Why choose Border Oak?
We appreciate that choosing which company to work alongside might be a difficult decision. We are confident that we can deliver a wonderful and well built home, for a fair price as this is what our reputation is founded upon. Further more we are a family run business with a long heritage and distinctive product – much copied by never matched. We pride ourselves on being friendly, hard working, creative, professional and fair. Â And we are genuinely committed to building the best oak framed homes (not just selling you a lot of oak to make the most money) and employing great people who can support our clients.
Most importantly, we know (and love) our incredible products completely – and care passionately about what we do and how we do it.
Heritage, Experience & Knowledge
In 1980 Border Oak revived the lost art of traditional green oak framing, which had been obsolete for more than 250 years.  We then spent decades creating and shaping the concept of ‘self and custom build’ – enabling thousands of people to commission and build their own home of the highest standards using the best methods and materials.
We have pioneered oak framing and the self build sector ever since, ensuring that our legacy of oak framing remains relevant and accessible so that people have a genuine choice of where and how they live.
Innovation
Border Oak have a long acknowledged reputation as industry leaders and sector innovators.
We have pioneered major advances in both the construction and self& custom build market – transforming the products available, the processes of commissioning homes and reinventing the scope of what is achievable for all.
Border Oak revived the lost art of green oak framing in 1980 but in order to make the system viable for a modern market we knew we needed to invent a high performance Infill Panel (ours was the first and only to be TRADA and NHBC assessed and approved). Whilst the oak frame provides strength, beauty, longevity and character our infill panel provides warmth, flexibility and weatherproofing. Many have tried to imitate our panel system yet it remains the original and best.
Border Oak were also the first in the UK to identify the potential and invent ways to utilise SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels)with oak frames . We designed and built the very first commercial SIPs building in 1999 (and still work from this barn at Border Oak HQ) and then created the first domestic SIPs building in 2000 – Pearmain Cottage which featured on Grand Designs and was a radical new way to build at the time. We subsequently devised and invented all the necessary details and methods to combine green oak with the structural panel system which opened up our portfolio to a vast range of designs that suited any location.
SIPs have been a truly radical market intervention – one that has shaped the industry over the past 25 years. Border Oak were the pioneers of this high performance product and remain one of the UK’s experts.
Border Oak created the concept of serviced custom build projects – delivering the first groups of plots for self builders in the early 1980’s. We have continued to lead this sector, offering a unique approach for more people to find, buy and build on plots without the pitfalls and potential problems. We continue to resolve many of the self and custom entry barriers – often by buying land ourselves, then providing ‘ready to build’ sites for individuals across the UK. Our customer focused phased payment structure that reflects our ethos of fairness and collaborative partnerships is also unique and has been transformative.
Border Oak is also the only oak frame house builder to be fully FSC and PEFC accredited and assessed, with our own ethical procurement policy – illustrating our commitment to rigorous sustainability and corporate responsibility. We also have a small farm that we manager under regenerative and organic principles -seeking to sustain, repair and enhance biodiversity, protect soil, air and water and enabling us to devise and implement nationally innovative methods of nutrient neutrality and pollution safeguards.
More recently, Border Oak have invented a new construction method – using entirely natural materials (predominantly timber) with a focus on longevity, adaptability and carbon.
Our legacy of innovation never stands still – it is in our DNA.
Flexible Construction Packages & Fixed Prices
Border Oak are unique in that we offer a full, bespoke build service (including project management) for a fixed price, giving our clients the ultimate flexibility and peace of mind.
We can undertake every stage of your project from design to delivery (even fitting lightbulbs if required!) yet we remain adaptable enough to tailor our packages to your specific needs and budget.Â
Despite what others might say, we are truly the only oak frame manufacturer to offer a turnkey service using our own Project Managers and our own established labour teams, all under one contract.
In addition to the Full Build we offer a wide range of other contracts – including Frame Only, Super Structure and Water Tight Stage (plus everything in between).
So, you can order just the oak frame from us (all of our oak frames are hand made using the highest quality oak and with incomparable attention to detail) if you’d like to be more ‘hands on’, or would prefer to use local labour which you manage. Frame Only works very well for developers looking to build something special but with the skill set and labour to complete themselves. As we are builders we fully understand the importance of weaving the subsequent trades into the project, so our Frame Only packages are designed to be professional and straightforward after our crew have left the site.
Other popular options include the Super Structure and Water Tight packages – where Border Oak either erect the frame and panels plus the the roof and floor systems, or go a bit further and install windows and doors – often with the external claddings. This leaves the interior work for the client to complete at their own pace.
Border Oak are very well known for our Full Build option, a finished home with just the furniture to add – using our own labour and materials
All of our packages are available across the UK and abroad and all of our contracts are itemised and offered for a Fixed Price.
Border Oak will always design the house as if we were responsible for building it too – so you have the peace of mind of knowing that someone has considered all the technical aspects, construction detail and that the project is deliverable, cost effective and possible
Multi disciplined, reliable, creative & professional
Border Oak design and build a broad array of buildings in varying styles, sizes, methods – domestic, commercial & international. We build with green oak frame, masonry, softwood framing, SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels) and emerging modern timber methods.
Many of our projects are a combination of several methods and a mix of materials and because our designers have every construction discipline available to them we are able to create the most appropriate home for you and your budget. We also understand that it is possible to have too much oak in your home and that sometimes ‘less is more’. We specialise in refining and editing the oak frame so that it is authentic, structural and aesthetically pleasing – yet not overbearing nor prohibitively expensive. You may find that other oak frame manufacturers rely on the volume of oak for their core business and as such incorporate as much oak as possible in order to maintain higher profit margins or to feed a machine. Many treat the the oak frame element in isolation, leaving the remaining project costs undefined and putting your budget at risk.
Border Oak have always taken a different approach.
Our contracts include the services of our Project Managers. The PMs supported by a large team behind the scenes are incredibly experienced – able to bring all associated trades and materials together at the right time, following our detailed build schedules and accessing the many craftsmen, builders and products that make Border Oak unique. We have our own labour teams for every construction stage and work in partnership with other specialists to build the best oak framed houses on the market.
Our team is core to our success. We are fortunate to have exemplary and talented staff – from the office to the yard to the building site, many of whom have been with us for decades. We have high expectations of ourselves, and of our buildings and hope that this commitment to people and place shines through the work we do for our clients.
Craftsmanship & Authenticity
Our exceptionally high standard of workmanship and the authenticity of our buildings has been earned over almost 50 years, and has become our distinctive trademark – something that is equally recognisable and inimitable.
Border Oak’s detailing, build quality and aesthetic is nationally regarded as a benchmark for excellence – it is all we know and something we lean into.
Our completed homes invariably attract higher re-sale values than a conventional equivalent due to our name. Our reputation for excellence is supported by the many national awards we have won, and the magazines articles, books and television shows that feature our work (including Grand Designs, Restoration Man, Building the Dream, Country Living and many more)
Perhaps the greatest testament to our product is repeat orders from past clients, and word of mouth recommendations.
We aspire to exceed expectations – to continually improve and learn.
We are the original oak framers and Home Makers – we know and love our product and this passion for making exemplary homes really sets us apart.
