Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Durham
If you live in Durham and need more room without moving, a kitchen extension with bedrooms above is worth a serious look. We handle the drawings, approvals, structure and build.
Useful details for planning a kitchen extension with bedrooms above in Durham.
- Postcode districts
- DH1
- County / area
- County Durham, England
- Price region
- North East England
- Guide price
- £50,500–£68,000 (£1,800–£2,430 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 (counting any single-storey part) and stays 7 m from the rear boundary; otherwise it needs planning permission.
- Nearest towns
- Brandon (2.5 miles), Spennymoor (5.5 miles), Chester-le-Street (5.7 miles)
- Distance to Darlington
- about 17.5 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 Durham we also work in Brandon, Spennymoor and Chester-le-Street, and across the rest of County Durham. Postcode district in and near Durham: DH1.
What it costs in Durham
Most of the cost of a kitchen extension with bedrooms above is set by its size and specification. For Durham and the rest of North East England, our guide is £1,800–£2,430 per m² including VAT, so about £50,500–£68,000 (kitchen units and worktops priced separately) for a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space). Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.
| Spec | Per m² | A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,660–£2,240 per m² | £46,500–£62,500 |
| Standard | £1,800–£2,430 per m² | £50,500–£68,000 |
| Premium | £2,160–£2,920 per m² | £60,500–£81,500 |
Planning and building regulations in Durham
In England, a two-storey rear kitchen extension can be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the rear wall of the original house and stays at least 7 m from the rear boundary, with matching materials and roof pitch, outside protected areas. No balconies are allowed. Deeper designs need 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 Durham homes
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.
Glazing and the Part L 25% rule
In England, new windows, roof lights and glazed doors in an extension are normally limited to 25% of the extension's floor area plus the area of any windows or doors removed. Larger glazing is possible, but needs SAP or compensating calculations, so we plan the rear doors around this from the start.
How we'd run your project
Measure and listen
A visit to Durham to understand how you live in the house now and what the extra rooms need to do, plus a first look at the structure.
Drawings and permission
Our designers produce plans and elevations, then we take care of planning or permitted development checks with the council covering Durham.
Technical design
We prepare the building regulations drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.
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 kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Durham
Which postcodes do you cover around Durham?
We cover Durham (DH1) and nearby places including Brandon, Spennymoor and Chester-le-Street, plus the rest of County Durham. The first site visit is free.
How long does a kitchen extension with bedrooms above take?
Allow 4 to 8 weeks for survey and design, then the approval period (councils should decide householder applications within 8 weeks of validation), 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 kitchen extension with bedrooms above in Durham?
Durham 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.
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.
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.
Nearby
Close to Durham? We work across the area, including:
Other extensions in Durham
All two-storey extension services in Durham · Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above across County Durham
Ready to talk it through? Call us or send the form and we'll arrange a visit to your home in Durham.