Building contractors in London.
Fulham · SW6 · four new-build houses with basements, in FulhamCase study
A residential building contractor for prime London homes. We take the whole job, or build to your architect’s drawings.
The contractor answers for the site.
A building contractor runs the trades, programme, safety and site. We do this on prime London homes. We are NU Projects, design and build in Fulham SW6 since 2010. Each job is priced from the drawings by our own quantity surveyor. Call 020 7731 6841, and a budget estimate typically follows within seven days.
A building contractor runs the construction of your home. That means the trades, the programme, the site and the safety.
We work as main contractor on prime London homes. You can appoint us in two ways.
With design and build, one contract covers the design and the construction.
Or your architect designs, and we price and build to those drawings. We work with them through to handover.
Safety sits with the contractor too. Under CDM 2015, a domestic client’s legal duties normally pass to the contractor.
Our site set-up is the same as a tier 1 contractor’s, on every job.
What the work includes
- Main contractor on residential projects
- Build to our drawings, or your architect’s
- Open book pricing from our own quantity surveyor
- Programme, trades and site run by one team
- Valuations and changes agreed in writing
- A defects period and aftercare after handover
- Sources
- HSE, CDM 2015 domestic clients, HSE, CDM 2015 principal contractors. Read on 2 November 2026. Rules for Great Britain.
- What it costs
- Send us the drawings, or tell us about the house. Our quantity surveyor will take it from there. Get a cost estimate
- Where we work
- Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Mayfair, Notting Hill and Holland Park, Chiswick, Wandsworth, Putney and Barnes, Hampstead and St John’s Wood, Weybridge, Cobham and Oxshott, South Kensington, Marylebone, Bayswater and Maida Vale, Pimlico and Westminster, Battersea and Clapham, Richmond, Twickenham and East Sheen, Islington, Highgate and Primrose Hill, Greenwich, Dulwich, Camden, Wimbledon, Bermondsey, Brixton, Ealing, Acton, Hammersmith and Brook Green, Earl’s Court, Queen’s Park and Kensal Rise, Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury
One firm runs the trades and the programme. So one firm answers when something moves.
From the drawings to handover.
- 01
The drawings or the brief
Send what you have. We walk the house and read the access.
- 02
The price
Measured and priced line by line by our own quantity surveyor.
- 03
The contract
Scope, exclusions, provisional sums and the programme, written down.
- 04
Consents and notices
Building control and party walls handled before site starts.
- 05
The build
One site team, stage valuations and a report every week.
- 06
Handover
A handover pack, then a defects period and aftercare.
What a main contractor should take on.
- 01
Site safety
A plan for the work, and a site set up to follow it.
- 02
Trades
Appointing, coordinating and checking everyone on site.
- 03
Programme
The order of work, updated when anything moves.
- 04
Cost control
Stage valuations against work done, and changes priced before they are built.
- 05
Quality
Work checked as it goes, before it is covered up.
- 06
Reporting
Regular updates, so you never have to chase.
- 07
Your consultants
Working with your architect, engineer and designer through to handover.
- 08
Handover
A handover pack and a defects period, from the same team.
Two ways to appoint us.
Both have one contractor answerable on site. The difference is who holds the design.
| Question | Design and build, with us | Main contractor, your architect |
|---|---|---|
| Who designs | Our own designers. | Your architect or designer. |
| Contracts you hold | One, for the design and the build. | One with the architect, and one with us. |
| When we price | A budget estimate first, then a cost plan as the design develops. | From the drawings and specification. |
| Gaps between drawings | Ours to resolve, inside one contract. | Raised with your architect, and priced before they are built. |
| Who runs the site | Our site team. | Our site team. |
What owners and architects ask a contractor.
Further reading, from the blog
Why do contractors’ prices differ so much?
Quotes can assume different drawings, quantities, access arrangements, finishes, programme lengths or responsibilities.
A lower total can hide missing work or larger allowances.
When can the construction price be fixed?
Price certainty improves once surveys, coordinated drawings, specifications and responsibilities are settled.
We identify and allocate any remaining unknowns. We never describe a price as fixed without setting out what that covers.
How do stage payments and valuations work?
The contract defines how we value work and what evidence we provide. It also sets the payment timetable.
A cash flow forecast helps you plan funding. It does not replace the agreed valuation process.
Matt Coverley, our in-house quantity surveyor, measures and prices every project.
Can NU work with my existing architect or interior designer?
Yes, send us your existing team’s appointments and drawings to review.
We need clear design responsibility, information standards and approval routes agreed. We confirm our scope once coordination with construction is settled.
What is the difference between a builder and a building contractor?
People often use the words for the same thing.
A building contractor usually takes on the whole job under one contract. They manage the trades, the programme and the site.
Do I need a main contractor?
Usually, if more than one trade will be on site.
One firm then answers for the programme, the safety and the quality.
Without one, those jobs and the risk stay closer to you.
Who is responsible for health and safety on a house build?
Under CDM 2015, a domestic client’s duties normally pass to the contractor.
With more than one contractor, they pass to the principal contractor. An appointed designer can take them on instead, by written agreement.
Will you price against my architect’s tender drawings?
Yes. Send us the drawings and the specification.
Our quantity surveyor prices the work line by line, and names any provisional sums.
See it builtCase studies
See it built.
Finished homes, designed, priced and built by NU.
Kensington · W8 New build
Kensington new-build houses
Two new-build houses with triple basements, built under one contract.
Case study
Marylebone · W1 Apartment
Marylebone listed apartment
A modern marble kitchen, set inside Georgian rooms.
Case study
Chelsea · SW3 Townhouse
Chelsea townhouse, opened up and fitted out
A 4,300 sq ft townhouse with a new basement under its whole footprint.
Case study
Send us the drawings.
Your name and one way to reply are enough. It goes straight to the studio.