Domestic & Commercial Builders · Tyne & Wear
Home Extensions
Single and double-storey, side-return and wrap-around, matched to the existing house so it reads as always-there.
We build single-storey, double-storey, side-return and wrap-around extensions across Tyne and Wear, from Whitley Bay and North Shields down to Sunderland and Washington, and across to Newcastle and Gateshead. The measure of a good extension is that it does not look like one: matched brickwork, matched roofline, and a junction between old and new that does not crack in three years.
What we build
Single-storey rear extensions are the most common job we do. Kitchen extensions with bifolds or sliding doors onto a new patio, garden rooms, ground-floor bedrooms for accessible living, and flat-roof extensions with roof lanterns to get daylight into the middle of the plan. Double-storey extensions add a bedroom or home office above the new ground floor, and side-return and wrap-around extensions turn the dead strip beside a terrace or semi into usable kitchen space. Where the job calls for it we render rather than brick, and we build the garden, patio and garage works at the same time so the outside is finished when the inside is.
How the build runs
Every extension starts with the unglamorous things done properly. Foundations to the right depth for the ground you actually have, not a standard detail off a drawing. Building Control involved from the first dig, so the foundations, steelwork, drainage and insulation are inspected and signed off as the job goes, not argued over at the end. Structural calculations and drainage connections sorted, and any party wall notices flagged to you, before anyone lifts a spade.
One team runs the job from the first survey to the final sign-off. You get a written programme you can plan around and one person to ring. The existing back wall stays up until the new build is weathertight, so you keep a working kitchen for most of the project, and we agree the knock-through week with you in advance.
Where we work
Our extension work runs across Tyne and Wear and the surrounding towns: Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, Washington, South Shields, Jarrow, Hebburn, Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields, Wallsend, Cramlington, Cleadon, Boldon, Whickham, Low Fell, Heaton and Jesmond. The housing stock changes street by street, from Victorian terraces with narrow side returns to 1930s semis and post-war estates, and the right extension for each is different. That judgement is what the free survey is for.
Every extension we build is fully insured and carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Common questions
Asked about extensions.
Do I need planning permission for a house extension?
Often not. Many single-storey rear extensions fall within permitted development, so they need Building Regulations approval but not a planning application. Double-storey extensions, extensions to the front, and homes in conservation areas usually do need planning. We tell you which route applies at the free survey, and where drawings are needed we work alongside your architect or recommend one.
How long does a single-storey rear extension take?
Most single-storey rear extensions run eight to twelve weeks on site, depending on size and specification. We give you a written programme before we start and tell you early if anything moves it.
Do you handle Building Control?
Yes, on every extension. Building Control is involved from the first dig, not called in at the end, so foundations, steelwork and drainage are inspected and signed off as the job progresses.
Can you match the existing brick and roof tiles?
Yes. Matching the brick, the mortar colour, the coursing and the roof tile is the difference between an extension and a bolt-on. We match the brick as closely as the original allows, and we take the same care with the roofline so the new roof meets the old one cleanly.
Can we stay in the house while the extension is built?
Usually, yes. For a rear extension the existing back wall stays up until the new structure is weathertight, so the house stays usable for most of the build. We agree the point at which the two are knocked through with you in advance, because that is the disruptive week.
What does a quote cost?
Nothing. We come out, look at the job properly, talk through what you want and give you a written quote. No obligation either way, and the 10-year workmanship guarantee comes as standard on every extension we build.
Planning extensions?
Quote, advise, or sound it out before you commit. The first call costs nothing.