Two-storey extension plans and drawings in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester at a glance

Nation: England
Price region: North West England
Postcode areas: BL, M, OL, SK, WA, WN
Towns covered: 67 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a set of extension plans involves

Two-storey extension plans involve a measured survey of your house, design options, and a set of scaled drawings showing the existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, a site plan and a location plan. These are the drawings needed for a planning application or lawful development certificate. Building regulations drawings with construction details follow as a separate, more technical set.

The main places we list in Greater Manchester are Manchester (M1), Oldham (OL1), Wigan (WN1), Bolton (BL1), Stockport (SK1) and Salford (M5). We cover the villages in between too.

Fees

Planning drawings (survey and design) are a guide of £2,000–£3,500 and building regulations drawings and specification £1,500–£4,000, with your design stage priced in writing before it starts.

Rules in England

In England, the plans support either a householder application, costing £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026), or a lawful development certificate for permitted development, costing £274 (about £288 for applications from 8 December 2026). They must show the extension's relationship to the original house, the boundaries and neighbours, because two-storey rear permitted development depends on the 3 m and 7 m limits.

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.

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies, so notices may be needed for work on or near a shared wall or boundary.

Getting the design right

Start with a measured survey

Accurate drawings depend on accurate measurements of the house, the boundaries and neighbouring windows. We measure inside and out, note levels, drains and trees, and record the original house so permitted development limits can be checked against the right starting point.

Drawings that can be built

Drawings that ignore steel sizes, floor depths or drain runs often need redesigning once a builder prices them. We coordinate the design with the structural engineer and our build teams, so what is approved is practical to construct.

How we work in Greater Manchester

Understand the brief
At your home in Greater Manchester 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 England, 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.

Towns we cover in Greater Manchester

Two-storey extension plans and drawings in Greater Manchester: questions

Do the plans include structural calculations?

Not at planning stage. Structural calculations and beam design are prepared by a structural engineer once the design is agreed, and they form part of the building regulations package. We coordinate the engineer's work with the drawings so steel sizes and floor depths match.

How long do extension plans take to prepare?

Survey, design and planning drawings usually take 4 to 8 weeks, depending on how many options you want to explore. Technical design, structural calculations and building control approval take a further 4 to 8 weeks, and this can overlap with the planning decision period.

Do I own the plans once they are drawn?

You receive copies of the drawings to use for your project, including your planning application and building regulations approval. Copyright in drawings normally stays with whoever prepares them unless agreed otherwise. Your written design stage price sets out how the drawings can be used.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in Greater Manchester · About two-storey extension plans and drawings