Extending your home in Durham
Looking to extend your home in Durham? Start here: extension types, guide prices for Durham, the planning rules that apply and how a project runs.
- Postcode districtsDH1
- Price regionNorth East England (×0.91)
- Planning rulesEngland
- Site visitFree, no obligation
What works best for Durham houses?
The North East has many brick terraces, colliery-era housing and post-war semis, with rear extensions and kitchen extensions the most common requests.
Depending on the plot, single-storey rear extensions and kitchen extensions are often the strongest options, with double-storey extensions worth considering where there is room.
Durham and surrounding towns
Postcode districts we cover around Durham include DH1. Neighbouring towns we cover include Chester-le-Street (6 miles), Stanley (8 miles), Bishop Auckland (9 miles), Peterlee (10 miles), Seaham (10 miles). For homes towards Tyne and Wear, Houghton-le-Spring is around 6 miles away.
Do extensions in Durham need planning permission?
In England a single-storey rear extension can usually go up to 3 m beyond the original rear wall of a semi-detached or terraced house, or 4 m on a detached house, without a planning application, provided it is no more than 4 m high, keeps eaves to 3 m within 2 m of a boundary and, with other buildings, covers no more than half the land around the original house. The larger home extension prior approval scheme raises those depths to 6 m and 8 m, with neighbours notified and a 42-day decision.
In England a two-storey rear extension is permitted development only if it projects no more than 3 m from the original rear wall, sits at least 7 m from the rear boundary, matches the roof pitch and uses obscure, non-opening side windows upstairs. Most two-storey extensions therefore go through a householder planning application, which costs £548 from 1 April 2026 and normally takes about 8 weeks.
In a conservation area, national park, National Landscape, the Broads or a World Heritage Site the permitted development limits are tighter (no side or two-storey extensions without an application). Listed homes need listed building consent, and if permitted development rights have been removed, any extension needs an application.
Building regulations approval is separate from planning. In England you can use the council's building control team or a registered building control approver; a full plans application gets the drawings checked before work starts, and the inspector signs the work off with a completion certificate.
Applications are decided by the local planning authority (your district, borough or unitary council).
Guide prices for Durham
Every figure below is a guide for Durham, adjusted for North East England build costs (×0.91) and including VAT. Design and council fees are shown separately on each page.
| Extension type | Example size | Standard spec (inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Conservatory replacement extensions | 14 m² | £27,000 – £35,500 |
| Kitchen extensions | 20 m² | £38,000 – £48,500 |
| Double-storey extensions | 32 m² | £52,000 – £68,500 |
| Wraparound extensions | 25 m² | £52,000 – £66,000 |
| Single-storey rear extensions | 20 m² | £37,000 – £47,500 |
Extension types and starting prices
- Extensions over a garage · from £21,500
- Timber frame extensions · from £19,000
- Utility and boot room extensions · from £12,500
- Building regulations for extensions · from £800
- Extension plans and drawings · from £1,050
- Double-storey extensions · from £34,500
- Pitched roof extensions · from £20,000
- Planning permission for extensions · from £300
- Orangery extensions · from £27,000
- Wraparound extensions · from £32,500
- Side extensions · from £20,000
- Kitchen extensions · from £24,500
- Glass box extensions · from £27,000
- Conservatory replacement extensions · from £18,000
- Annexe extensions · from £50,000
- Porch extensions · from £3,600
- Bungalow extensions · from £23,500
- Flat roof extensions · from £19,000
- Side return extensions · from £16,000
- Bedroom extensions · from £23,500
- Home office extensions · from £14,500
- Single-storey rear extensions · from £19,000
Free site visit
It starts with a visit to your house to measure, check access and talk through ideas and budget.
Design and approvals
We draw the design, agree it with you and handle planning or permitted development checks and building regulations.
Fixed written price
The price is fixed in writing once the design is settled, with a clear programme and payment stages.
Build and sign-off
Work is carried out to the agreed programme, inspected by building control and signed off at the end.
Questions about extensions in Durham
How much does an extension cost in Durham?
Using our North East England factor (×0.91), a standard-spec single-storey extension of 20 m² is a guide £37,000 to £47,500 including VAT, and a 32 m² two-storey extension £52,000 to £68,500. Your written price follows the survey.
Will my neighbours need to be told?
If you apply for planning or prior approval the council notifies them, and in England party wall notices may be needed for work near a shared boundary.
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Durham?
Not always. It depends on the size, position and your property's history. Many single-storey rear extensions in England are permitted development or can use prior approval.
Can I get a price before anyone visits?
Yes. This page shows guide prices adjusted for Durham, and the guide-price tool gives a range for your own size and finish in about a minute.
How long does an extension take in Durham?
Usually 2 to 4 months of design and approvals, then 10 to 16 weeks on site for a single-storey extension or 16 to 24 weeks for two storeys.
Book a free site visit in Durham
We will measure up, check the planning position and give you honest guide figures.
- Free, no-obligation site visit
- Planning route checked before you spend on drawings
- Written price once the design is agreed
- Building control sign-off at the end
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6341 or .
Book a free site visit
Tell us a little about the project and we will arrange a time.