Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Belfast
Homes in Belfast with a bit of space to the side or rear can often take a kitchen extension with bedrooms above. We'll tell you honestly whether yours can, and what approvals it needs.
What we'd confirm first for a project in Belfast.
- Postcode districts
- BT1, BT2, BT3, BT7, BT9, BT11 and nearby districts
- County / area
- County Antrim, Northern Ireland
- Price region
- Northern Ireland
- Guide price
- £49,500–£66,500 (£1,760–£2,380 per m²), kitchen units and worktops priced separately
- 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
- Castlereagh (2.3 miles), Newtownabbey (4.4 miles), Holywood (5 miles)
- First visit
- Free, no obligation
About a kitchen extension with bedrooms above
This service suits you if your kitchen is too small and you also need another bedroom. Building both floors at once costs less than a single-storey kitchen extension now and a first floor later. You get a layout that works for cooking, eating and the garden, a bedroom plan that works upstairs, the approvals your nation needs and the build, carried out by vetted teams working under S&K. Kitchen units are priced separately.
Around Belfast we also work in Castlereagh, Newtownabbey and Holywood, and across the rest of County Antrim. Postcode districts in and near Belfast: BT1, BT2, BT3, BT7, BT9, BT11 and nearby districts.
What it costs in Belfast
For budgeting in Belfast, allow around £49,500–£66,500 (kitchen units and worktops priced separately) for a kitchen extension with bedrooms above with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space). That's based on £1,760–£2,380 per m² including VAT for Northern Ireland. We'll give you a written design-stage price first, then a fixed build price once the drawings are agreed.
| Spec | Per m² | A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,620–£2,190 per m² | £45,500–£61,000 |
| Standard | £1,760–£2,380 per m² | £49,500–£66,500 |
| Premium | £2,110–£2,850 per m² | £59,000–£80,000 |
Planning and building control in Belfast
In Northern Ireland, a kitchen extension with bedrooms above can be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall and stays 7 m from the rear boundary, with height, materials and roof pitch conditions. Otherwise a planning application costs £347 per dwelling, and building control approval from the council is needed.
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 Belfast homes
Bedrooms over a kitchen
Bedrooms above need an escape window or a protected route to the stairs, plus good sound insulation from the kitchen below. We position the stairs, landing and bedroom doors so the new rooms connect naturally to the existing first floor.
Steel beams and the open-plan opening
Removing the old rear wall to make one large room means a steel beam, sometimes several, to carry the first floor and roof. The engineer sizes the steel and its supports, and we decide early whether you want a flush ceiling with the beam hidden or a downstand, as this affects ceiling heights.
How we'd run your project
Understand the brief
At your home in Belfast 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.
Fixed price in writing
With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then building control's final inspection and the completion paperwork.
Questions about kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Belfast
How long does a kitchen extension with bedrooms above 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.
Who handles building control for a project in Belfast?
We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in Northern Ireland: building control approval from the local council under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland), using the Technical Booklets. 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 kitchen extension with bedrooms above cost in Belfast?
Our guide for Northern Ireland, which covers Belfast, is £1,760–£2,380 per m² including VAT. A typical project with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) comes to about £49,500–£66,500 (kitchen units and worktops priced separately). Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.
Can I keep using my kitchen during the build?
For part of it. The new structure can be built while your existing kitchen stays in use, but when the rear wall is opened and the new kitchen is fitted there will be several weeks without one. We plan when this happens and help you set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house.
Is it cheaper to build a kitchen extension and bedrooms at the same time?
Yes, in most cases. Building both floors at once means one set of foundations, one roof, one scaffold and one set of approvals. Adding a first floor later means removing the original roof, possibly strengthening the foundations and disrupting the kitchen again. If you think you will need the bedroom, build it now.
Nearby
Close to Belfast? We work across the area, including:
Other extensions in Belfast
All two-storey extension services in Belfast · Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above across County Antrim
Tell us about your house in Belfast and we'll call you back to arrange a free, no-obligation visit.