First-floor extensions in Moira

Before you start in Moira, here's what applies.

Postcode districts: BT67
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 (4.3 miles), Donaghcloney (4.4 miles), Dromore (County Down) (5.6 miles)
Distance to Craigavon: about 6.8 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.

Moira sits about 6.8 miles from Craigavon. Closer to home, Waringstown is 4.3 miles away and Donaghcloney 4.4 miles.

What it costs in Moira

Guide prices for first-floor extensions in Northern Ireland are around £1,580–£2,290 per m² of new floor space, including VAT. For a typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²), that's roughly £22,000–£32,000. 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	£1,460–£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 Moira

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 Moira 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.

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

Understand the brief
At your home in Moira 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 Northern Ireland, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Structure and building control
A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get building regulations approval before work starts.
On site
One project lead runs the job, keeps you updated and arranges inspections at each stage until completion.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Moira

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 Moira?

Moira 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.

Which postcodes do you cover around Moira?

We cover Moira (BT67) and nearby places including Waringstown, Donaghcloney and Dromore (County Down), plus the rest of County Armagh. 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

We also cover places near Moira, including:

Other extensions in Moira

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

Ready to talk it through? Call us or send the form and we'll arrange a visit to your home in Moira.