B. J. Holmes added 100 square metres onto my existing home and did a wonderful job. His guys were great; very clean and courteous, I cannot recommend him enough, Brian did what he said he would do, when he said he's do it.

We wanted a side and rear extension for our semi-detached and needed a reliable builder who could manage the project until completion. Brian was personally recommended to us by a friend, so we contacted him for a quotation to add to the other three we received from local builders. I am pleased to say that after our first contact we felt confident that he would manage the total project well. On costs, Brian is not the cheapest, but on the flip side, nowhere near the most expensive and represents good value for money when factoring in the quality of the work. The project came in on budget - except when we changed the specs (!) - and these additional costs were always negotiated prior to the work being completed . Invoicing was very efficient, with weekly payments signed for and documented.

Everything ran smoothly and to time, and if there were issues Brian dealt with them. There was always time to consult when we wanted, however, in reality, little time was needed as Brian could envisage what we wanted and he managed well, briefing us at the end of each day.

The workers who were contracted to B J Holmes were excellent; hard working, really tidy and always helpful.

Overall, we are really pleased; the quality of the work is very high and even when the end of the project seemed to drag on a bit, we still feel that there was an attention to detail that can only have been due to Brian’s drive to deliver quality and satisfaction to his customers.

We have no doubts about recommending him and are happy to be contacted if you have any questions.

Tim Allen, Cleadon

We found Brian and his staff never less than efficient, professional and hardworking in the building of our major extension, which included a vaulted roof, new porch, two new bathrooms.

Brian's advice from day one with regard to advising us on the architect’s plans and his management of the project was second to none and we'd happily employ his form again in the future.

Alan and Sandra Hedley, South Shields

Brian Holmes and his team provided us with a high quality and professional service. They were always punctual, reliable and hard working. The quality of the final product is excellent and I am happy to recommend him.

Mark and Tracy Dibble, Cleadon

I would like to highly commend B.J.Holmes for the work they completed on our extension. This was the first major building project we had undertaken and both my wife and I were very anxious. From the very outset we found Brian and his team to be very honest and they put us at ease. We had gathered several quotes, of which some were lower, however the overall impression that was given by B.J.Holmes was so significant that the price difference was not enough to dissuade us.

Once the building work had commenced, and after many warnings from friends and family about ‘living through hell’, we were amazed at the lack of disruption and stress. Each night the house was cleaned and tidied and left in a very liveable condition. The team doing the job were polite and courteous, not to mention considerate to our four year old son.

We encountered a number of issues during the project, none of which were the fault of B.J.Holmes. However all issues were overcome by Brian with a smile on his face and many a great idea. In fact, Brian offered several suggestions which improved the final build.

We have been left with an extension which has surpassed our wildest dreams, and a builder that I could not recommend higher. In fact the one thing that fills me with fear is that we could have chosen someone else.

Paul Hepple, Cleadon.

Having had a major extension in 2001, we decided in 2008 to add an extra bedroom and further extend our main lounge. Having had some level of dissatisfaction with our first builder we decided to work on a solid recommendation for our second extension. Brian Holmes was suggested by a reliable contact. On meeting Brian, I was impressed with his professional approach and his quote for the work was very reasonable. Needless to say BJ Holmes got the job and we awaited a slot for the work to begin.

The BJ Holmes team were a very pleasant group of workmen well led by Brian and his site manager Paul. Brian was always keen to have a short meeting each day before work commenced. I felt that this was a nice touch and kept us fully informed of progress.

As the job progressed it became apparent that the work carried out by the previous builder had been a bit of a cover-up with large amounts of hidden shoddy and at times dangerous workmanship. Large amounts of work needed to be finished properly and re-done in some cases. Brian did his best to keep costs to a minimum for us and left us with the comfort of knowing that the job was finished to a very high standard now.

All the work carried out by BJ Holmes was of a highly satisfactory standard and I would unreservedly recommend Brain and his team to anyone considering having some building work carried out.

Peter Mitchell, Cleadon.