What’s the process of a house extension?

When it comes to house extensions, you are probably thinking, what process do you need to go through to be able to build on your property? The first thing to consider is whether you need planning permission from your local council. Some building projects will not need planning permission; this is called permitted development rights. This allows households to extend and make changes to their home without the need for planning permission. You will need to check with your local council whether your property is eligible for this.

If you are considering building a single-storey extension at the rear of your detached house, it cannot be more than 4 Meters beyond the property’s rear wall. For any other property, it cannot exceed 3 Meters. All side extensions on designated land will need householder planning permission. If the extension goes beyond the side elevation of the original property, it cannot exceed 4 Meters in height and can only be a single-storey extension.

The next step will be to engage with an architect or a construction company that can offer a design and build service. Once your design is in place, you can submit these plans to your local council for permission. If this is granted, you must ensure everything complies with building regulations.

You can choose between an architect or a building company to prepare suitable drawings to submit to local building control for approval. You can also use 3rd party building inspectors if you wish.

When you have everything in place, you can use those plans to gather quotes from any construction company or local builders.

When you start building your extension, you will probably think about who to employ to complete the required work. Now the difference between a local builder and a building contractor means that if you hire a local builder, you will have to find other tradespeople to carry out additional work, for example, electricians, joiners, plumbers and bricklayers. With a building contractor, they will arrange any tradespeople you need as well as project management from start to finish.