First-floor extensions in Gloucester

Gloucester: the key facts for this kind of project.

Postcode districts: GL1, GL2, GL4 and GL19
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: Churchdown (3.2 miles), Cheltenham (7.4 miles), Stroud (8.2 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 Gloucester (GL1, GL2, GL4 and GL19) and the places around it, including Churchdown (3.2 miles), Cheltenham (7.4 miles) and Stroud.

What it costs in Gloucester

Our guide for South West England is £1,850–£2,680 per m² including VAT. On a project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²), that puts a first-floor extension in Gloucester at roughly £26,000–£37,500. Kitchens, bathroom fittings and flooring are priced separately so you can compare like with like.

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 Gloucester

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 Gloucester 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.

Matching the roofline

A first-floor extension often changes how the back or side of the house looks more than the original single storey did. Matching the main roof pitch and materials, and keeping the ridge below the main ridge, usually gives the best result and is expected for permitted development in England.

How we'd run your project

Visit and first ideas
One of our team visits your house in Gloucester, checks the walls, roof and drains, and sketches out options with you.
Drawings and permission
Our designers produce plans and elevations, then we take care of planning or permitted development checks with the council covering Gloucester.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building control sign-off, then a written fixed price for the build.
Build and sign-off
Vetted teams working under S&K build the extension, and we arrange the building control completion certificate at the end.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Gloucester

Who handles building regulations for a project in Gloucester?

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 Gloucester?

We cover Gloucester (GL1, GL2, GL4 and GL19) and nearby places including Churchdown, Cheltenham and Stroud, plus the rest of Gloucestershire. The first site visit is free.

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

Gloucester is in England, so England planning rules apply. 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. If in doubt, a lawful development certificate or a planning application gives you certainty before you build.

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

Nearby towns we cover for first-floor extensions:

Other extensions in Gloucester

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

Want a figure first? Try our guide price tool, then book a free visit to firm it up.