Extension costs

[helmutlaang]

So I’m considering adding an extension to our bungalow to extend the bedrooms.

Speaking to a builder the other day he said it’s around 2k a sq mt nowadays for a turnkey job.

Does that sound right for a single storey 20sq mt build with a flat roof?

Middle of Norfolk,easy access for machinery ect. Straightforward job.

Ta.

[trickywoo]

helmutlaang said:

So I m considering adding an extension to our bungalow to extend the bedrooms.

Speaking to a builder the other day he said it s around 2k a sq mt nowadays for a turnkey job.

Does that sound right for a single storey 20sq mt build with a flat roof?

Middle of Norfolk,easy access for machinery ect. Straightforward job.

Ta.

Building isn’t cheap but £40k for a flat roof bedroom single storey sounds steep. If you were talking kitchen extension fitted out maybe.

[Sheepshanks]

The builder will likely be taking ex-VAT, so his £40K will mean paying almost £50K.

[gangzoom]

£2k per sq meter for a turn key job seems reasonable for 2026.

We paid £2220/sq meter a few years ago, but that was a 200sq meter+ renovation so had a big of economics of scale. However the build did include lots of complexity and we did splash out unnecessarily on some parts of 2nd fix. We could have come in under £2000/sq meter with more focus on budget, however I'm glad we didn't cut out things like AC units in the bedroom looking at the weather forecast of the rest of the week .

I would say however trust in the builder is just as important as the price. Even on this forum there are some horrible experiences of builders doing shoddy jobs and than having to get work redone or change of builder mid project!!

We lucked out with our renovation, the builder we went with came in at the cheapest quote, and they are fantastic to work with. Infact they have just finished doing some more additional work on the house, some 3 years after they finished the main job.

It's worth getting multiple quotes though, and remember any good builder will/should now be booking in jobs to start 2027. If the builder can start tomorrow be very weary!!!

Good luck, renovation/building works is quite an experience. I personally loved it but my wife hated it, but it's something worth experiencing at least once in anyone home ownership journey.

Edited by gangzoom on Monday 22 June 06:47

[LooneyTunes]

helmutlaang said:

So I m considering adding an extension to our bungalow to extend the bedrooms.

Speaking to a builder the other day he said it s around 2k a sq mt nowadays for a turnkey job.

Does that sound right for a single storey 20sq mt build with a flat roof?

Middle of Norfolk,easy access for machinery ect. Straightforward job.

Ta.

What did you tell him you wanted?

£2k/m2 could be entirely reasonable if you’ve got steelwork for new openings, drainage, decent finishes, large bifold etc. Or it could be a toppy take if it’s a basic box on a slab.

Materials prices are up on a few years ago, but the market has definitely slowed of late.

If you have plans already drawn, Claude can do a very respectable job of estimating.

[joshcowin]

gangzoom said:

It's worth getting multiple quotes though, and remember any good builder will/should now be booking in jobs to start 2027. If the builder can start tomorrow be very weary!!!

Edited by gangzoom on Monday 22 June 06:47

I hate this line!!

Its nonsense, I run a building firm, I have 4 projects booked in to start I could say sorry cant do anything to 2027 but I never would as thats not what people want now.

The fact of it is that my groundworkers wont be doing the carpentry or plastering so if sequenced correctly there is no need for huge lead in times.

For reference I do a large mix of projects from small extensions mentioned here to big conversions and commercial work, builders have changed with the clients demands no one wants to get planning and wait a year to start just not reasonable to expect!

[Sheepshanks]

joshcowin said:

I hate this line!!

Its nonsense, I run a building firm.....

I suppose it depends on who you go with. Ours was like that - boss and a core team of 15 people. Basically his own guys were working supervisors and he brought in subbies to bolster them. All good guys - some said they only worked for this firm. He wasn't afraid to throw people at it - replacing the roof etc had 11 people up there. They started with a couple of months notice.

OTOH the house behind us just had an extension on the back - the whole thing was done by one guy, apart from things like putting the steel in, and stuff like plumbing and electrics. Absolutely remarkable watching him - he seemed to do everything at double speed, and he worked quite long days and was here some weekends. The house owner was expecting to wait until towards the end of the year but apparently the builder had a cancellation so came earlier.

I would say make sure you get assurance they'll be there every day. I've seen some horrors in our road where the builders are only there a day or two a week and often not all day.