Bridgend · Mid Glamorgan

First-floor extensions in Bridgend

Our first-floor extensions service in Bridgend covers everything: measured survey, design, planning or permitted development checks, structural design, building control and the build itself.

Bridgend: the key facts for this kind of project.

Postcode districts
CF31
County / area
Mid Glamorgan, 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
Coity (1.5 miles), Aberkenfig (2.5 miles), Pencoed (3.5 miles)
Distance to Rhondda
about 11.9 miles
First visit
Free, no obligation

About a first-floor extension

A first-floor extension suits you if your house already has a single-storey extension and you need more space upstairs. You get a structural check of the existing walls and foundations, a design that ties the new floor into the house, the approvals your nation needs, building regulations approval and the build, managed by us and carried out by vetted teams working under S&K.

Bridgend sits about 11.9 miles from Rhondda. Closer to home, Coity is 1.5 miles away and Aberkenfig 2.5 miles.

What it costs in Bridgend

Most of the cost of a first-floor extension is set by its size and specification. For Bridgend 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). Steelwork for wide openings is the item most likely to move the figure; we'll know once the engineer has designed it.

SpecPer m²4 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 Bridgend

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 Bridgend 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.

Can the existing structure take it?

Many single-storey extensions were built with foundations, walls and lintels sized for one storey. We find out what is there with trial holes and, where available, the original building control drawings. The engineer then decides whether to reuse, strengthen or rebuild parts of the structure.

How we'd run your project

  1. Look at the house

    We start in Bridgend with a free visit: measurements, photos, a look at the loft and drains, and a frank chat about budget.

  2. Drawings, then consent

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

  3. Technical design

    We prepare the building regulations drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.

  4. 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 Bridgend

How much does a first-floor extension cost in Bridgend?

Our guide for Wales, which covers Bridgend, 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.

Which postcodes do you cover around Bridgend?

We cover Bridgend (CF31) and nearby places including Coity, Aberkenfig and Pencoed, plus the rest of Mid Glamorgan. The first site visit is free.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Bridgend?

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.

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

We also cover places near Bridgend, including:

Other extensions in Bridgend

All two-storey extension services in Bridgend · First-floor extensions across Mid Glamorgan

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