Builder in Colchester — Extensions, Loft & Garage Conversions
Building Services Across Essex & Suffolk
Stanway Building Solutions is an established builder in Colchester, serving Essex and Suffolk. We handle everything from house extensions and loft conversions to garage conversions, new builds, and full renovations. Every project is managed by Lee Goddard — a fully qualified bricklayer with over 20 years of trade experience and work featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs.
We cover Colchester, Stanway, Lexden, Wivenhoe, Rowhedge, Coggeshall, Dedham, Manningtree, Hadleigh, and throughout Essex and Suffolk.
Planning Services
Good projects start with good planning. We offer full consultations before any work begins — walking you through what’s involved, what permissions you’ll need, what constraints exist, and what it’s likely to cost. We have extensive experience working with Colchester Borough Council and Essex planning authorities, so we know how to get things through cleanly and avoid the delays that catch people out.
Full Consultation
We sit down with you before anything else. No jargon, no pressure — just a straight conversation about what you want to achieve, what’s realistic, and what it will cost.
Planning Permission & Building Regulations
We handle the paperwork. From permitted development checks to full planning applications and Building Regulations approval, we manage the process so you don’t have to.
20 Years of Local Experience
Lee Goddard has been building in Essex and Suffolk for over 20 years. That means better supplier relationships, fewer surprises, and honest advice on what will and won’t work before you commit.
Start to Finish
One point of contact throughout. We stay with you from the first conversation to the final sign-off.
Garage Conversions in Colchester
A garage conversion is one of the most cost-effective ways to add usable space to your home — often without planning permission, and typically completing in two to four weeks. Stanway Building Solutions transforms underused garages into home offices, studies, playrooms, gyms, living rooms, or extra bedrooms. Because the structure is already there, you get a properly finished room for a fraction of the cost of a full extension.
Maximise Space You Already Have
Turn square footage you already own into a room you actually use — without the disruption or cost of building an extension from scratch.
Quicker Than You Think
Most garage conversions complete in two to four weeks. Less upheaval, and you still get a properly finished, insulated, plastered room.
Planning Made Simple
Most garage conversions fall within permitted development rights. We carry out the checks as standard — and handle any planning application if one is needed.
House Extensions & New Builds in Colchester
A well-designed extension adds more value to your home than it costs to build — and avoids the expense and disruption of moving. Stanway Building Solutions manages the full process: planning, Building Regulations, groundworks, and build. Our team is led by Lee Goddard, a fully qualified bricklayer, so the structural quality is there from the foundation up. For those building from scratch, new builds are exempt from VAT on construction costs, making self-build more cost-effective than many people realise. Find out more about our house extensions service.
Add Value to Your Property
A properly built extension consistently returns more than it costs when you come to sell. We design and deliver extensions that work for how you actually live — not just how they look on a drawing.
Built Around Your Life
Whether you need a bigger kitchen, a home office, or an extra bedroom — we listen first, then build something that fits your home and your budget.
Build Your Own Home
Designing and building your own home gives you full control over every detail. We guide you through the process from plot assessment to handover — making it manageable and rewarding.
New Build VAT Advantage
New builds are zero-rated for VAT on construction costs. Combined with avoiding the premium of buying an existing property, this makes self-build a genuinely cost-effective route for the right project.
Loft Conversions in Colchester
A loft conversion is the most space-efficient way to add a bedroom, bathroom or home office to your home — without touching the garden, without moving out, and often without planning permission. Stanway Building Solutions manages loft conversions across Colchester, Essex and Suffolk, from initial survey and planning through to the finished room. Find out more about our loft conversion service.
Dormer Conversions
The most popular choice for Colchester homes. A rear dormer adds full standing headroom and a proper room — usually permitted development, no planning application required.
Velux Conversions
The most cost-effective option where headroom already exists. Windows installed into the existing roof slope with no structural changes to the roofline.
Hip-to-Gable & L-Shaped Dormers
For semi-detached properties and Victorian terraces — maximising the floor area available in the loft space.
