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.
Whatever type of house you own in Sunderland, we start by looking at how a single-storey extension would fit it rather than offering a standard package. We cover SR1, SR2, SR4 and SR5 and neighbouring places such as Seaham, Washington and Houghton-Le-Spring. One named person looks after you from survey to handover, and nothing is booked until you hold our figure in writing, fixed for the work described.
- Guide price
- £31,500–£68,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- SR1, SR2, SR4, SR5 and SR6
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Tyne and Wear
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Single-storey extensions prices in Sunderland
Budgeting for a single-storey extension in Sunderland? The numbers below include VAT and are adjusted for the North East, where costs are about 10% below the national guide. The headline range is £31,500–£68,000. 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 Sunderland |
|---|---|---|
| Small extension (8–12m²) | A modest rear or side extension, such as a utility room or a slightly larger kitchen. | £20,000–£36,000 |
| Typical rear extension (15–25m²) | A kitchen-diner or family room with bifold doors and a rooflight or lantern. | £31,500–£68,000 |
| Large or wrap-around (30m² plus) | A wrap-around or wide rear extension, often with structural steelwork into the house. | £63,000–£117,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- 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 do you get?
- 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
- Windows and external doors, including bifolds if chosen
- Plastering, screed floor and internal doors
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
Local housing and a single-storey extension
Tyneside flats, pairs of upper and lower flats behind a terraced front, are a distinctive feature of Newcastle and Gateshead. Sunderland is known for its single-storey terraced 'Sunderland cottages', and both cities have Victorian brick and stone terraces, interwar estates and post-war housing. Washington was built as a new town from the 1960s.
Terraces and Tyneside flats commonly need repointing, roof work and window replacement. Houses suit loft rooms and rear extensions, and new-town homes often take garage conversions and cladding upgrades.
These patterns matter for a single-storey extension: older walls, roofs and floors in Sunderland can need different materials or extra preparation compared with newer homes.
Do you need permission in Sunderland?
Because Sunderland falls under England's rules, the guidance below is the version relevant to you. Before sending a price, we check your property's position with the council.
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?
Survey and measure
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
You get the price in writing, itemised so you can see where the money goes. As long as the specification stays the same, that is the price you pay for a single-storey extension.
Plan and prepare
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for a single-storey extension are in place before the first day on site.
Build and hand over
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.
What you can expect from us
Single-storey extensions in Sunderland: questions
How much does a single-storey extension cost?
A typical single-storey rear extension of 15–25m² costs £31,500–£68,000, 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.
How much will a single-storey extension cost in Sunderland?
As a guide, expect to pay £31,500–£68,000 including VAT for a single-storey extension in Sunderland. That range is adjusted for the North East, which runs about 10% below the national guide. Where your project lands depends on size, materials, access and the condition of what is already there. We confirm a fixed price in writing after a free survey of your home.
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.
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.
Also covering areas around Sunderland
If your address falls within SR1, SR2, SR4 and SR5, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Seaham, Washington and Houghton-Le-Spring, which we include alongside Sunderland when arranging surveys and quotes.