First-floor extensions in Blaenau Ffestiniog

What we'd confirm first for a project in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Postcode districts: LL41, LL47, LL48 and LL49
County / area: Gwynedd and Anglesey, Wales
Price region: Wales
Guide price: £23,000–£33,500 (£1,660–£2,390 per m²)
Approval route: It may be permitted development if the ground floor goes no more than 4 m and the first floor no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall, with the first floor 10.5 m from the rear boundary.
Nearest towns: Bethesda (13.9 miles), Caernarfon (17.1 miles), Bangor (Gwynedd and Anglesey) (18 miles)
Distance to Bangor (Gwynedd and Anglesey): about 18 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.

Around Blaenau Ffestiniog we also work in Bethesda, Caernarfon and Bangor (Gwynedd and Anglesey), and across the rest of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Postcode districts in and near Blaenau Ffestiniog: LL41, LL47, LL48 and LL49.

What it costs in Blaenau Ffestiniog

Most of the cost of a first-floor extension is set by its size and specification. For Blaenau Ffestiniog and the rest of Wales, our guide is £1,660–£2,390 per m² including VAT, so about £23,000–£33,500 for 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²). Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

Spec	Per m²	4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²)
Essential	£1,520–£2,200 per m²	£21,500–£31,000
Standard	£1,660–£2,390 per m²	£23,000–£33,500
Premium	£1,990–£2,870 per m²	£28,000–£40,000

Planning and building regulations in Blaenau Ffestiniog

In Wales, a first floor over a rear extension can be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall and stays at least 10.5 m from the rear boundary, with the ground floor within 4 m. Over a side extension, the 10.5 m, 1 m set-back and 50% width tests apply. Otherwise a householder application costs £585.

Approval in Wales: Householder planning application: £585. Councils normally decide householder applications within 8 weeks.

Building regulations: Building regulations approval under the Welsh Approved Documents, which differ from England's in places (notably energy efficiency).

Design points for Blaenau Ffestiniog homes

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.

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.

How we'd run your project

Understand the brief
At your home in Blaenau Ffestiniog 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 Wales, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Technical design
We prepare the building regulations drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then building control's final inspection and the completion paperwork.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Blaenau Ffestiniog

Do I need planning permission for a first-floor extension in Blaenau Ffestiniog?

Blaenau Ffestiniog is in Wales, so Wales planning rules apply. It may be permitted development if the ground floor goes no more than 4 m and the first floor no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall, with the first floor 10.5 m from the rear boundary. If in doubt, a lawful development certificate or a planning application gives you certainty before you build.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Blaenau Ffestiniog?

We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in Wales: building regulations approval under the Welsh Approved Documents, which differ from England's in places (notably energy efficiency). We prepare the drawings and the engineer's calculations, book the inspections and pass you the completion paperwork at the end.

How much does a first-floor extension cost in Blaenau Ffestiniog?

Our guide for Wales, which covers Blaenau Ffestiniog, is £1,660–£2,390 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £23,000–£33,500. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

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 Blaenau Ffestiniog:

Other extensions in Blaenau Ffestiniog

All two-storey extension services in Blaenau Ffestiniog · First-floor extensions across Gwynedd and Anglesey

Book a free site visit in Blaenau Ffestiniog and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.