The BuildCalc Blog
Practical guides written from 20+ years on UK building sites. Not textbook theory — real advice on material costs, project budgeting, planning extensions, and managing trades. The kind of knowledge that usually stays in a site manager's head and nowhere else.
Latest Articles
UK Building Material Costs 2026
Real trade prices for bricks, blocks, concrete, timber, insulation, and roofing — with regional variance and advice on buying smarter.
Updated May 2026How to Avoid Cost Overruns on Building Projects
Twenty years of hard lessons on keeping projects on budget — prelim budgeting, contingency, managing variations, and choosing the right contract.
Updated May 2026Planning a Home Extension in the UK
From planning permission and building regulations to finding a contractor and handover — a step-by-step contractor's guide to home extensions.
Updated May 2026Managing Subcontractors on a Building Site
Trade sequencing, contracts, daywork rates, retention, payment terms, and quality control — what works and what doesn't, from experience.
Updated May 2026About This Blog
Who Writes These Articles
I'm Paul. I've been running building projects in the UK for over twenty years — as a bricklayer early in my career, then as a contractor, and for the past decade as a property developer working across residential and commercial work. The BuildCalc calculators came out of a frustration with generic tools that don't reflect how work is actually done in the UK. The blog follows the same logic.
Everything I write is based on direct experience of what works on a live building site, not a textbook interpretation of it. I'll quote prices I've actually paid, programmes I've actually run, and problems I've actually encountered. Where I cite industry standards — NHBC, Building Regulations, JCT contracts — I'll tell you what they mean in practice, not just what they say.
Who This Is For
These articles are aimed at: contractors and site managers who want a resource for the practical stuff their training didn't cover; self-builders managing their own projects; developers doing their first few schemes; and homeowners trying to understand what they're paying their contractor for. If you're looking for material that treats you as someone who actually has to make decisions and spend real money, this is for you.
The Calculators and the Blog Work Together
The calculators on this site give you quick, accurate quantities — bricks, concrete, mortar, roof material, skip sizes, build costs. The blog articles give you the context behind those numbers: what the quantities mean in practice, how to buy materials efficiently, how to run a project programme, what a realistic budget looks like. Use both together to give yourself a proper picture before committing to a project.
Use the Calculators
Alongside these articles, the BuildCalc UK calculators give you instant, accurate quantities for any building project — bricks, concrete, mortar, roof pitch and materials, skip sizes, and new build costs. UK measurements, updated 2026 figures. No sign-up required.