Two-storey wraparound extensions in the West Midlands

West Midlands at a glance

Nation: England
Price region: West Midlands
Postcode areas: B, CV, DY, WS, WV
Towns covered: 33 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Approval route: Planning permission is needed: the side part takes it outside permitted development in England.
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a two-storey wraparound extension involves

A two-storey wraparound extension is an L-shaped addition that extends both the side and the rear of your house, on two floors. It gives one of the largest gains in floor space of any extension, typically a big open-plan kitchen and living area below and two or more bedrooms or bathrooms above. In England it needs planning permission, because the side part is more than one storey.

Towns in the West Midlands include Birmingham (B1), Coventry (CV1), Wolverhampton (WV1), Dudley (DY1), Walsall (WS1) and Solihull (B91). If yours isn't listed, we still cover it.

Guide price in the West Midlands

Most of the cost of a two-storey wraparound extension is set by its size and specification. For West Midlands and the rest of the West Midlands, our guide is £2,150–£2,950 per m² including VAT, so about £120,500–£165,000 for an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). Steelwork for wide openings is the item most likely to move the figure; we'll know once the engineer has designed it.

Spec	Per m²	Typical project
Essential	£1,980–£2,710 per m²	£111,000–£152,000
Standard	£2,150–£2,950 per m²	£120,500–£165,000
Premium	£2,580–£3,540 per m²	£144,500–£198,000

Rules in England

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.

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

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.

Two roofs that meet

A wraparound needs the side roof and rear roof to join cleanly, often with a valley or hip where they meet. Getting pitches and ridge heights right keeps rainwater moving and avoids a bulky mass at the back corner, which neighbours and planners notice.

How we work in the West Midlands

Visit and first ideas
One of our team visits your house in the West Midlands, checks the walls, roof and drains, and sketches out options with you.
Get it approved
Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for the West Midlands and deal with any questions from the planning officer.
Structure and building control
A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get building regulations approval before work starts.
On site
One project lead runs the job, keeps you updated and arranges inspections at each stage until completion.

Towns we cover in the West Midlands

Two-storey wraparound extensions in the West Midlands: questions

How much does a two-storey wraparound extension cost in the West Midlands?

In the West Midlands our guide is £2,150–£2,950 per m² including VAT, so about £120,500–£165,000 for an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). Essential and Premium specs move that by roughly 8% down or 20% up.

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.

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.

How much floor space does a wraparound extension add?

It depends on the width of the side plot and the depth at the rear. Our guide prices are based on a typical wraparound with an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). Yours may be larger or smaller, and the measured survey shows what your plot can take.

Will I need planning permission in the West Midlands?

West Midlands is in England. Planning permission is needed: the side part takes it outside permitted development in England.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in the West Midlands · About two-storey wraparound extensions