First-floor extensions in Donaghcloney

Useful details for planning a first-floor extension in Donaghcloney.

Postcode districts: BT66
County / area: County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Price region: Northern Ireland
Guide price: £22,000–£32,000 (£1,580–£2,290 per m²)
Approval route: It may be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall and stays 7 m from the rear boundary.
Nearest towns: Waringstown (2 miles), Dromore (County Down) (4.4 miles), Moira (4.4 miles)
Distance to Craigavon: about 5.5 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.

We cover Donaghcloney (BT66) and the places around it, including Waringstown (2.0 miles), Dromore (County Down) (4.4 miles) and Moira.

What it costs in Donaghcloney

Using our Northern Ireland rates, a first-floor extension with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £22,000–£32,000, including VAT. Bigger or more glazed designs cost more per 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	£1,460–£2,100 per m²	£20,500–£29,500
Standard	£1,580–£2,290 per m²	£22,000–£32,000
Premium	£1,900–£2,750 per m²	£26,500–£38,500

Planning and building control in Donaghcloney

In Northern Ireland, a first floor over a rear extension can be permitted development if the extension goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall and stays at least 7 m from the rear boundary, with height, materials and roof pitch conditions. Over a side extension, or beyond these limits, a planning application costs £347 per dwelling.

Approval in Northern Ireland: Planning application for works to a house: £347. Councils aim to decide local applications within an average of 15 weeks; many take longer.

Building control: Building control approval from the local council under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland), using the Technical Booklets.

Design points for Donaghcloney homes

Escape and fire safety

A new first-floor bedroom needs an escape window with a clear opening of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm wide and 450 mm high, with the bottom no more than 1,100 mm above the floor, unless there is a protected route to the stairs.

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

Visit and first ideas
One of our team visits your house in Donaghcloney, checks the walls, roof and drains, and sketches out options with you.
Get it approved
Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for Donaghcloney and deal with any questions from the planning officer.
Technical design
We prepare the building regulations drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.
Build and hand over
We manage the build from groundworks to decoration-ready finish and hand over with the completion paperwork.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Donaghcloney

Which postcodes do you cover around Donaghcloney?

We cover Donaghcloney (BT66) and nearby places including Waringstown, Dromore (County Down) and Moira, plus the rest of County Armagh. The first site visit is free.

How long does a first-floor extension take?

Allow 4 to 8 weeks for survey and design, then the approval period (councils aim to decide local applications within an average of 15 weeks; many take longer), then 4 to 8 weeks of technical design, which can overlap. The build itself usually takes 14 to 20 weeks, longer for large or complex designs.

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

Donaghcloney is in Northern Ireland. It may be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall and stays 7 m from the rear boundary.

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.

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.

Nearby

Close to Donaghcloney? We work across the area, including:

Other extensions in Donaghcloney

All two-storey extension services in Donaghcloney · First-floor extensions across County Armagh

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