A single-storey extension is a new ground-floor room built onto your house, usually at the rear or side, with its own foundations, walls and roof, creating a bigger kitchen, living space or bedroom without moving home.
From a first conversation about a single-storey extension to the day the site is cleared, homeowners in Swadlincote deal with us directly. We come out to measure up at no cost, explain the choices in plain terms and send a written quote. For context, comparable work in the East Midlands usually falls within £33,500–£72,000 including VAT, and it is available across DE11.
- Guide price
- £33,500–£72,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- DE11
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Derbyshire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does a single-storey extension cost in Swadlincote?
The costs listed here are typical for a single-storey extension around Swadlincote and include VAT. They reflect labour and material costs in the East Midlands, about 4% below the national guide, giving a range of £33,500–£72,000. Exact pricing depends on your home, so we only fix it once a free site survey is done.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Swadlincote |
|---|---|---|
| Small extension (8–12m²) | A modest rear or side extension, such as a utility room or a slightly larger kitchen. | £21,000–£38,500 |
| Typical rear extension (15–25m²) | A kitchen-diner or family room with bifold doors and a rooflight or lantern. | £33,500–£72,000 |
| Large or wrap-around (30m² plus) | A wrap-around or wide rear extension, often with structural steelwork into the house. | £67,000–£125,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Floor area, shape and number of corners
- Ground conditions, foundation depth and drains to divert
- Steelwork needed to open into the existing house
- Finishes, kitchen, flooring and heating specification
What’s included?
- Groundworks, foundations and below-ground drainage
- Cavity walls built and insulated to building regulations
- Flat or pitched roof, with rooflights or a lantern if specified
- Steel beams to open into the existing house
- Electrics and plumbing by qualified trades, with certificates
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
What are homes like around Swadlincote?
Derby has wide areas of Victorian red-brick terraces and interwar semis, while Peak District villages use gritstone and limestone under stone-slate or Welsh slate roofs. Former mining towns in the north-east of the county have brick terraces and post-war housing built for mining communities, and modern estates have grown around Derby, Chesterfield and the M1 corridor.
The High Peak gets heavy rain, snow and frequent frost, while the lower Trent valley is milder; old mine workings can also affect ground conditions in places.
With that background in mind, here is how we typically handle a single-storey extension for homes in Swadlincote, from the first visit to the finished result.
Permissions for a single-storey extension in Swadlincote
For anyone in Swadlincote, the relevant framework is England's. The summary below is general, so we always contact the council about your address before putting a price in writing.
In England, many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development: typically up to 3 m deep on a semi-detached or terraced house and 4 m on a detached house, no more than 4 m high, and covering no more than half the land around the original house. Larger rear extensions can go through the prior approval process. Side extensions, flats, listed buildings, conservation areas and homes where permitted development rights have been removed need planning permission.
Building Regulations approval is needed for almost every extension, covering foundations, structure, insulation, drainage, ventilation and fire safety. If the work is on or near a shared wall or boundary, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
What happens after you get in touch?
A visit to your home
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for a single-storey extension so the price reflects your home.
Written quote
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Getting ready
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Swadlincote property.
Finish and handover
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
How we work
Common questions
How much does a single-storey extension cost?
A typical single-storey rear extension of 15–25m² costs £33,500–£72,000, built to a plastered finish ready for your kitchen and decoration. As a guide, allow roughly £1,600–£2,800 per square metre plus fixed costs for groundworks, steelwork and fees. Smaller extensions cost more per square metre. The kitchen, flooring and large glazed doors are usually the biggest extras. We confirm a fixed price for the agreed specification after the survey.
Do I need planning permission for a single-storey extension?
Whether you need planning permission depends on the extension's size and height, how close it is to boundaries, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you live in. In England, many rear extensions up to 3m deep on a semi or terrace, or 4m on a detached house, can be built under permitted development. We check the rules that apply to your home before quoting.
Can you combine a single-storey extension with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan a single-storey extension alongside other work on your Swadlincote home, such as new windows with rendering, or a kitchen refit with an extension. Combining jobs can reduce repeat set-up such as scaffolding, skips and access, and every element is listed and priced in the same written quote.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from a single-storey extension, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
Can we stay at home during the build?
Most people stay at home while we build a single-storey extension, because the new structure goes up outside before we break through. The disruptive part is usually the last few weeks, when we open into the house and fit the kitchen. We put up dust screens, keep a safe route through the house and agree a temporary kitchen setup if needed. Water and power are only off for short, planned periods.
Also covering areas around Swadlincote
Whether you're in the centre of Swadlincote or on its outskirts, DE11 addresses are covered. We extend the same service, and the same fixed-price approach, to Burton upon Trent, Coalville and Derby.

