First-floor extensions in Bishops Cleeve

Quick reference for homeowners in Bishops Cleeve.

Postcode districts: GL52
County / area: Gloucestershire, England
Price region: South West England
Guide price: £26,000–£37,500 (£1,850–£2,680 per m²)
Approval route: It may be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall (counting any single-storey part) and stays 7 m from the rear boundary; otherwise it needs planning permission.
Nearest towns: Cheltenham (3.4 miles), Charlton Kings (4.5 miles), Tewkesbury (5.2 miles)
Distance to Gloucester: about 9.5 miles
First visit: Free, no obligation

About a first-floor extension

A first-floor extension is a new upstairs room built on top of an existing single-storey part of your house, such as a rear kitchen extension, a utility or a side annexe. It adds a bedroom, bathroom or study without enlarging the footprint. Whether it works depends mainly on whether the walls and foundations below can carry the extra load.

We cover postcode district GL52 in and around Bishops Cleeve, along with neighbouring Cheltenham, Charlton Kings and Tewkesbury.

What it costs in Bishops Cleeve

Most of the cost of a first-floor extension is set by its size and specification. For Bishops Cleeve and the rest of South West England, our guide is £1,850–£2,680 per m² including VAT, so about £26,000–£37,500 for 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²). We'll give you a written design-stage price first, then a fixed build price once the drawings are agreed.

Spec	Per m²	4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²)
Essential	£1,710–£2,460 per m²	£24,000–£34,500
Standard	£1,850–£2,680 per m²	£26,000–£37,500
Premium	£2,220–£3,210 per m²	£31,000–£45,000

Planning and building regulations in Bishops Cleeve

In England, adding a first floor turns a single-storey extension into one of more than one storey. To be permitted development, the extension as a whole must go no more than 3 m beyond the rear wall of the original house and stay at least 7 m from the rear boundary, with matching materials and roof pitch. Over a side extension it always needs planning permission, costing £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 Bishops Cleeve homes

Tying into the house

The new floor and walls must line up with the existing first floor, often through a new opening in the rear wall above the old one. Floor levels, the position of upstairs windows and the existing roof all affect where the opening can go, so we survey both floors carefully.

Replacing the flat roof

The existing roof usually comes off and is replaced by a new first-floor structure. The room below is exposed for a short time, so we plan temporary weatherproofing and sequence the work to keep the kitchen or living room usable for as long as possible.

How we'd run your project

Start at your house
We come to your home in Bishops Cleeve, measure up, check the ground floor walls and roof structure, and note anything near the boundaries.
Design and approvals
We draw the extension and check it against the rules for England, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.
Structure and building control
A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get building regulations approval before work starts.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Bishops Cleeve

How much does a first-floor extension cost in Bishops Cleeve?

Our guide for South West England, which covers Bishops Cleeve, is £1,850–£2,680 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £26,000–£37,500. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Bishops Cleeve?

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.

Which postcodes do you cover around Bishops Cleeve?

We cover Bishops Cleeve (GL52) and nearby places including Cheltenham, Charlton Kings and Tewkesbury, plus the rest of Gloucestershire. The first site visit is free.

Can I build on top of my existing single-storey extension?

Often yes, but only after the structure has been checked. Foundations, walls and lintels built for one storey may not carry two. We dig trial holes, look for the original building control approval and ask the structural engineer to confirm what can stay, what needs strengthening and what must be rebuilt.

What happens to the room below while the first floor is built?

The old roof is removed, so the room below is exposed for a short period. We fit temporary weather protection, plan the work so the roof comes off only when the new structure is ready, and agree with you which rooms will be out of use and for roughly how long.

Nearby

Other towns near Bishops Cleeve:

Other extensions in Bishops Cleeve

All two-storey extension services in Bishops Cleeve · First-floor extensions across Gloucestershire

The quickest next step is a visit. We'll look at your house in Bishops Cleeve and give you an honest view of the options.