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.
If you live in Hereford and are weighing up a single-storey extension, the starting point is a visit to measure up and talk through what you want, which costs nothing. We cover homes across HR1, and a typical project of this kind in the West Midlands lands somewhere in the £34,500–£74,000 bracket, including VAT. The exact figure depends on size, access and the finish you choose.
- Guide price
- £34,500–£74,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- HR1
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Herefordshire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a single-storey extension in Hereford?
Budgeting for a single-storey extension in Hereford? The numbers below include VAT and are adjusted for the West Midlands, where costs are about 2% below the national guide. The headline range is £34,500–£74,000. Nothing is final until we have measured up at a free survey and agreed the specification with you.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Hereford |
|---|---|---|
| Small extension (8–12m²) | A modest rear or side extension, such as a utility room or a slightly larger kitchen. | £21,500–£39,000 |
| Typical rear extension (15–25m²) | A kitchen-diner or family room with bifold doors and a rooflight or lantern. | £34,500–£74,000 |
| Large or wrap-around (30m² plus) | A wrap-around or wide rear extension, often with structural steelwork into the house. | £69,000–£127,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- 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
Scope of the work
- Groundworks, foundations and below-ground drainage
- Cavity walls built and insulated to building regulations
- 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 Hereford?
Herefordshire is known for black-and-white timber-framed buildings, especially in villages around Weobley, Pembridge and Eardisland. Old Red Sandstone is used widely in churches, farmhouses and walls, Hereford has Victorian terraces and interwar suburbs, and market towns such as Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye mix historic centres with newer estates.
A mild, rural county with frost-prone valleys; the Wye and Lugg flood regularly, so ground levels and drainage matter for outdoor work.
That variety is why a guide price for a single-storey extension in Hereford is only a starting point; the survey shows what your particular property needs.
Permissions for a single-storey extension in Hereford
As Hereford 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.
The four stages
Survey and measure
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for a single-storey extension, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
Written quote
After the survey we send a quote for a single-storey extension that fixes the price for the scope we've agreed. If you want to change materials or scope, we revise it in writing before anything is booked.
Booking the work
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 Hereford property.
The work itself
On site, the agreed plan is followed and any change is put in writing first. At completion we do a final clean, go through the snagging list with you and leave you with the relevant documents.
What you can expect from us
Questions about a single-storey extension in Hereford
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.
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.
What does a typical extension build look like week by week?
A typical single-storey extension follows the same order: clearing the site and digging foundations, building walls up to roof level, then fitting the roof and windows to make it weathertight. Electrics, plumbing, insulation and plastering follow. The last stage is opening into the house, laying the screed and fitting doors and finishes. Building control inspects at key stages, and we book those visits for you.
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.
Near Hereford
Homes across HR1 in Hereford are within our coverage, as are those in Ross-on-Wye, Leominster and Ledbury. If you are just outside these areas, ask anyway, because we work right across the UK.