About Us & Our Team
AR Building & Groundworks is a local building company based in Newton Hall, Durham, led by company director Andrew Burns.
The company was built from a background in bricklaying, hands-on site experience and a genuine drive to create a building company that customers can trust. What started with learning the trade, gaining qualifications and working on site has grown over the years into a team carrying out extensions, structural alterations, garage conversions, renovations and home improvement projects across County Durham and the surrounding areas.
My route into the trade started through bricklaying, where I quickly developed a real interest in the detail, skill and pride that goes into good building work. After completing my early training, I secured an apprenticeship with Meldrum Construction in Birtley, where I gained valuable experience working on real sites and learning from experienced tradesmen.
Those early years taught me the importance of quality workmanship, attention to detail, hard work and doing things properly. Those values have stayed with me throughout my career and still shape how we operate as a company today.
Over time, AR Building & Groundworks has grown from one person with a trade background into a hardworking team with experience across brickwork, groundworks, structural work, joinery and general building. We also work with trusted subcontractors where specialist trades are required, allowing us to manage projects properly from start to finish.
We know the building industry does not always have the best reputation. Many customers worry about who they can trust, whether a quote is clear, whether the work will be organised properly, or whether they’ll be left chasing answers once the job starts.
That is one of the reasons we are always working to improve how we operate. We want to show customers that good building companies do exist companies that care about communication, organisation, transparency and doing the job properly.
For us, it is not just about turning up and building. It is about giving customers confidence before the work begins, being clear about what is included, explaining assumptions and exclusions, agreeing payment stages properly and keeping the process as straightforward as possible.
Our quotes are put together to be clear and detailed, not just a one-line price. Where suitable, we explain the scope of work, what has been assumed, what has been excluded and how payments are expected to work throughout the project.
For most standard building work, we do not ask for a deposit before starting. Payments are usually agreed in clear stages, giving customers confidence in what is due and when.
The team on site is a big part of who we are. We know building work often takes place in and around people’s homes, so we aim to be respectful, approachable and organised throughout the project. Good communication, tidy working, pride in the job and a helpful attitude all matter to us.
We are proud of the reputation we have built through local work, repeat customers, recommendations and social media. But we are also always looking to improve, not just in the quality of our work, but in how we communicate, quote, plan and look after customers from start to finish.
Our goal is simple: to raise the standard of what customers should expect from a local building company, giving them confidence in their builder, clarity in the process and a finished project everyone can be proud of.
Kind regards
Andrew
Company Director
