The Office of Works was established in the English royal household in 1378 to oversee the building and maintenance of the royal castles and residences. In 1832 it became the Works Department forces within the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings. It was reconstituted as a government department in 1851 and became part of the Ministry of Works in 1940.

The organisation of the office varied; senior posts included Surveyor of the King's Works (1578–1782) and Comptroller of the King's Works (1423–1782). In 1782 these offices were merged into Surveyor-General and Comptroller. From 1761 there were named Architects. The office also had posts of Secretary, Master Mason and Master Carpenter.

After James Wyatt's death in 1813 a non-professional Surveyor-General was appointed: Major-General Sir Benjamin Stephenson. He was assisted by three "Attached Architects": Sir John Soane, John Nash and Sir Robert Smirke. This arrangement ended in 1832 with the formation of the Works Department, when architect Henry Hake Seward was appointed Surveyor of Works and Buildings.^[1]

Surveyor of the King's Works

• 1578–1590 Thomas Blagrave
• 1594–1595 Robert Adams
• 1597–1604 William Spicer
• 1604–1606 David Cunninghame of Robertland
• 1606–1615 Simon Basil
• 1615–1643 Inigo Jones
• 1643–1653 Edward Carter
• 1653–1660 John Embree
• 1660–1669 Sir John Denham
• 1669–1718 Christopher Wren
• 1718–1719 William Benson
• 1719–1726 Sir Thomas Hewett
• 1726–1737 Richard Arundell
• 1737–1743 Henry Fox
• 1743–1760 Henry Finch
• 1760–1768 Thomas Worsley
• 1779–1782 Whitshed Keene

Comptroller of the King's Works

• 1423–1452 Robert Shiryngton^[2]
• 1456–1461 Peter Idley^[3]
• 1597–1606 Simon Basil
• 1606–1641 Thomas Baldwin
• 1641–1668 James Wethered
• 1668–1684 Hugh May
• 1689–1702 William Talman
• 1702–1726 John Vanbrugh
• 1726–1758 Thomas Ripley
• 1758–1769 Henry Flitcroft
• 1769–1782 William Chambers

Surveyor-General and Comptroller

• 1782–1796 William Chambers
• 1796–1813 James Wyatt

Deputy Surveyor

• 1718–1719 Colen Campbell (dismissed)
• 1719–1735 Westby Gill (promoted)
• 1735–1748 William Kent (died in post)
• 1748–1758 Henry Flitcroft (promoted)
• 1758–1780 Stephen Wright (died in post)
• 1780–1782 Robert Taylor

Surveyor of the King's Private Roads

• 1660–1690 Andrew Lawrence
• 1690–1715 Michael Studholme
• 1716–1731 William Watkins
• 1731–1737 Richard Arundell
• 1737–1756 Thomas Ripley
• 1756–1757 John Offley
• 1757–1760 Sir Henry Erskine, 5th Baronet
• 1760–1771 Hon. Edward Finch
• 1771–1772 Thomas Whateley
• 1772–1782 Hon. Henry Fane

Surveyor of Royal Gardens

• 1660–1670 Adrian May
• 1670–1684 Hugh May

Superintendent of all the King's Gardens

• 1689–1700 William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland
• 1700–1702 Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh

Surveyor of Gardens and Waters

• 1715–1726 John Vanbrugh
• 1726–1737 Charles Dartiquenave
• 1738–1760 Thomas Hervey
• 1761–1763 George Onslow, 1st Earl of Onslow
• 1763–1763 Lord Charles Spencer
• 1763–1764 John Marshe Dickinson
• 1764–1769 Charles Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan
• 1770–1782 William Varey

Paymaster of the Works

• 1660–1668 Hugh May
• 1668–1686 Philip Packer
• 1686–1706 Thomas Lloyd
• 1706–1726 Charles Dartiquenave
• 1726–1738 Hugh Howard
• 1738–1741 John Harris
• 1741–1742 Sir Robert Brown, 1st Baronet
• 1742–1743 Sir Charles Gilmour, 2nd Baronet
• 1743–1755 Denzil Onslow
• 1755–1782 George Augustus Selwyn

Architect of the Works

• 1761–1769 Sir William Chambers
• 1761–1769 Robert Adam
• 1769–1777 Sir Robert Taylor
• 1769–1782 James Adam
• 1777–1780 Thomas Sandby
• 1780–1782 James Paine

Secretary to the Board of Works

• 1715–1718 Nicholas Hawksmoor
• 1718–1719 Benjamin Benson
• 1719–1726 John Hallam
• 1726–1736 Nicholas Hawksmoor
• 1736–1766 Isaac Ware
• 1766–1775 William Robinson
• 1775–1782 Kenton Couse