Two-storey front extensions in County Tyrone

County Tyrone at a glance

Nation: Northern Ireland
Price region: Northern Ireland
Postcode areas: BT
Towns covered: 8 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Approval route: Planning permission is needed for anything built forward of the front wall.
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a two-storey front extension involves

A two-storey front extension is an addition built forward of the front wall of your house on both floors, often a deeper hall or study below and a larger bedroom above. It suits houses set well back from the road.

Towns in County Tyrone include Omagh (BT78), Strabane (BT82), Dungannon (BT69), Cookstown (BT80), Coalisland (BT71) and Dromore (County Tyrone) (BT78). If yours isn't listed, we still cover it.

Guide price in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, which includes County Tyrone, we'd expect a two-storey front extension to cost around £23,000–£31,500 for a 3 m × 2 m footprint on two floors (12 m² of new floor space), or £1,940–£2,640 per m² including VAT. Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

Spec	Per m²	Typical project
Essential	£1,780–£2,430 per m²	£21,500–£29,000
Standard	£1,940–£2,640 per m²	£23,000–£31,500
Premium	£2,320–£3,170 per m²	£28,000–£38,000

Rules in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the permitted development allowance for two-storey extensions is written for rear extensions, so a two-storey front extension needs a planning application. The fee is £347 per dwelling, and councils aim for an average of 15 weeks for local applications. Building control approval from the council under the Technical Booklets is also 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.

There is no Party Wall Act in Northern Ireland. Shared walls and boundaries are a matter of title and common law, so we agree access and record conditions with neighbours before work starts.

Getting the design right

Parking and access

Building forward can reduce off-road parking and the space for bins and meters. Councils may weigh up parking, so we check the drive will still work, along with the routes for gas, electricity and water supplies that often enter at the front.

Daylight to existing rooms

A front extension can make the hall and front rooms darker, especially if it covers an existing window. We position new windows to keep the house bright, and check that the new front bedroom gets good daylight without overlooking houses opposite.

How we work in County Tyrone

Understand the brief
At your home in County Tyrone we agree what you need: bedroom count, bathroom, kitchen space, and how much garden you want to keep.
Choose the approval route
Some designs fit permitted development, most need a householder application. We decide which applies in Northern Ireland before drawing in detail.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building control sign-off, then a written fixed price for the build.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Towns we cover in County Tyrone

Two-storey front extensions in County Tyrone: questions

How much does a two-storey front extension cost in County Tyrone?

In Northern Ireland our guide is £1,940–£2,640 per m² including VAT, so about £23,000–£31,500 for a 3 m × 2 m footprint on two floors (12 m² of new floor space). Essential and Premium specs move that by roughly 8% down or 20% up.

How far forward can a front extension go?

There is no fixed figure, because a two-storey front extension needs planning permission and the council decides case by case. Many councils' design guides favour a shallow projection that keeps a clear front garden. Our guide prices assume a modest example with a 3 m × 2 m footprint on two floors (12 m² of new floor space).

Can I combine a front extension with a porch?

Yes. A common approach is a two-storey bay or gable with a single-storey porch roof running across the front door. This gives a bigger hall and front bedroom while breaking up the mass of the front wall. Both parts are covered by the same planning application and building regulations approval.

Does a front extension affect my parking?

It can. If it is built over part of the drive you may lose a parking space, and some councils consider whether enough off-road parking remains. We measure the drive at the survey and show on the drawings how cars, bins and meters will fit after the work.

Will I need planning permission in County Tyrone?

County Tyrone is in Northern Ireland. Planning permission is needed for anything built forward of the front wall.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in County Tyrone · About two-storey front extensions