Two-storey extensions for semi-detached houses in Cardiff

Useful details for planning a two-storey extension for a semi-detached house in Cardiff.

Postcode districts: CF10, CF11 and CF24
County / area: Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales
Price region: Wales
Guide price: £51,500–£69,500 (£1,840–£2,480 per m²)
Approval route: Depends on position: rear (3 m first floor, 10.5 m to the boundary) and some side extensions (10.5 m, 1 m set-back) can be permitted development in Wales.
Nearest towns: Llandaff (1.9 miles), Whitchurch (Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan) (2.8 miles), Penarth (2.9 miles)
First visit: Free, no obligation

About a two-storey extension for a semi-detached house

A two-storey extension for a semi-detached house is a two-floor addition to the rear, the open side, or both, designed around the attached neighbour on one side. The rear is often the simplest option and can sometimes be permitted development, while a side extension uses the gap on the detached side. Both need care with the shared party wall and the neighbour's light.

We cover Cardiff (CF10, CF11 and CF24) and the places around it, including Llandaff (1.9 miles), Whitchurch (Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan) (2.8 miles) and Penarth.

What it costs in Cardiff

Most of the cost of a two-storey extension for a semi-detached house is set by its size and specification. For Cardiff and the rest of Wales, our guide is £1,840–£2,480 per m² including VAT, so about £51,500–£69,500 for a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space). Kitchens, bathroom fittings and flooring are priced separately so you can compare like with like.

Spec	Per m²	A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space)
Essential	£1,690–£2,290 per m²	£47,500–£64,000
Standard	£1,840–£2,480 per m²	£51,500–£69,500
Premium	£2,210–£2,980 per m²	£62,000–£83,500

Planning and building regulations in Cardiff

In Wales, a semi can take a two-storey rear extension under permitted development with the ground floor up to 4 m and the first floor up to 3 m beyond the original rear wall, 10.5 m from the rear boundary. A side extension can also be permitted development if it is 10.5 m from the side boundary, set back 1 m and adds no more than 50% width. Otherwise the fee is £585.

Approval in Wales: Householder planning application: £585. Councils normally decide householder applications within 8 weeks.

Building regulations: Building regulations approval under the Welsh Approved Documents, which differ from England's in places (notably energy efficiency).

Design points for Cardiff homes

Rear, side or both

On a semi, a rear extension sits against the attached neighbour, while a side extension faces the detached neighbour and the street. We compare the space, cost and approval route for each, and for a wraparound, before you commit to one design.

Keeping the pair balanced

Semis are designed as matching pairs, and a side extension changes that balance. Setting the side extension back from the front wall and keeping its ridge lower helps the pair still read as a pair, which councils' design guides commonly ask for.

How we'd run your project

Understand the brief
At your home in Cardiff 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 Wales, 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.
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 two-storey extensions for semi-detached houses in Cardiff

Which postcodes do you cover around Cardiff?

We cover Cardiff (CF10, CF11 and CF24) and nearby places including Llandaff, Whitchurch (Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan) and Penarth, plus the rest of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The first site visit is free.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Cardiff?

We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in Wales: building regulations approval under the Welsh Approved Documents, which differ from England's in places (notably energy efficiency). 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 two-storey extension for a semi-detached house cost in Cardiff?

Our guide for Wales, which covers Cardiff, is £1,840–£2,480 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 £51,500–£69,500. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

What if my neighbour has already extended?

That often helps. An existing extension next door can reduce the effect of yours on their light, and may show what the council accepts on your street. It can also mean building alongside their wall, so we check its position, foundations and any windows facing your plot at the survey.

Will a side extension make my semi look like a terrace?

It can if it fills the whole gap to the boundary at first floor and the neighbour does the same. Many councils ask for a first-floor gap to the side boundary or a set-back for this reason. We design the extension to keep the semi reading as one of a pair.

Nearby

Close to Cardiff? We work across the area, including:

Other extensions in Cardiff

All two-storey extension services in Cardiff · Two-storey extensions for semi-detached houses across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan

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