Two-storey wraparound extensions in Durham

Before you start in Durham, here's what applies.

Postcode districts: DH1
County / area: County Durham, England
Price region: North East England
Guide price: £108,500–£148,500 (£1,940–£2,660 per m²)
Approval route: Planning permission is needed: the side part takes it outside permitted development in England.
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 two-storey wraparound extension

A two-storey wraparound extension suits a house with space both beside it and behind it, where you want to transform the layout rather than add a single room. You get one design for the whole L-shape, the planning application, structural design for the corner and the openings into the house, building regulations approval and the build, managed by us and carried out by vetted teams working under S&K.

We cover postcode district DH1 in and around Durham, along with neighbouring Brandon, Spennymoor and Chester-le-Street.

What it costs in Durham

Using our North East England rates, a two-storey wraparound extension with an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space) comes to about £108,500–£148,500, including VAT. Bigger or more glazed designs cost more per m². Design fees, structural calculations and approval fees are separate and listed on our prices page.

Spec	Per m²	An L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space)
Essential	£1,780–£2,440 per m²	£99,500–£137,000
Standard	£1,940–£2,660 per m²	£108,500–£148,500
Premium	£2,320–£3,190 per m²	£130,000–£178,500

Planning and building regulations in Durham

In England, a two-storey wraparound extension needs householder planning permission, because any extension beyond a side wall must be single storey to be permitted development. The application costs £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026). Councils weigh the side part against the street scene and the rear part against neighbours' light and outlook, and should decide within 8 weeks of validation.

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

Daylight to the middle

A deep L-shaped plan can leave the middle of the ground floor dark, because the old rear rooms are now enclosed. We use wide rear openings, a well-placed stair and, where part of the extension is single storey, roof lights, while keeping total glazing within the Part L allowance.

Phasing the build

A wraparound touches two sides of the house at once, so the kitchen and often the rear rooms are out of use for part of the build. We plan the sequence so you keep a working kitchen and bathroom for as long as possible, or advise when moving out briefly makes sense.

How we'd run your project

Free site visit
We visit your home in Durham, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.
Plans, then approval
Measured survey, design, then the right approval route for your house. We explain each step before we take it.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building control sign-off, then a written fixed price for the build.
Build and hand over
We manage the build from groundworks to decoration-ready finish and hand over with the completion paperwork.

Questions about two-storey wraparound extensions in Durham

Do I need planning permission for a two-storey wraparound extension in Durham?

Durham is in England, so England planning rules apply. Planning permission is needed: the side part takes it outside permitted development in England. If in doubt, a lawful development certificate or a planning application gives you certainty before you build.

How much does a two-storey wraparound extension cost in Durham?

Our guide for North East England, which covers Durham, is £1,940–£2,660 per m² including VAT. A typical project with an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space) comes to about £108,500–£148,500. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

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.

Can a wraparound extension be part single, part two-storey?

Yes. Many wraparounds keep the rear part single storey with roof lights over the kitchen and put the two-storey part to the side. This can reduce the effect on neighbours and the cost. We set out both options at the design stage, so you can compare floor space against price before choosing.

Does a wraparound extension need steel?

Almost always. Opening the corner of the house and the old rear wall to make one open-plan space means steel beams, and often a steel post or frame at the outside corner. The structural engineer sizes these, and the steel is ordered once the design is fixed, which is one reason a wraparound needs careful sequencing.

Nearby

Nearby towns we cover for two-storey wraparound extensions:

Other extensions in Durham

All two-storey extension services in Durham · Two-storey wraparound extensions across County Durham

Book a free site visit in Durham and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.