First-floor extensions in Tynemouth

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

Postcode districts: NE30
County / area: Tyne and Wear, England
Price region: North East England
Guide price: £22,500–£33,000 (£1,620–£2,340 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: North Shields (0.9 miles), South Shields (1.4 miles), Whitley Bay (1.7 miles)
Distance to Newcastle upon Tyne: about 8.1 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.

Tynemouth sits about 8.1 miles from Newcastle upon Tyne. Closer to home, North Shields is 0.9 miles away and South Shields 1.4 miles.

What it costs in Tynemouth

Our guide for North East England is £1,620–£2,340 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 Tynemouth at roughly £22,500–£33,000. Steelwork for wide openings is the item most likely to move the figure; we'll know once the engineer has designed it.

Spec	Per m²	4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²)
Essential	£1,490–£2,150 per m²	£21,000–£30,000
Standard	£1,620–£2,340 per m²	£22,500–£33,000
Premium	£1,940–£2,810 per m²	£27,000–£39,500

Planning and building regulations in Tynemouth

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 Tynemouth 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.

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

Free site visit
We visit your home in Tynemouth, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.
Get it approved
Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for Tynemouth and deal with any questions from the planning officer.
Price it properly
Once the engineer's calculations are in, we fix the build price in writing, with a clear list of what's included.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Tynemouth

Who handles building regulations for a project in Tynemouth?

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.

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

Our guide for North East England, which covers Tynemouth, is £1,620–£2,340 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £22,500–£33,000. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

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

Tynemouth 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.

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

Other towns near Tynemouth:

Other extensions in Tynemouth

All two-storey extension services in Tynemouth · First-floor extensions across Tyne and Wear

Tell us about your house in Tynemouth and we'll call you back to arrange a free, no-obligation visit.