London and Kent Construction takes over renovations that another builder has left unfinished. We assess and record what has been built, check it against the drawings and the building control record, say plainly what can be kept and price the rest properly. There is no charge for the first site visit or the initial assessment.
It happens more often than people expect. The Insolvency Service recorded 3,841 construction company insolvencies in England and Wales in the 12 months to July 2026, the most of any industry, and builders also stop work for reasons short of insolvency. London and Kent Construction has twice taken over unfinished projects in Notting Hill, one of them after the previous builder went out of business. One was a large townhouse still unfinished around two years into a nine month programme; we found electrical work signed off despite being unsafe, put the defects right, reworked and certified the electrics and finished the house in around two to three months. The other came to us after the previous builder became insolvent, and we completed the decoration and second-fix snagging. If your builder has only just stopped, our guide to what to do when your builder goes bust covers the first two days.
How a takeover works
Taking over a part-built job is a different exercise from starting a new one, because the risk sits in work nobody has checked. We start by making sure the site is safe and secure. Then we assess and record what is there, with photographs and notes, and sort it into four groups: complete, complete but defective, incomplete, and work that has to come out and be redone. Structural elements such as beams, bearings, padstones and foundations are checked by a structural engineer rather than taken on trust. We establish the building control position for any notifiable work already done, because a later completion certificate depends on it. Only then do we write a scope for what remains and price it, followed by a written contract and a programme.
What to have ready for the initial assessment
The more of the original paperwork you can find, the faster and more accurate the assessment. Bring the drawings and any structural engineer's calculations, the original contract and quotation, a record of what you have paid and when, any building control application or inspection references, and photographs taken during the build. Correspondence with the previous builder helps too, particularly anything about changes to the design. Where something is missing, we will say what has to be opened up or retested to replace it.
What a takeover price is based on
A takeover price is based on what we find, not on what the original quotation said the job would cost. Some of what has been built will be sound and can stay; some will need correcting before anything new goes on top of it. We set out which is which in writing, so you can see where the money is going and decide what to do. We will not take responsibility for work we have not been able to check, and we will tell you plainly if something needs to come out.
What to do next
If your renovation has stalled, book a site visit. We will look at what has been built, tell you what we think the real issues are and explain how we would take it on. There is no charge for the first site visit or the initial assessment. Book a site visit, call 020 8850 7064 or email team@londonandkent.co.uk. Our renovation and refurbishment page sets out how we run a full project.