Berkshire · England

Design and build two-storey extensions in Berkshire

Planning an extension in Berkshire? This is how our design and build service works, with the England rules and typical fees.

Berkshire at a glance

Nation
England
Price region
South East England
Postcode areas
GU, RG, SL
Towns covered
14 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits
Free, no obligation

What a design and build project involves

This service suits you if you want one team accountable from the first visit to the completion certificate. We manage the design, approvals and build, and the work is carried out by vetted teams working under S&K. Because the same team designs and builds, costs are checked as the design develops. Every project starts with a free site visit.

Berkshire towns we list: Reading (RG1), Slough (SL1), Bracknell (RG12), Maidenhead (SL6), Wokingham (RG40) and Newbury (RG14). Every other address in Berkshire is covered as well.

Fees

The design stage is priced in writing before it starts, and the build is a fixed price in writing once the design is agreed.

Rules in England

In England, design and build covers the permitted development check or planning application (£548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026)), building regulations approval from council building control or a registered approver, Party Wall Act notices where needed, and the Building Safety Act dutyholder roles. We programme them so they overlap where possible.

Approval in England: Householder planning application: £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026). Lawful development certificate: £274 (about £288 for applications from 8 December 2026). Councils should decide householder applications within 8 weeks of validation.

Building regulations: Building regulations approval (full plans recommended) from the council or a registered building control approver, with a completion certificate at the end.

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, so notices may be needed for work on or near a shared wall or boundary.

Getting the design right

Cost checking as you design

Because the people drawing the extension also build it, each design option comes with a guide cost. That avoids the common problem of an approved design that turns out to be too expensive once builders price it.

How the stages work

We start with a free site visit, then a design stage priced in writing before it begins. That covers the survey, design, approvals, structural design and building regulations. Once the design is agreed, the build price is fixed in writing before work starts.

How we work in Berkshire

  1. Understand the brief

    At your home in Berkshire we agree what you need: bedroom count, bathroom, kitchen space, and how much garden you want to keep.

  2. Plans, then approval

    Measured survey, design, then the right approval route for your house. We explain each step before we take it.

  3. Fixed price in writing

    With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.

  4. Finish and certify

    Second fix, plastering and making good, then building control's final inspection and the completion paperwork.

Towns we cover in Berkshire

Design and build two-storey extensions in Berkshire: questions

Who builds my extension?

Your extension is built by vetted teams working under S&K, with the project managed by us from design to completion. You have one point of contact throughout, and the same team that prepared the design is responsible for the build.

When is the build price fixed?

Once the design is agreed and the drawings, structural calculations and specification are complete. Before that we give guide costs at each stage. The fixed price is set out in writing before work starts, and any changes you ask for after that are priced separately before they are made.

What is the difference between design and build and using an architect?

With an architect, you appoint them for the design and approvals, then find and manage a builder separately. With design and build, one team does both, so cost, buildability and approvals are considered together and there is one point of contact. Some people still prefer to hire an architect separately.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in Berkshire · About design and build two-storey extensions

Ready to see what a second storey could do for your home?

Book a free site visit. We'll look at your house, talk through options and explain the approvals you'd need, then price the design stage in writing.

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