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.
Anyone planning a single-storey extension in Plymstock wants three things: a clear price, a realistic timetable and a tidy job. We publish a guide of £35,500–£76,000 including VAT for the South West up front, explain that work normally takes 10–16 weeks on site, and confirm both in writing after a free survey of your property.
- Guide price
- £35,500–£76,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- PL9
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Plymouth
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a single-storey extension in Plymstock?
The costs listed here are typical for a single-storey extension around Plymstock and include VAT. They reflect labour and material costs in the South West, about 2% above the national guide, giving a range of £35,500–£76,000. 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 Plymstock |
|---|---|---|
| Small extension (8–12m²) | A modest rear or side extension, such as a utility room or a slightly larger kitchen. | £22,500–£41,000 |
| Typical rear extension (15–25m²) | A kitchen-diner or family room with bifold doors and a rooflight or lantern. | £35,500–£76,000 |
| Large or wrap-around (30m² plus) | A wrap-around or wide rear extension, often with structural steelwork into the house. | £71,000–£133,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Roof type, rooflights, lanterns and the amount of glazing
- Ground conditions, foundation depth and drains to divert
- Steelwork needed to open into the existing house
- Finishes, kitchen, flooring and heating specification
What does the job include in Plymstock?
- Groundworks, foundations and below-ground drainage
- 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
- Plastering, screed floor and internal doors
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
What are homes like around Plymstock?
Devon is known for cob and thatch cottages, especially in mid and east Devon, alongside granite on Dartmoor and red sandstone around Exeter. Exeter and Plymouth have Georgian and Victorian terraces, Plymouth's centre was largely rebuilt after the war, and seaside towns such as Torquay and Exmouth have rendered villas and newer estates.
Mild but wet, with strong coastal winds; exposed elevations need render and pointing specified for driving rain, and cob walls must be kept dry at the base.
Whatever era your Plymstock home dates from, we plan a single-storey extension around how it is actually built rather than a one-size-fits-all specification.
Do you need permission in Plymstock?
As Plymstock is in England, read the following with that system of planning and building control in mind. We check what applies to your house with the council before you receive a quote.
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.
From survey to handover
A visit to your home
A free survey comes first. It gives us what we need to price a single-storey extension properly, including dimensions, existing materials and access for deliveries, and gives you the chance to ask anything you like.
Price and scope agreed
We turn the survey notes into a written quote. The price is fixed for the specification we agree, and the document sets out materials, scope and payment stages in plain language.
Getting ready
Once you accept, we agree start dates, order materials and deal with any planning, building control or neighbour notices the job needs. You'll know who is coming and when before work begins.
Finish and handover
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
What you can expect from us
Questions about a single-storey extension in Plymstock
How long does a single-storey extension take to build?
A single-storey extension usually takes 10–16 weeks on site, from digging foundations to final plastering. Bad weather, deep foundations or a complex roof can add time. Before work starts, allow several weeks for drawings, structural calculations and building control approval, and longer if planning permission is needed. We give you a stage-by-stage programme with your quote so you know what happens each week.
How much does a single-storey extension cost?
A typical single-storey rear extension of 15–25m² costs £35,500–£76,000, 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 an architect for an extension?
You need proper drawings for an extension, but not always a full architect service. A designer or architectural technician can produce planning and building regulations drawings, and a structural engineer provides beam and foundation calculations. If you already have drawings, we price from them. If not, we can arrange the drawings and calculations as part of the project so everything is coordinated from the start.
How long will a single-storey extension take?
On a typical home, allow 10–16 weeks on site. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Also covering areas around Plymstock
From PL9 to the edges of Plymstock and on into Plymouth, Paignton and Newton Abbot, we can arrange a site visit and a written quote for your project, planned around dates that work for you.