Domestic Buildings Research Group

What Domestic Buildings Research Group does

Domestic Buildings Research Group (Surrey) is a UK-registered charity (No. 277231) founded in 1970 by Joan Harding to record and study traditional domestic architecture, primarily in and around Surrey. The organization operates as a membership-based non-profit with over 100 members, governed by a committee of officers (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Recording Secretary, Programme Secretary) plus up to four additional members. Its core activity is building recording: teams conduct site visits to inspect interiors, exteriors, and roof spaces of pre-1850 buildings, producing detailed reports containing scale drawings, sketches, photography, and architectural commentary on date, origin, and development. Since 1970, DBRG has documented more than 4,000 buildings, mainly in Surrey.

The group's technical methodology combines traditional architectural recording with dendrochronology (tree-ring dating), enabling precise year-by-year dating of timber-framed buildings. This capability was substantially advanced by the 2004 Surrey Dendrochronology Project, supported by Surrey Archaeological Society, Surrey County Council, and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, with Dr. Andy Moir of Tree-Ring Services as project dendrochronologist. The project produced a chronological sequence of approximately 90 architectural features spanning c.1400 to c.1700. DBRG also contributes building feature data to the national Building Archaeology Database (BARD) and publishes a tri-annual newsletter. It operates from Betchworth, Surrey, with a secondary contact point in Oxted.

DBRG's revenue model combines annual membership subscriptions (set at General Meetings, with a reduced rate for two members at the same address), donations (including Gift Aid), publication sales — notably the 200-page Surrey Dendrochronology Report at £20 — and bespoke building recording reports provided to property owners. The organization is volunteer-led, has no app, no API, no AI or machine learning components, and no disclosed headcount growth, operating as a steady-state heritage charity rather than a scaling enterprise.

Name

Domestic Buildings Research Group

Legal name

Domestic Buildings Research Group (Surrey)

Website

http://www.dbrg.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Domestic Buildings Research Group (Surrey) is a UK charity founded in 1970 that records traditional domestic buildings, primarily in Surrey, producing detailed scale-drawing reports and dendrochronology-based dating. It serves property owners, heritage enthusiasts, and academic researchers through membership, donations, and publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Betchworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees fixed at General Meetings. Reduced rate available for two members living at the same address. Members elected in the last quarter of the Group's year are not required to pay subscription for the following year.
2. Donations: The group relies on donations to continue research work including dendrochronology and to share findings with the public. One-off donations or regular standing orders are accepted via bank transfer. Gift Aid can be reclaimed on qualifying donations from UK taxpayers.
3. Publication Sales: Sale of the Surrey Dendrochronology Report (200-page illustrated book) for £20 plus £4.70 postage and packaging. Limited hard copies remaining.
4. Building Recording Reports: Reports produced for property owners documenting buildings. Owners of recorded buildings can request copies of reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DBRG is a charitable organization that records traditional domestic buildings primarily in Surrey through team visits that inspect, measure, photograph, and document structural and decorative features. It produces detailed reports with scale drawings, sketches, and commentary on each building's date, origin, and development, supplemented by dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) research.

Product overview

The Domestic Buildings Research Group (Surrey) offers a suite of research and recording services focused on traditional domestic architecture. Its core offering is Building Recording Services, where teams of experienced members visit properties to inspect, measure, draw, photograph, and report on historic buildings. Supporting this is the Surrey Dendrochronology Project, which uses tree-ring dating to establish precise construction dates for timber-framed buildings. The Building Archaeology Database (BARD) serves as a national repository for architectural feature data, enabling cross-regional comparisons. DBRG News Newsletter provides regular communication to members with updates on activities and findings. These products collectively enable the organization to further public knowledge of Surrey's historic buildings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Recording Services Professional architectural recording service involving team visits to inspect interior, exterior, and roofspace; measure and create scale drawings; photograph and document structural and decorative features; and produce detailed reports for property owners on building date, origin, and development.
• Surrey Dendrochronology Report (Publication)

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Building Archaeology Database (BARD)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020DBRG contributes building feature data to the national Building Archaeology Database (BARD) at www.buildingarchaeology.com, enabling systematic recording and comparison of architectural features across the country.
• Vernacular Architecture GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020DBRG references the Vernacular Architecture Group's online glossary and lists them as a similar organization on the events page for member referral.
• Surrey County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Supported the Surrey Dendrochronology Project in collaboration with Surrey Archaeological Society and Heritage Lottery Fund.
• Dr. Andy Moir / Tree-Ring ServicescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2005Dr. Andy Moir of Tree-Ring Services was appointed as the dendrochronologist for the Surrey Dendrochronology Project, providing expert tree-ring dating analysis.
• Surrey Archaeological SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1970Surrey Archaeological Society is the founding partner organization. Joan Harding was a member of this society when she founded DBRG in 1970. The societies have collaborated on various projects including the Surrey Dendrochronology Project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Vernacular Architecture Group: UK-wide scholarly society dedicated to the study and recording of vernacular architecture. Closely aligned methodology to DBRG, with overlapping focus on building recording, dating, and architectural feature analysis, but operating at national rather than county scope.
• Wealden Buildings Study Group: County-level building recording group operating in the Weald region (Kent/Sussex/Surrey borders). Listed by DBRG as a partner/similar organization; shares the same volunteer-led, recording-and-dating methodology applied to a different but overlapping geographic area.

Broad incumbents

• Surrey Archaeological Society: DBRG's founding partner organization covering the broader field of archaeology across Surrey. Comparable because it shares Surrey scope and runs collaborative projects such as the Surrey Dendrochronology Project, but its remit extends well beyond domestic buildings.
• Council for British Archaeology: National UK umbrella body for archaeology that publishes guidance and curates educational resources relevant to building recording. Cited by DBRG as the source of its recording terminology glossary, indicating direct methodology overlap, though CBA's scope is much broader.
• English Heritage: Major UK heritage charity that manages historic properties and runs public heritage programmes. Overlaps with DBRG in the heritage-building domain but operates at national scale with paid staff and visitor-site revenue rather than volunteer-led research.
• Historic England: UK Government's statutory advisor on the historic environment, maintaining the Historic England Archive and listed-building records. Comparable as a heritage information custodian, but with regulatory, advisory, and national policy scope far beyond DBRG's county research remit.
• National Trust: Large UK conservation charity protecting historic houses, gardens, and landscapes. Comparable because much of its portfolio overlaps with the pre-1850 domestic buildings DBRG records, though the Trust's role is ownership and conservation rather than recording research.
• Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings: UK charity founded by William Morris to protect historic buildings from inappropriate repair. Comparable as a membership-driven heritage building organization, but focuses on conservation training and campaigning rather than systematic recording and dating.

Regional players

• Historic Environment Scotland: Scotland's statutory heritage body, equivalent to Historic England, responsible for historic environment records and built-heritage research. Directly comparable mission of investigating and documenting traditional buildings, but operating in a different UK jurisdiction.
• Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales: Welsh national body that records, interprets, and curates information about the built heritage of Wales. Highly comparable in mission (recording and research on domestic and historic buildings), but covers Wales rather than Surrey.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Domestic Buildings Research Group