Burgess Hill · West Sussex

Extensions over a garage in Burgess Hill

Thinking about an extension over a garage in Burgess Hill? We design it, take it through the approvals it needs and build it, with one team responsible from the first visit to the final certificate.

Burgess Hill: the key facts for this kind of project.

Postcode districts
RH15
County / area
West Sussex, England
Price region
South East England
Guide price
£34,500–£50,500 (£1,930–£2,800 per m²)
Approval route
Planning permission is needed: in England, permitted development only allows single-storey extensions to the side.
Nearest towns
Hurstpierpoint (2.7 miles), Haywards Heath (3 miles), Lewes (8.5 miles)
Distance to Crawley
about 10.9 miles
First visit
Free, no obligation

About an extension over a garage

An extension over a garage is a new first-floor room built on top of an existing attached garage, usually a bedroom, en-suite or study. It uses a footprint you already have, so it adds floor space without taking any garden. The garage walls and foundations often need strengthening or replacing to carry the new floor.

Around Burgess Hill we also work in Hurstpierpoint, Haywards Heath and Lewes, and across the rest of West Sussex. Postcode district in and near Burgess Hill: RH15.

What it costs in Burgess Hill

A guide price for Burgess Hill: around £34,500–£50,500 for 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²). That works out at £1,930–£2,800 per m² of new floor space, including VAT at 20%. Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

SpecPer m²3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²)
Essential£1,770–£2,580 per m²£32,000–£46,500
Standard£1,930–£2,800 per m²£34,500–£50,500
Premium£2,310–£3,370 per m²£41,500–£60,500

Planning and building regulations in Burgess Hill

In England, most garages sit beside the house, so building over one makes a two-storey extension beyond a side wall, which always needs planning permission. If the garage is at the rear, the 3 m and 7 m rules for two-storey rear extensions apply, measured from the original house. A householder application costs £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026).

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.

Design points for Burgess Hill homes

Floor levels and headroom

Garage floors are often lower than the house, and the new first floor may not line up with the existing landing. We set the floor level to avoid awkward steps upstairs, while keeping enough headroom in the garage below for a car or storage.

Garage walls and the door opening

Garage walls are often a single skin of brick or block with piers, and the wide door opening needs a beam over it. Many over-garage extensions need new inner walls or a steel frame to carry the floor and to insulate properly, which we confirm before the design is fixed.

How we'd run your project

  1. Visit and first ideas

    One of our team visits your house in Burgess Hill, checks the walls, roof and drains, and sketches out options with you.

  2. Drawings, then consent

    We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in England, and take it through the right consent with the council.

  3. Structure and building control

    A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get building regulations approval before work starts.

  4. Build it

    The new structure goes up first, then we open into the house, finish inside and get the completion certificate.

Questions about extensions over a garage in Burgess Hill

How much does an extension over a garage cost in Burgess Hill?

Our guide for South East England, which covers Burgess Hill, is £1,930–£2,800 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²) comes to about £34,500–£50,500. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

Which postcodes do you cover around Burgess Hill?

We cover Burgess Hill (RH15) and nearby places including Hurstpierpoint, Haywards Heath and Lewes, plus the rest of West Sussex. The first site visit is free.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Burgess Hill?

We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in England: building regulations approval (full plans recommended) from the council or a registered building control approver, with a completion certificate at the end. We prepare the drawings and the engineer's calculations, book the inspections and pass you the completion paperwork at the end.

Can I add an en-suite above the garage?

Yes, and it is a common choice for a main bedroom. The en-suite needs an extract fan under Part F, a route for the soil pipe down to the drains and enough fall for the waste, which can be harder over a garage. We plan the pipe route through the garage or an outside wall early.

Can my garage take a room on top?

Sometimes, but it needs checking. Many garages are built on shallow footings with thin walls, designed only for a single storey. We dig a trial hole and inspect the walls, and the structural engineer decides whether to reuse them, strengthen them, underpin the footings or build new foundations inside the garage.

Nearby

The same service in neighbouring towns:

Other extensions in Burgess Hill

All two-storey extension services in Burgess Hill · Extensions over a garage across West Sussex

Send us your postcode and a few details. We'll get back to you to arrange a visit and talk through your options.

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