Builders in Lewes
Extensions, renovations and structural work on older homes in and around the county town. Family-run, third generation, fully insured.
Building work in the county town
Older houses, narrow streets and rules that are worth taking seriously.
Lewes is not a simple place to build in. A lot of the housing stock is old, walls are rarely square, floors move, and access on the twittens and terraces around the town centre can be tight. Add conservation areas and a large number of listed buildings and you have a town where the wrong approach costs money and time.
We are a family-run building company from Worthing, third generation, with 65 years in the trade behind us and over 30 years of combined experience on site. We work across West Sussex and regularly take on work further afield, including Lewes and London. Our team covers the whole job, so you are not chasing separate trades and dates.
Most of what we do in and around Lewes is extension work, full house renovation, structural alteration and putting right older properties that have been altered badly in the past. We survey what is actually there before we price it, rather than guessing from a floor plan.
Lewes at a glance
Lewes is not a simple place to build in. Old stock, tight access on the twittens, conservation areas and a lot of listed buildings mean the wrong approach costs money and time.
We are based at 51 Northbrook Road in Worthing and we cover Lewes as part of our normal patch, not as a special trip. That is the practical difference: the same faces each morning, materials when we say, and Joe able to stand in the room with you if a decision needs making.
Period and listed property
If your house is listed, you need listed building consent before you alter it, inside or out. If it sits in a conservation area, changes to the outside, the roof, the windows and even the boundary walls can need permission. That is a conversation with the council’s planning team, and often with an architect or heritage consultant, before anyone starts pricing brickwork.
Our part is to build what has been approved, properly, and to be honest with you about what an old building will and will not take. On period work in Lewes that usually means:
- Matching brick, flint and lime work to what is already there rather than patching with whatever is closest
- Opening up carefully and propping correctly before any wall comes out
- Steel and beam work designed by an engineer and signed off by building control
- Sorting damp, ventilation and insulation in a way that suits a solid-wall building
- Keeping the site tidy and neighbours informed where access is shared
Where a job involves removing walls or forming new openings, see our structural alterations page. For whole-house work, see renovations.
We work with building control
Every structural job we take on is done to UK building regulations. We work directly with local-authority building inspectors and book inspections at the right stages, so foundations, steels, drainage, insulation and fire safety are all checked as the job goes along rather than argued about at the end.
Our tradesmen train regularly on fire safety, insulation, air quality and health and safety. We carry comprehensive insurance as standard, and our vans carry a City & Guilds badge.
You get one point of contact and full project management from the first survey to the last snag. That matters more on an old Lewes house than on a modern estate, because the unexpected turns up more often and someone has to make a decision on site that day.
Services we take on in Lewes
One team for the whole job, from groundwork to the last coat of paint.
The kind of jobs we do
Extensions, structural openings and finished rooms.
What our record says
We are Checkatrade members and have been since April 2025. Our rating is 10 out of 10, with 10 for quality of work, 10 for reliability and 10 for communication. Work booked through Checkatrade is covered by their £1,000 guarantee. You can read the reviews yourself on our Checkatrade profile, or see more on our reviews page.
If you would rather look at finished jobs first, our recent work is worth five minutes. When you are ready, send us the address, a few photos and what you are thinking of doing, and we will come and look at it.
Other areas we cover
We work right across West Sussex and travel further for the right job.
Common questions
You are based in Worthing, so do you really work in Lewes?
Yes. Worthing is our base and West Sussex is our main patch, but we regularly take work further afield, including Lewes and London. Tell us the address when you get in touch and we will be straight with you about whether it suits us.
My house is listed. Can you still carry out the work?
Yes, but listed building consent has to be in place before anything is altered, inside or out. That application is made to the council, usually through an architect or heritage consultant. Once it is approved we build to the approved details and keep the local-authority inspector involved.
What if the property is in a conservation area?
Conservation area rules mainly affect the outside: extensions, roof changes, windows, doors, render, boundary walls and trees. Some permitted development rights are removed. Check with the local planning authority before you commit to a design, and we will price and build what has been agreed.
Do you deal with building regulations and inspections?
Yes. We work directly with local-authority building inspectors and book the inspections at the right stages, from foundations through to completion. Structural work is built to an engineer’s design.
Are you insured, and where can I check your reviews?
We carry comprehensive insurance as standard. Our Checkatrade profile shows 10 out of 10, with 10 for quality, reliability and communication, and we have been members since April 2025. Work booked through Checkatrade is covered by their £1,000 guarantee.
How do I get a quote?
Call 01903 411992 or 07949 172906, message us on WhatsApp, or email rockshore_building@outlook.com. Quotes are free and no obligation, and we will come out and look at the property before we price it.