Areas We Cover
Building Services in Gateshead
Gateshead sits with Gateshead Council for planning and building control, and it is a borough that runs from the quayside up through dense terraced streets at Bensham and Saltwell to the higher, greener ground at Low Fell. Andy’s Building and Bricklaying Services has been building across the North East for over 25 years, and everything below is specific to working here rather than general to the region.
Call 07854 366464Get a Free QuoteBuilding in Gateshead
Andy is a time served general builder based in Blaydon-on-Tyne, which puts Gateshead comfortably inside our normal working area. Every enquiry gets a visit to the property and a written, no obligation quote before anyone commits to anything.
What we do in Gateshead
Each of these has its own Gateshead page covering the local detail rather than a general description of the trade.
Local Knowledge
Planning, building control and ground conditions in Gateshead
Every building job in Gateshead answers to Gateshead Council. That single fact decides where a building regulations application is submitted, which inspector attends the stage inspections and whose published guidance is the one that counts. It sounds administrative until an application goes to the wrong authority and a fortnight disappears.
Beyond the paperwork, Saltwell and parts of Low Fell fall within designated conservation areas, and if that applies to your property Gateshead Council will look closely at brick, mortar colour and window detail on anything facing the street. The back lanes behind the Bensham and Saltwell terraces are the practical route in for materials and muck away, and we check access down them before pricing the job.
Under the surface, Gateshead sits squarely in the old Durham coalfield and a good proportion of the borough falls inside a Coal Authority Development High Risk Area, which matters as soon as you are digging footings rather than working above ground. Above it, the housing runs from Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Bensham, Saltwell and Deckham around Saltwell Park, Bensham, Low Fell through to later estates through Chowdene, Wrekenton and Beacon Lough, and the construction type of your particular property drives the method far more than the town name does. That is why we visit before quoting rather than pricing from a description.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work in Gateshead
Site visit first
Every job starts with a proper look at the property. Quoting from a description alone is how a figure ends up changing halfway through.
A written quote
You get a written, no obligation quote that states the scope. If something is excluded, it says so rather than leaving it to be argued about later.
Regulations handled
An extension is the one job where planning and building control both come into play. Many single storey rear extensions still fall inside permitted development, but the limits on depth, height and eaves are specific and they tighten on a semi detached or terraced property. Building regulations approval is needed either way.
Kept informed
We keep you updated as the work goes on rather than disappearing for a week. It is the least complicated part of building work and the part most often done badly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Building work in Gateshead: your questions
Do you handle building regulations applications and inspections?
Yes. We work to the approved details, book the stage inspections and meet the inspector on site. The completion certificate is the record a future buyer solicitor will ask for.
Do I need a coal mining or ground report for building work in Gateshead?
It depends on the site. Gateshead sits squarely in the old Durham coalfield and a good proportion of the borough falls inside a Coal Authority Development High Risk Area, which matters as soon as you are digging footings rather than working above ground. Where a site sits within a Development High Risk Area the authority commonly asks for a coal mining risk assessment alongside the application.
What kind of building work do you do most of in Gateshead?
A mix. Extensions and structural openings on the later estates through Chowdene, Wrekenton and end of the stock, and brickwork, repointing and renovation work on Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Bensham, Saltwell and Deckham.
Do you charge to come out and look at a job in Gateshead?
No. The visit and the written quote that follows it are free and carry no obligation. The back lanes behind the Bensham and Saltwell terraces are the practical route in for materials and muck away, and we check access down them before pricing the job.
Which council do I apply to for building work in Gateshead?
Gateshead Council. Both planning permission and building regulations approval for Gateshead are handled there, and the building control inspector who signs the work off comes from the same authority.
Can you work alongside our own architect or engineer?
Yes, we do that regularly. We build to the approved drawings and flag anything that looks impractical to build before work starts rather than halfway through.
Is my Gateshead property likely to be in a conservation area or subject to any special restriction?
It depends on exactly where it sits. Saltwell and parts of Low Fell fall within designated conservation areas, and if that applies to your property Gateshead Council will look closely at brick, mortar colour and window detail on anything facing the street. It is worth confirming for your specific address before design work starts.
How soon can you start?
It depends on the size of the job and what is already booked in. We give you a realistic start date rather than an optimistic one, and we tell you if it moves.
Is your work guaranteed?
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed for an agreed period, confirmed in writing before work starts, and manufacturer warranties on materials are passed on to you.
How do I get in touch?
Call 07854 366464, send a message through the contact form or email andy@andysbuildingservices.uk. We will arrange a time to look at the property.
Areas near Gateshead
We cover 32 towns and villages across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and south east Northumberland.
Got a project in Gateshead?
Get in touch and we will come and look. Every quote for building work in Gateshead is written down, based on the actual property, and carries no obligation.
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