Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above in Orpington
A kitchen extension with bedrooms above is one of the most space-efficient ways to add bedrooms and living space to a house in Orpington, because the new floors share one set of foundations and one roof.
Quick reference for homeowners in Orpington.
- Postcode districts
- BR5 and BR6
- County / area
- Greater London, England
- Price region
- London
- Guide price
- £67,000–£90,500 (£2,400–£3,240 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
- Farnborough (Greater London) (1.6 miles), Chelsfield (1.7 miles), Bickley (2.9 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 Orpington we also work in Farnborough (Greater London), Chelsfield and Bickley, and across the rest of Greater London. Postcode districts in and near Orpington: BR5 and BR6.
What it costs in Orpington
For budgeting in Orpington, allow around £67,000–£90,500 (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 £2,400–£3,240 per m² including VAT for London. Professional fees for drawings and the structural engineer are listed separately on our prices page.
| Spec | Per m² | A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £2,210–£2,980 per m² | £62,000–£83,500 |
| Standard | £2,400–£3,240 per m² | £67,000–£90,500 |
| Premium | £2,880–£3,890 per m² | £80,500–£109,000 |
Planning and building regulations in Orpington
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 Orpington 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.
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.
How we'd run your project
Understand the brief
At your home in Orpington we agree what you need: bedroom count, bathroom, kitchen space, and how much garden you want to keep.
Plans, then approval
Measured survey, design, then the right approval route for your house. We explain each step before we take it.
Engineer it
Foundations sized for two floors, steels for any openings, and building control approval, all before anyone starts on site.
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 Orpington
Do I need planning permission for a kitchen extension with bedrooms above in Orpington?
Orpington 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.
How much does a kitchen extension with bedrooms above cost in Orpington?
Our guide for London, which covers Orpington, is £2,400–£3,240 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 £67,000–£90,500 (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.
Who handles building regulations for a project in Orpington?
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.
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 Orpington? We work across the area, including:
Other extensions in Orpington
All two-storey extension services in Orpington · Kitchen extensions with bedrooms above across Greater London
Book a free site visit in Orpington and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.