Our Story
A third-generation family firm, North Downs Construction was formed in Guildford in 1970. Earlier, Grandfather left the farm and was offered a job with a local property development firm where he could develop his skills as a construction engineer. Later, in 1970, he was offered the opportunity to build on-contract for the development firm he'd originally joined. He took the opportunity and North Downs Construction was formed. The first new-build house project was constructed in Shalford, Surrey in the early months of 1970. It was at this point that Grandfather learnt his trade and the skill of project managing using only the highest quality sub-contract labour he could find. Always in his mind to provide for his family, he ensured that all his sons had the benefit of proper technical training before joining him in the business. With two generations in the business the vision of building homes of unrivalled quality thrived. Now a third-generation business, North Downs Construction specialises in building or renovating prime, individual residences for the luxury homes sector. In the early years our immediate catchment was Guildford and the Surrey villages. We have since extended our reach, with satisfied clients across London and the South East.
Our Team
From the outset, North Downs Construction has been a family business; an enterprise where staff and family-members can work together to develop their skills and have the opportunities to progress within an environment where excellence is celebrated. As each of the family progressed through their education, they all took up college training at a high technical level to ensure that their entry into the business was sustainable and they were able to operate in management roles. As time progressed the business developed all the necessary skills to completely build a finished house, but also possessed the technical know-how to successfully manage new-build and renovation projects for the luxury residence sector.
Our Approach
The acme of perfect execution. If the partnership between the architect and the clients has been a strong one then the plans should be a perfect representation of what the client wants to achieve. At North Downs Construction we pride ourselves in our ability to gain a detailed understanding of the architectural concept and technical detailing of a project. We have the perfect blend of management skills and expert tradesmanship to interpret the requirements of our clients and execute projects to full satisfaction. We are very happy to work under the management of an architect, but equally have a very strong record in delivering directly for the home owner. Our clients will give ample testament to our project management skills. We firmly believe in non-variation, fixed-cost pricing, and we will engage in open, transparent dialogue with our clients to ensure that there are no hidden extra costs. We always strive to make our client’s journey an easy one and take time to offer guidance on options and alternatives throughout the build. The North Downs Construction team will offer technical design development options as the project is in progress and will ensure that we can accommodate those changes as requested without hindering the progress of the project. We have in-house AutoCAD and REVIT capability and a qualified interior architect on the team who will support all this. We also offer an interior design service for our clients, but we are equally happy to support and work alongside interior designers whose services may be engaged by the home owner or architect.