Monthly intelligence for London residential architects & builders

The Build Brief


Five things that change what you draw, price and build. Once a month. No pitch.

Every month, My Trusted Builder reads the regulations, planning changes and cost data so you don't have to — and publishes the handful of things that actually change what you design, what you price and what you build in London's residential sector. Written by a quantity surveyor and contractor with 20 years on London homes. Free, genuinely useful, and no sales.

Issues

Every issue, archived — independent, current, and sourced.

Issue 01 · June 2026

The Future Homes Standard is law — what to design, price and build for now

  • The Future Homes Standard is in force from March 2027 — and SAP 10.3, not HEM, is the compliance route at launch
  • The Planning & Infrastructure Act 2025: decisions shift to officers
  • Biodiversity Net Gain relief for small sites lands 31 July 2026
  • Gateway 2: the real ~31-week approval times, and the regulator's fix
  • Cost watch: the BCIS five-year forecast for your client budgets
Read issue 01 →

THE BUILD BRIEF — curated by My Trusted Builder, London design & build. We read the regulations so you can get on with the work.