About Us

The Story Behind Building By the Book

Patrick Soto is the driving force behind Building By The Book, a company founded on one simple principle: doing things properly.

Patrick’s journey into construction began in 2016, when he decided to extend and renovate his home in North West London. At the time, he was working in IT but already had a solid understanding of the construction industry from his years at a building materials manufacturer. It didn’t take long for Patrick to notice that the building company he’d hired was cutting corners and ignoring best practices. After bringing in a second (and more expensive) contractor—only to face even worse workmanship—he decided to take matters into his own hands. With guidance from a structural engineer, an energy efficiency consultant, and various manufacturers, Patrick took over the project himself. Leaving his IT career behind, Patrick set out to find reliable independent builders to help complete the job. What he discovered was shocking: poor adherence to manufacturers’ instructions, disregard for engineering specifications and a widespread lack of attention to detail. Realising the industry needed a better way, Patrick built his own team from the ground up—literally. He hired a painter-decorator and a labourer with no previous construction experience, then trained them to build “by the book.” Days were spent on site working with the team and evenings and weekends researching, sourcing materials, and refining designs. With the invaluable support from two of the UK’s top construction professionals: structural engineer Sean O’Reilly and energy efficiency consultant Dr. Sarah Price, a government advisor on domestic retrofit standards Patrick started his transformation journey from a highly paid IT consultant to a meticulous domestic retrofit expert. Today, Patrick is recognised as one of the most detail-oriented retrofit consultants in the UK. Highly respected not only for his deep technical knowledge and precision but also for his unwavering commitment to best practices. And the journey goes on. As Patrick likes to say, “I don’t know everything, but I’m working on it.”