowners use Prime Build
Jack learned the trade from his dad Martin, who has worked alongside him on site for years as a second pair of experienced hands. That matters in a town like St Ives where the building stock varies street by street: what works on a 1990s estate house doesn't work on a Victorian terrace two streets away, and knowing the difference before you start digging saves everyone a headache.
Prime Build Services Ltd carries £2 million insurance cover and every job finished comes with a 6-month workmanship guarantee. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Jack will arrange a time to come and look at the job in St Ives in person.
- 10 years in the trade, trained by his dad Martin, who still works alongside him
- £2 million insurance and a 6-month workmanship guarantee on completed work
- Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- 5.0 rating from 36 Google reviews and 100% recommended on Facebook
- Familiar with St Ives' mix of conservation-area properties, older terraces and newer estate housing
- Honest advice on when planning permission or listed building consent is likely to be needed
Local building conditions
Common building problems in St Ives
Every town has its own quirks, and St Ives' mix of river, clay ground and a wide spread of building ages throws up a fairly consistent set of issues Jack sees on jobs here.
Clay ground movement
Cambridgeshire clay shrinks and swells with the seasons, which is why foundations for extensions and outbuildings need to go deeper than people expect, and why patios laid without proper sub-base can lift or sink within a couple of years.
River and flood-plain drainage
Land near the Ouse and old water meadows needs drainage worked out properly before any paving, extension or outbuilding goes in, so surface water has somewhere to go rather than sitting against the house.
Mismatched brick and pointing on older cottages
Cement pointing on soft older brick or stone in the conservation area traps moisture and accelerates decay; lime pointing and matched brick or stone slips are usually the right fix.
Dated 1990s layouts
A lot of St Ives' estate housing from the 1970s-1990s has small, separated kitchens and living rooms that no longer suit how people live; removing a load-bearing wall and fitting a steel beam is the usual route to open-plan space.
Underused garages
Attached garages on estate plots built for cars that never fit anyway are commonly converted into an extra reception room, playroom or home office.
How the job runs
The same order of work,
every job in St Ives
Step 1
1. Call or enquire
Ring 07482 244276, answered 24/7, or send details through the site. Tell Jack what you're thinking of and roughly what the property is.
Step 2
2. Site visit
Jack comes out to look at the job in person, the ground, the existing structure, access for materials, before saying anything about scope or cost.
Step 3
3. Pricing the job properly
There's no set price list. Jack prices what's actually needed for your St Ives property, its ground conditions and its access, and talks you through it.
Step 4
4. Planning and drawings, if needed
If the property is in the St Ives conservation area, listed, or the work needs planning permission or building control sign-off, Jack will flag it early and work to whatever approved drawings are produced.
Step 5
5. The build
Jack and Martin carry out the work, bringing in other trusted trades where a job needs them, keeping you updated as it progresses.
Step 6
6. Handover and guarantee
Once finished, the job is covered by a 6-month workmanship guarantee, and Prime Build carries £2 million insurance throughout.
Common questions
Building in St Ives:
straight answers
Do you cover St Ives?
Yes. St Ives is one of our regular working areas, a short drive from our St Neots base, and Jack has worked on properties across the town from the older riverside streets to the newer estates.
How fast can you get out to look at a job in St Ives?
The phone is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Jack will agree a time with you to come and look at the job in St Ives.
How much will my job cost?
There's no fixed price without seeing the job. Jack visits, looks at the property and ground conditions, and prices it properly based on what's actually needed.
Can I contact you outside normal hours?
Yes. The phone line is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Is the work guaranteed?
Every completed job carries a 6-month workmanship guarantee, and Prime Build Services Ltd holds £2 million insurance cover.
How long will an extension or renovation take?
It depends on the job: the size of the extension, ground conditions and whether structural work is involved all affect the timeline. Jack will give you a realistic timescale once he's seen the property.
Will my St Ives property need planning permission?
It depends on the property and the work. St Ives has a conservation area and listed buildings near the town centre, so some jobs need planning or listed building consent while others don't. Jack will tell you when something is likely to need approval and works to approved drawings once they're in place.
I've got an older cottage near the river, can you match the existing brick and stonework?
Yes, that's regular work for us. Prime Build recently completed a 60 sq m natural stone slip and lime pointing job for a customer, and matching existing brick, stone and pointing on older properties is something Jack takes seriously rather than treating as an afterthought.
Do you take on garage conversions on the newer estates?
Yes. A lot of St Ives' 1980s and 1990s estate housing has garages that have never really been used for cars, and converting them into extra living space is a common job.
Can you work on new-build plots around St Ives?
Yes. Prime Build has completed full new-build and self-build homes, including a grand-design style property in nearby Hemingford Grey, and takes on new-build work from groundworks upwards.
Next step
Get your St Ives project looked at properly
Call 07482 244276, answered 24 hours a day, or send your details through the site. Jack will come and look at the job before pricing anything.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · £2 million insured · 6-month workmanship guarantee