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.
Getting a single-storey extension right in Hadleigh starts with understanding the house you already have: its age, how it was built and what has been altered over the years. We survey first, then commit on paper to a price that holds as long as the scope stays the same. Across the East of England, guide prices run at £37,000–£79,000 including VAT, and homes in South Benfleet, Rayleigh and Canvey Island are covered too.
- Guide price
- £37,000–£79,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- SS6, SS7, SS8 and SS9
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Essex
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Single-storey extensions prices in Hadleigh
No two jobs cost exactly the same, but the ranges below give a fair picture of a single-storey extension in Hadleigh. Pricing for the East of England runs about 5% above the national guide, and the overall guide is £37,000–£79,000 with VAT included. We'll confirm your figure after surveying the property for free.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Hadleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Small extension (8–12m²) | A modest rear or side extension, such as a utility room or a slightly larger kitchen. | £23,000–£42,000 |
| Typical rear extension (15–25m²) | A kitchen-diner or family room with bifold doors and a rooflight or lantern. | £37,000–£79,000 |
| Large or wrap-around (30m² plus) | A wrap-around or wide rear extension, often with structural steelwork into the house. | £74,000–£136,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Floor area, shape and number of corners
- Roof type, rooflights, lanterns and the amount of glazing
- Ground conditions, foundation depth and drains to divert
- Finishes, kitchen, flooring and heating specification
What do you get?
- Cavity walls built and insulated to building regulations
- Steel beams to open into the existing house
- Electrics and plumbing by qualified trades, with certificates
- Windows and external doors, including bifolds if chosen
- Plastering, screed floor and internal doors
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
Building in Hadleigh
Essex ranges from timber-framed and weatherboarded cottages in the north, some with decorative pargeting, to Victorian terraces in Colchester, Chelmsford and Southend. Basildon and Harlow were built as post-war new towns, much of the south-east has interwar suburbs and bungalows, and large new estates continue to appear around Chelmsford and Braintree.
Essex is one of the driest counties in England, and London Clay in the south shrinks in dry spells, so trees and foundation depth matter.
Building traditions across Essex also raise conservation and planning questions, so we check those for a single-storey extension in Hadleigh at the survey stage.
Planning and building rules in Hadleigh
Hadleigh is in England, so the planning and building rules set out below are the ones that apply. We confirm the details with the council before we 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.
How does the job run?
A visit to your home
It starts with a survey at the property, free of charge. We check condition, access and services, ask how you want the finished result to look, and answer any questions you have about a single-storey extension.
Written quote
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.
Dates and permissions
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
Finish and handover
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Common questions
What is the Party Wall Act and does it apply to me?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales only. In England and Wales, it requires you to give notice to neighbours before certain work on or near a shared wall, such as digging foundations within 3m of their building and deeper than its footings. Neighbours can agree or appoint a surveyor. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no equivalent Act, though general rights still apply. We identify whether notices are needed during the survey.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
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.
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.
Near Hadleigh
Hadleigh and its SS6, SS7, SS8 and SS9 postcodes are part of our coverage. Homeowners in South Benfleet, Rayleigh and Canvey Island can also book a free survey with us and receive a written price for their job.