Recent work
A Recent Loft Conversion
Rooflight conversion — turning dead roof space into a proper room. See more on our loft conversions page.
Mike is based in Poole, not visiting it. Brickwork, roofing, rendering, extensions and loft conversions from BH12 through to BH18 — by someone who knows what the harbour does to a wall.
From a cracked garden wall in Oakdale to a full extension in Broadstone — here's what Poole homeowners call us for most.
Garden and boundary walls, brick repairs, chimney work and repointing. On older Poole properties we repoint in lime, not cement — cement traps moisture in soft Victorian brick and blows the face off it within a few winters. More on our brickwork →
Pitched and flat roofs, storm damage, slipped and missing tiles, ridge and verge repairs. Exposed Poole properties lose tiles to the south-westerlies most winters — we'll tell you if it's a repair or a re-roof, honestly.
Internal plastering and external render. Coastal render takes a beating around the harbour, so specification matters — we'll spec something that survives the weather rather than something that looks good for two summers.
Poole's 1930s semis and post-war estate housing extend and convert well, and usually have the plot to do it. We manage the whole job from foundations to finish, including loft conversions.
Building in Poole isn't the same as building inland. Three things make the difference here, and getting them wrong costs you twice.
The prevailing south-westerly comes in off Poole Harbour carrying salt, and it reaches a long way inland. Salt crystallises inside the brick face and pushes it off — that flaking, crumbling look you see on exposed elevations around Hamworthy, Lilliput and Sandbanks. The fix isn't more mortar, it's frost-resistant brick and a mortar mix specified for exposure.
Victorian and Edwardian houses through Ashley Cross, Lower Parkstone and Poole Old Town were built with soft brick and lime mortar, which lets the wall breathe. Repoint those in hard cement and the moisture has nowhere to go but through the brick. We've been called out to plenty of walls ruined by someone else's cement.
Ground varies sharply across the town — free-draining heathland sand up at Canford Heath and Creekmoor, heavier ground closer to the harbour. It changes what foundations an extension or a boundary wall actually needs. Worth knowing before you dig, not after.
Rooflight conversion — turning dead roof space into a proper room. See more on our loft conversions page.
Every Poole postcode, and what we typically get called out for in each.
| Postcode | Areas & what we see there |
|---|---|
| BH15 | Poole Old Town, Hamworthy, Oakdale Georgian and Victorian stock in the Old Town conservation area — soft brick, lime mortar, and a lot of repointing done badly by someone else first. Hamworthy takes the weather straight off the harbour. |
| BH14 | Lower Parkstone, Ashley Cross, Penn Hill Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas. Bay window brickwork, chimney stacks and boundary walls are the usual calls. Brick matching matters here — the wrong brick shows for fifty years. |
| BH13 | Branksome Park, Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks High-value coastal properties with serious salt exposure. Frost-resistant brick, sheltered detailing and proper mortar specification are not optional this close to the water. |
| BH12 | Parkstone, Branksome, Alderney Mostly 1930s semis and post-war housing. Extensions, garden walls, rendering and loft conversions — the stock converts well and the plots usually have room. |
| BH17 | Canford Heath, Creekmoor Post-war and 1970s–80s estate housing on heathland sand. Straightforward ground, and the most common jobs are extensions, driveways, garden walls and re-rendering. |
| BH18 | Broadstone Inter-war and post-war semis and detached, generally sheltered from the worst of the coastal weather. Extensions and loft conversions are the bread and butter. |
| BH16 | Upton, Lytchett Matravers Village and edge-of-town properties, a mix of older stone and brick with newer estate housing. Boundary walls, outbuildings and extensions. |
Mike lives and works in Poole. Not a Bournemouth or Dorchester outfit travelling in and adding it to your quote. When you call, we're usually a few minutes up the road.
Fully vetted and listed on Checkatrade with a ★10 rating from 30 public reviews, plus 5.0 from 14 reviews on Google. Read both before you decide.
Over a decade working on Poole and Dorset housing stock — coastal exposure, soft Victorian brick, heathland ground. We've seen most of it before, which means fewer surprises on your job.
No. We come out, look at the job properly and give you a written estimate. There is no charge and no obligation. We won't price anything significant over the phone — you can't see a wall down a telephone.
Day rates for builders around Poole typically run £200–£350 depending on trade and complexity. Project work — extensions, new builds, full renders — is priced as a package rather than a day rate, so you know the number before we start.
Salt. Properties around the harbour, Hamworthy, Lilliput and Sandbanks take a constant salt-laden south-westerly, and salt crystallising inside the brick face is what causes spalling — that flaking, crumbling look. It needs frost-resistant brick and the right mortar mix, not whatever is cheapest on the pallet. Get that wrong and you're repointing again in five years.
Yes. Victorian and Edwardian houses through Ashley Cross, Lower Parkstone and Poole Old Town were built with soft brick and lime mortar. Repointing those in modern cement mortar traps moisture and destroys the brick face over time. We match the brick and use lime where lime belongs.
Usually not. Garden walls are generally permitted development up to 2m, or 1m where the wall adjoins a highway — but conservation areas such as Poole Old Town and Branksome Park have tighter rules, and listed buildings are different again. We'll tell you straight if we think you need to check with BCP Council before we start.
Mike is based in Poole, so for most of BH12 to BH18 we can usually come and look within the same week. Emergency work — storm damage, a wall that has come down — we'll get to as fast as we can.
All of them: BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17 and BH18. That covers Parkstone, Branksome, Canford Cliffs, Sandbanks, Ashley Cross, Penn Hill, Poole Old Town, Hamworthy, Oakdale, Upton, Canford Heath, Creekmoor and Broadstone.
Yes — dormers, rooflight conversions and full loft builds. Poole's 1930s semis and post-war estate housing convert well. There are photos of a recent rooflight conversion on our loft conversions page.
Free estimate, no obligation. We'll come out, look at the job, and give you a straight price.