What we doSix disciplines
Design and build services in London.
Six disciplines under one contract. One team draws it, prices it and builds it.

Why NUIn five facts
What you get, from day one.
Five things you get on every project, with no exceptions.
01 · Drawn in houseArchitecture
01 · Drawn in house
Architecture
The people who draw your home also price it and build it.
NU Projects designs prime London homes and then builds them. Drawings are made by a team that knows what they cost. That closes the gap between a design and a price.
We take a home from first concept to a set of construction drawings. Planning and building control run alongside. Structural engineers and specialist consultants are coordinated by us, not by you.
- Feasibility and measured survey
- Concept design and planning drawings
- Building control and technical drawings
- Structural engineers coordinated by us
- Construction drawings priced as they are drawn
Read the long answerListed building consent in London
Read the full pagesPlanning consultants, Building control, Structural engineers, Architecture

02 · Specified before the priceInterior design
02 · Specified before the price
Interior design
Layouts, materials, lighting and joinery, decided before the price is fixed.
Our interior team works on layouts, materials, lighting, joinery, fabrics and finishes. Everything is drawn and scheduled, not left to site. Cost and programme are reviewed with the design, week by week.
Kitchens, joinery and furniture are made by Cochrane Bespoke, our joinery partner. Artwork is sourced through galleries and consultants. Our interior design fee is a flat percentage of the build cost.
- Layouts, materials, lighting and finishes
- Coordinated drawings and schedules
- Bespoke joinery by Cochrane Bespoke
- Kitchens, wardrobes, libraries and media units
- Fee as a flat percentage of build cost
Read the long answerBespoke joinery studio, Fulham High Street
Read the full pageInterior design

03 · Built by our own teamConstruction
03 · Built by our own team
Construction
One site team, one contract, one number to call.
NU Projects has been building in London since 2010. Every project has a dedicated project manager and a site foreman. Our specialist contractors have worked with us for years.
You get a report every week, with photographs of the site. Valuations, variations and payment certificates are handled properly. After handover the same team stays for the defects period.
- A dedicated project manager and site foreman
- A weekly report with photographs
- Valuations, variations and payment certificates
- Party wall notices and building control
- A defects period and aftercare from the same team
Read the long answerSnagging and handover on a London renovation
Read the full pagesParty wall surveyors, Construction project management, Luxury renovations

04 · Priced on an open bookCost and quantity surveying
04 · Priced on an open book
Cost and quantity surveying
An in-house quantity surveyor, an open book, and two prices before you sign.
Our quantity surveyor, Matt Coverley, is in house, not a subcontracted service. We work open book, so you see what the work costs. A budget estimate is typically with you within seven days.
We price twice. The first price is a budget estimate from your brief and the property. The second is a detailed cost plan, built line by line from the drawings.
Provisional sums are named, never buried. Assumptions and exclusions are listed. That second price is the one you hold when you sign the contract.
- An in-house quantity surveyor
- Open book pricing
- A budget estimate typically within seven days
- A detailed cost plan built from the drawings
- Provisional sums named, not buried
Read the long answerStage payments on a London renovation
Read the full pageQuantity surveying

05 · Engineered and monitoredBasements
05 · Engineered and monitored
Basements
New basements and conversions, engineered and monitored from the start.
NU Projects has built London basements since 2010. Work is by underpinning or by piling, depending on the property. Movement risk is managed by engineering, temporary works and monitoring.
Basements become bedrooms, utility rooms, cinemas, wine cellars, pools, gyms and saunas. Some become self-contained flats. Each borough sets its own conditions, and we handle them.
That means traffic and site management plans, soil testing and structural calculations. Flood risk and eco-home assessments are prepared where they are asked for.
- Underpinning or piling, chosen for the property
- Movement managed by engineering and monitoring
- Waterproofing, drainage and neighbour interfaces
- Borough conditions, plans and assessments handled
- Fit-out to a finished, usable room
Read the long answerBasement waterproofing and pumps in London
Read the full pageBasements

06 · Planning to handoverExtensions and lofts
06 · Planning to handover
Extensions and lofts
Rear, side return and wraparound extensions, dormer lofts and mansards.
We take an extension or a loft from feasibility to handover. Planning, architecture, structural design and cost planning happen first. Construction follows under the same contract.
Traditional and modular routes are both assessed, then we tell you which suits. What the work adds depends on location, consent, design and build quality.
Most rear extensions also change the existing ground floor. We price the new floor area and the reworked rooms separately, so nothing hides.
- Rear, side return and wraparound extensions
- Dormer lofts and mansards
- Feasibility, planning and structural design
- New area and existing rooms priced separately
- Construction and interior fit-out in one contract
Read the long answerLoft conversion staircase and headroom explained
Read the full pageExtensions and lofts

Also hereEight more pages
Specialist work, written up on its own.
Quantity surveying, party wall, planning, building control and structural engineers. Fire doors, project management and social housing too.
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01
Quantity surveying
An in-house quantity surveyor, open book pricing, and two prices before you sign.
Read the page -
02
Party wall surveyors
Notices served, awards agreed, and neighbours kept informed, before work starts on site.
Read the page -
03
Planning consultants
Feasibility, planning applications and appeals, handled by the team that also draws the home.
Read the page -
04
Building control
Technical drawings prepared and coordinated, so the finished home meets the regulations.
Read the page -
05
Structural engineers
Structural engineers coordinated by us, so drawings and calculations arrive on the same programme.
Read the page -
06
Fire door certification
Fire door inspections and bespoke fire doors, made by our joinery partner Cochrane Bespoke.
Read the page -
07
Construction project management
One project manager, one programme, from feasibility through to handover.
Read the page -
09
Basements
New basements and conversions in prime London, engineered, monitored and built by one team.
Read the page -
10
Extensions and lofts
Rear, side return and wraparound extensions, dormer lofts and mansards, from feasibility to handover.
Read the page -
11
Interior design
Layouts, materials, lighting and joinery, decided before the price is fixed, by one team.
Read the page -
12
Architecture
Feasibility to construction drawings, made by the team that also builds.
Read the page -
13
Luxury renovations
A whole house renovation, run by one team on one contract.
Read the page
QuestionsAnswered plainly
What people ask us.
Straight answers, the same ones our team gives on the phone.
What is design and build, and how does it help?
It means one team designs your home and then builds it.
At NU that is architecture, interiors, cost and construction under one contract. The people who draw the home also price it and build it. Buildability, cost and design are decided together, not argued about later.
You get one point of accountability. If something needs sorting, there is one number to call.
How much does a luxury house renovation in London cost?
A full renovation is typically £160 to £350 per sq ft. A super prime specification runs £500 to £800 per sq ft. These are typical figures. The calculator splits every range by specification.
Floor area, scope and specification move the number most. Structural changes, access, services, kitchens, bathrooms and joinery all shift the total.
Use the build cost calculator for a first indication. Then send us the address. We will build a cost plan for your property.
How much does a kitchen or side return extension cost?
A rear extension is typically £280 to £320 per sq ft. A side return is typically £310 to £340 per sq ft.
As a whole project, a rear kitchen extension is typically £160,000 to £250,000. A side return is typically £140,000 to £220,000.
Size, foundations, structural openings, glazing, drainage and the kitchen itself drive the budget. Reworking the existing ground floor often costs as much attention as the new part. We price the new area and the existing rooms separately.
How much does a basement cost in Chelsea or Fulham?
A basement is typically £450 to £500 per sq ft. A new excavation is typically £500,000 to £900,000 as a whole project. Converting an existing lower ground floor is typically £180,000 to £300,000.
Excavation is only part of it. Engineering, temporary works, access, waterproofing, drainage and neighbour interfaces all need pricing. So does the fit-out that makes it a room.
We give you separate allowances for shell, services and finished accommodation. A rate per square foot without those assumptions is not a commitment.
How much does a loft conversion or mansard cost?
A loft is typically £250 to £300 per sq ft. A main dormer loft is typically £90,000 to £140,000 as a whole project. A mansard is typically £140,000 to £220,000.
Roof structure, stairs, headroom, roof form and bathrooms set the budget. Work to the floors below is part of the job.
The visible loft room is only part of the scope. Our cost plan includes the stair and the upgrades underneath it.
What should my total project budget include?
Allow for surveys, design, consultants, applications, construction, services, finishes and furniture. VAT and contingency sit on top of the build cost.
Professional fees and contingency sit outside the build cost. Our quantity surveyor prices both against your scope, not a fixed rule. VAT is 20 per cent and is treated separately.
Temporary accommodation, storage, removals, utilities and borrowing costs sit outside a contractor price. We give you one budget that shows what is in and what is out.
Why do contractors’ prices differ so much?
Because they are rarely pricing the same job.
Quotes assume different drawings, quantities, access, finishes, programme lengths and responsibilities. A lower total often hides missing work or a larger allowance.
Compare every tender against the same scope and the same exclusion schedule. We name our provisional sums, so you can see what is an allowance.
When can the construction price be fixed?
When the surveys, coordinated drawings, specification and responsibilities are settled.
We price twice. First a budget estimate from your brief and the property. Then a detailed cost plan, built line by line from the drawings.
That second price is the one you hold when you sign. Any remaining unknowns are named and allocated, never described as fixed.
How much contingency should I allow?
Enough to cover what the survey cannot see until work starts.
The right figure depends on survey quality, building condition and scope. It also depends on how far the design has gone. A basement or a full strip-out carries different risk from a light refurbishment.
Our quantity surveyor sets it per project and explains what it is for. One percentage does not suit every home.
How do stage payments and valuations work?
The contract sets out how work is valued and when you pay.
We value the work done, provide the evidence and issue a payment certificate. You get the payment schedule and a sample valuation before you sign.
A cash flow forecast helps you plan funding. It does not replace the agreed valuation process.
Are warranties and guarantees included?
Ask for the actual documents, not a headline duration.
Product warranties, our defects obligations and insurance backed cover are three different protections. We tell you who issues each one, what it covers and what it excludes.
After handover the same team stays through the defects period, then aftercare.
Do I need planning permission for my project?
It depends on the property, the proposed work and any existing restrictions.
Some work is permitted development. Eligibility has to be checked for your actual building. Conservation areas and listed buildings change the answer.
We review the address, the planning history and the drawings, then handle the application. Planning and building control are our job, not yours.
When might I need a party wall surveyor?
Work to shared walls or boundaries can engage the Party Wall etc. Act. So can certain excavations near a neighbouring building.
We review the scope against the adjoining structures before anything starts. Notices, Thames Water build over agreements and disputes are handled for you.
The surveyor needs the drawings and the adjoining owner details early. Leaving it late is what delays a start on site.
How is neighbouring movement risk managed?
By engineering, temporary works, sequencing and monitoring, together.
We agree a monitoring plan with the engineer before excavation. Trigger levels are set, and each one has an action attached.
No responsible proposal promises zero movement because monitoring is installed. We have built London basements since 2010 and we say what the risk is.
Can NU work with my existing architect or interior designer?
Yes, and we do it often.
Send us the existing appointments and drawings. We need clear design responsibility, information standards, approval routes and coordination with construction.
Then we tell you what is still to be designed. We also tell you what we will price. Introduce us to the consultants early and it goes smoothly.
Next step
Get a number before you call.
Pick the work and see a range in a minute. It runs on our own rate card.
From the journal402 notes, free to read
The long answer, written up.
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6 min read
What a main contractor owes an architect at tender
Six things a tender return should give an architect. Bill of quantities, method statements, shop drawing sign off and subcontractor detail.
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4 min read
Party wall agreement cost London: who handles it
What a London party wall agreement costs, and who handles the notices and awards. Why it can delay a project but never stop one.
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3 min read
How long will my refurbishment take? A realistic timeline for London homes
A realistic timeline for a refurbishment in prime London. Pre construction work, typical build durations, causes of delay and the right sequence.
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