North Shore's Premier Design & Build Home Renovation Specialists

Hayden grew up on the Hibiscus Coast and has called Torbay home for the past five years, so the North Shore isn't a territory on a map for him — it's the streets he drives every day. He lives in Torbay with his partner Abbi, who works in mental health over in Takapuna, and the two unofficial members of the Smith & Sons crew: Jake the Labrador (self-appointed site foreman) and Henry the sausage dog. Outside of work you'll usually find Hayden out on the water fishing or in the gym — both ways of switching off after a busy week.

Being local matters to him. Most of the homes Smith & Sons North Shore works on are in suburbs Hayden drives through every day, and he takes that personally.

An unusual path to the trade

Most builders take a straight line through the trade — Hayden's wasn't quite like that. He spent his first five years on the Hibiscus Coast with two local building companies, learning the craft on a mix of renovations and new builds, and was lucky enough to be part of a Herald Island new build that won Master Build House of the Year in 2018 — a career highlight he's still proud of.

That should have been the obvious moment to keep going, but Hayden made a left turn and joined the New Zealand Police instead. He spent five years there, most of it working in organised crime, and it taught him things you don't pick up on a building site: how to stay calm when a situation goes sideways, how to read people honestly, and how to make decisions under pressure with imperfect information.

When he came back to the trade, he started his own earthmoving and retaining company on the North Shore, building it from a one-man-and-a-digger operation into a team that was nominated for Auckland Business of the Year in 2025. Joining Smith & Sons is the natural next step — bringing the building craft, the discipline and problem-solving from policing, and the business sense from running his own crew under one roof, with the systems and fixed-price model of a national renovation brand behind him.

What you can expect from Hayden

Clear, honest communication and someone you can actually get hold of. Hayden will be on site regularly — not just at the start and the end — and when something unexpected comes up (and on a renovation, it usually does), he'll talk it through with you straight away with options and a recommendation, not a problem dumped in your lap. You'll always know where the project is at, what's happening next, and what it means for your timeline and budget.

Organised, hands-on, methodical — that's how Hayden runs a job site, and it's how he runs Smith & Sons North Shore.

Renovation builders for the North Shore

Smith & Sons North Shore is based in Torbay and proudly serves homeowners across the East Coast Bays and the wider North Shore of Auckland. Hayden has lived on the Shore for the past five years and grew up just up the road on the Hibiscus Coast, so there's not much he doesn't already know about the local housing stock, the section types and the quirks each suburb throws up — from clay soils and tight street access through to the pre-1960s character homes that need a builder who knows how to look after them.

Hero suburbs we cover include:

• Torbay
• Browns Bay
• Mairangi Bay
• Long Bay
• Albany
• Rothesay Bay
• Murrays Bay
• Campbells Bay
• Milford
• Devonport

For the right architectural project, Hayden is happy to travel further afield across Auckland. If you're working with an architect or designer on an ambitious build outside our standard service area, get in touch and we'll talk through whether we're the right fit.

Renovations, extensions and home transformations on the North Shore

Smith & Sons North Shore is a renovation specialist. Every project is delivered on a fixed price and backed by a 10-year structural guarantee, with the Smith & Sons Design–Plan–Construct process keeping things organised from the first conversation through to handover.

Home extensions and additions Adding the room you wish your home already had. Whether it's a wider living area, a master suite, a home office or a second living zone for teenagers, we plan extensions that flow naturally from the existing house rather than feeling tacked on.

Second-storey additions Smaller North Shore sections often mean the only way is up. Hayden specialises in second-storey work where the existing footprint stays put and a whole new floor is added above — typically used to create a private adults' wing or capture a sea view that's currently sitting one storey out of reach.

Full-house renovations Whole-of-home transformations where it's easier to start again than to chase one room at a time. Re-clads, re-roofs, structural reconfiguration, new kitchens, new bathrooms — coordinated as one project on one fixed price.

Villa and character home restoration Bringing pre-1960s North Shore character homes up to modern standards without sanding off the soul. Insulation, wiring, plumbing and waterproofing brought into 2026 while sash windows, mouldings, weatherboards and original detail are preserved or sympathetically replicated.

Decks and outdoor living Engineered decks, pergolas, outdoor kitchens and indoor-outdoor flow projects. Built to take a North Shore winter and a Boxing Day barbecue with equal comfort.

High-end and architectural renovations Hayden welcomes complex architectural briefs and is happy to travel anywhere in Auckland for the right project. If you're working with an architect or designer and need a builder who can read complex documentation and run a precise site, get in touch.

Why work with Smith & Sons North Shore

• Fixed-price renovations — no surprises, with any variations agreed and priced in writing before work continues
• Smith & Sons 10-year structural guarantee on every renovation, backed by the wider Smith & Sons network
• A builder with nine years on the tools, an award-winning new build to his name and the discipline of a former police background
• Local to the North Shore — based in Torbay, working in suburbs Hayden drives through every day