Extensions over a garage in Solihull
Our extensions over a garage service in Solihull covers everything: measured survey, design, planning or permitted development checks, structural design, building control and the build itself.
Before you start in Solihull, here's what applies.
- Postcode districts
- B91 and B92
- County / area
- West Midlands, England
- Price region
- West Midlands
- Guide price
- £31,500–£46,000 (£1,750–£2,550 per m²)
- Approval route
- Planning permission is needed: in England, permitted development only allows single-storey extensions to the side.
- Nearest towns
- Shirley (West Midlands) (1.6 miles), Acocks Green (2.9 miles), Knowle (2.9 miles)
- Distance to Birmingham
- about 6.8 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 Solihull we also work in Shirley (West Midlands), Acocks Green and Knowle, and across the rest of the West Midlands. Postcode districts in and near Solihull: B91 and B92.
What it costs in Solihull
For budgeting in Solihull, allow around £31,500–£46,000 for an extension over a garage with 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²). That's based on £1,750–£2,550 per m² including VAT for the West Midlands. These are guides, not quotes. Ground conditions, steelwork and access can move the figure either way.
| Spec | Per m² | 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,610–£2,350 per m² | £29,000–£42,000 |
| Standard | £1,750–£2,550 per m² | £31,500–£46,000 |
| Premium | £2,100–£3,060 per m² | £38,000–£55,000 |
Planning and building regulations in Solihull
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 Solihull homes
Fire separation
If the garage stays a garage, the floor between it and the room above, and any door into the house, must give fire separation under building regulations. That usually means fire-resisting plasterboard ceilings, sealed gaps and a fire door, which we design in from the start.
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
Understand the brief
At your home in Solihull we agree what you need: bedroom count, bathroom, kitchen space, and how much garden you want to keep.
Drawings, then consent
We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in England, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Fixed price in writing
With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then building control's final inspection and the completion paperwork.
Questions about extensions over a garage in Solihull
Do I need planning permission for an extension over a garage in Solihull?
Solihull is in England, so England planning rules apply. Planning permission is needed: in England, permitted development only allows single-storey extensions to the side. If in doubt, a lawful development certificate or a planning application gives you certainty before you build.
Which postcodes do you cover around Solihull?
We cover Solihull (B91 and B92) and nearby places including Shirley (West Midlands), Acocks Green and Knowle, plus the rest of the West Midlands. The first site visit is free.
Who handles building regulations for a project in Solihull?
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.
Do I need to convert the garage as well?
No. You can keep the garage for parking or storage and build only the room above, as long as the floor between them and any door into the house meet fire separation rules. Converting the garage at the same time is often good value, because the walls and foundations may be upgraded anyway.
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
Other towns near Solihull:
Other extensions in Solihull
- Rear
- Side
- Wraparound
- Part two-storey
- First floor
- Semi-detached
- Detached
- Kitchen and bedrooms
- Bedroom and en-suite
All two-storey extension services in Solihull · Extensions over a garage across the West Midlands
Send us your postcode and a few details. We'll get back to you to arrange a visit and talk through your options.