Category: Blog

June 30, 2024

When calculating the costs for a home renovation, it’s easy to drown in a sea of variables such as what materials to include and exclude, what specifications to choose, and regional price variations. So, we’ve done the analysis for you. 

In this 2024 guide, we provide several comprehensive cost breakdowns. We compare three different types of specifications (basic, standard, and high), to accommodate a range of budgets, and we also break the cost down per square metre.

Renovating A 3-Bedroom House 

Before we look at the numbers, here are some things we’ve factored into the cost of renovating a 3-bedroom house:

1. The total floor area of the average house in the UK is 94m2. All our calculations are based on a house of this size comprising three bedrooms, one bathroom, one kitchen, one WC, one living room, a landing, and an entrance hall. 
2. All appliances are included in the price, such as a built-in dishwasher, fridge, freezer, washing machine, extractor fan, hob, and oven. The only exclusion is a central heating boiler (radiators are included).
3. A renovation (or house refurbishment) is not to be confused with a remodel. A renovation focuses exclusively on replacing the finishings and fittings in their existing locations and does not involve changing the layout of a structure.

In terms of build specification, our BuildPartner pricing tool gives you three options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Basic spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Standard spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• Premium spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.
  

For each specification, we’ve provided a range of prices to reflect the varying types of contractors:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.

• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Cost Of A Basic-Spec Renovation

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of renovating a 3-bed house for a basic-spec project in the UK:

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a 3-bed house to a basic spec:

• It costs 26% more to renovate a 3-bed house in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £38,357 and the maximum cost is £62,138.
• The total average cost is £45,986, or £494 per square metre.

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of a renovation for a basic-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£56,586	100.0%
Preliminaries	£51	0.1%
Demolitions	£4,043	7.1%
Heating and cooling	£2,772	4.9%
Plumbed appliances	£3,347	5.9%
Wired appliances	£7,513	13.3%
Wall preparation and finishes	£2,477	4.4%
Floor preparation and finishes	£9,948	17.6%
Units, worktops and kitchen appliances	£10,828	19.1%
Decoration	£15,092	26.7%
Fixtures and fittings	£515	0.9%

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Room – London

Here’s a breakdown of the associated costs by room for a basic-spec renovation project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£56,586	100%
Bathroom	£8,644	15.3%
Bedroom 1	£5,744	10.2%
Bedroom 2	£5,744	10.2%
Bedroom 3	£5,744	10.2%
Entrance Hall	£2,807	5.0%
Kitchen	£20,933	37.0%
Landing/stairs	£2,539.03	4.5%
WC	£4,432.45	7.8%

Remember, appliances are included in the costs, which is why the kitchen accounts for a disproportionate amount of the total expense.

Cost Of A Standard-Spec Renovation

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of renovating a 3-bed house for a standard-spec project in the UK:

3-Bedroom House Refurb (Standard Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low-Benchmark Contractor	Mid-Benchmark Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor	Low-Benchmark  Contractor	Mid-Benchmark  Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor
East Anglia	£52,842	£57,646	£62,450	£562	£613	£664
London	£61,652	£69,492	£76,302	£656	£739	£812
Midlands	£51,478	£56,158	£60,837	£548	£597	£647
North England	£51,043	£55,684	£60,324	£543	£592	£642
N. Ireland	£49,898	£53,276	£57,716	£520	£567	£614
Scotland	£50,959	£55,591	£60,224	£542	£591	£641
South East	£56,719	£63,423	£69,610	£656	£733	£805
South West	£52,207	£59,087	£64,852	£562	£629	£690
Wales	£51,571	£57,666	£61,974	£549	£613	£659
Average	£53,152	£58,669	£63,810	£571	£631	£686

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a 3-bed house to a standard spec:

• The minimum cost is £49,898 and the maximum cost is £76,302.
• The total average cost is £58,544, or £629 per square metre.

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of a renovation for a standard-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£69,492	100.0%
Preliminaries	£51	0.1%
Demolitions	£4,043	5.8%
Heating and cooling	£3,324	4.8%
Plumbed appliances	£4,818	6.9%
Wired appliances	£8,242	11.9%
Wall preparation and finishes	£3,111	4.5%
Floor preparation and finishes	£13,147	18.9%
Units, worktops and kitchen appliances	£16,384	23.6%
Decoration	£15,488	22.3%
Fixtures and fittings	£884	1.3%

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Room – London

Here’s a breakdown of the associated costs by room for a standard-spec renovation project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£69,492	100%
Bathroom	£11,053	15.9%
Bedroom 1	£6,479	9.3%
Bedroom 2	£6,479	9.3%
Bedroom 3	£6,479	9.3%
Entrance Hall	£3,029	4.4%
Kitchen	£27,957	40.2%
Landing/stairs	£2,775.49	4.0%
WC	£5,238.83	7.5%

Cost Of A Premium-Spec Renovation

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of renovating a 3-bed house for a premium-spec project in the UK:

3-Bedroom House Refurb (Premium Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low-Benchmark  Contractor	Mid-Benchmark  Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor	Low-Benchmark  Contractor	Mid-Benchmark  Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor
East Anglia	£74,642	£81,428	£88,213	£794	£866	£938
London	£83,452	£93,868	£103,057	£888	£999	£1,096
Midlands	£73,278	£79,940	£86,601	£780	£850	£921
North England	£72,843	£79,466	£86,088	£775	£845	£916
N. Ireland	£71,386	£77,876	£84,366	£759	£828	£898
Scotland	£72,759	£79,373	£85,988	£774	£844	£915
South East	£76,775	£85,849	£95,248	£817	£913	£1,013
South West	£74,007	£83,463	£91,606	£787	£888	£975
Wales	£73,371	£82,042	£87,738	£781	£873	£933
Average	£74,724	£82,590	£89,878	£795	£879	£956

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a house to a premium spec:

• The minimum cost is £71,386 and the maximum cost is £103,057.
• The total average cost is £82,397, or £877 per square metre.

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of a renovation for a premium-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£93,868	100.0%
Preliminaries	£51	0.1%
Demolitions	£4,043	4.3%
Heating and cooling	£4,641	4.9%
Plumbed appliances	£6,886	7.3%
Wired appliances	£9,779	10.4%
Wall preparation and finishes	£5,221	5.6%
Floor preparation and finishes	£19,864	21.2%
Units, worktops and kitchen appliances	£24,736	26.4%
Decoration	£17,012	18.1%
Fixtures and fittings	£1,634	1.7%

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Room – London

Here’s a breakdown of the associated costs by room for a premium-spec renovation project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£93,868	100%
Bathroom	£16,303	17%
Bedroom 1	£7,702	8%
Bedroom 2	£7,702	8%
Bedroom 3	£7,702	8%
Entrance Hall	£3,715	4%
Kitchen	£40,546	43%
Landing/stairs	£3,246.50	3%
WC	£6,950.75	7%

Summary Of The Average Cost To Renovate A UK Home

So, how much does a house renovation cost in the UK? Based on the three different specifications covered in this article (basic, standard, and high), you can expect that renovating a 3-bed home to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Basic spec – £46,054, or £495 per sq metre.
• Standard spec – £58,669, or £631 per sq metre.
• Premium spec – £82,590, or £879 per sq metre. 

Depending on specification, for a 3-bedroom house, the cost of the renovation work ranges between £38,357 and £103,057. Please remember that these costs do not include VAT and there may be other additional costs, such as obtaining planning permission (in certain exceptions), structural surveys, unexpected repairs, and custom finishes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Renovations

Here are a few questions which will shed some light on UK home renovations.

How long does a home renovation take?

Based on a 3-bedroom property comprising the rooms listed above, a renovation would take approximately nine to 12 weeks when two tradespeople are carrying out the scheduled work (demolitions, heating and cooling, wall preparation, floor preparation, plumbed and wired appliances, kitchen units, decoration, and fixtures and fittings).

What’s the difference between remodelling and renovating a house?

The terms “remodelling” and “renovating” are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different projects. Renovating focuses on updating or restoring the house without altering its structure, such as installing new kitchens or bathrooms, replacing flooring or windows, and refreshing the home’s current condition.

Remodelling involves changing the structure of a house, such as altering the layout or adding new rooms, like creating open-plan spaces, adding bathrooms, and converting basements to transform the house’s function and appearance.

Do I need planning permission for my renovation?

Planning permission is not needed for internal renovations that don’t alter the structure or layout of a property. Exceptions include renovating a listed property or if you live within a conservation area, especially for alterations that affect the external appearance. Ultimately, it’s up to the local council to decide if the “character of the building” will be affected.

May 30, 2024

Lead-generation companies for building contractors are certainly a quick way of getting in touch with potential customers. The most sustainable way to grow your business will always be to build a compelling service, ideally in a specific region or niche to maintain an effective margin and build word-of-mouth referrals. However, buying leads can be an effective way to jump-start growth, perhaps if you are entering a new market or could do with a marketing boost.  

So, in this review, we compare the top seven lead-gen companies for UK building contractors and weigh up their pros and cons.

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The advice provided is entirely impartial, and BuildPartner maintains no affiliations with any lead-generation companies.

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3 Types of Lead-Generation Companies

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of who does what best, there are three main types of lead-gen companies to be aware of:

1. Directories – pay a subscription for visibility, such as Checkatrade and Houzz.
2. Lead generation – pay companies per lead, such as Rated People and MyBuilder.
3. Introducers – companies charge commissions for introducing you to clients, such as Resi.

Each has a slightly different payment model with its own service packages. We’ll share the costs associated with trading with each type and their Trustpilot rating—an industry-standard credibility marker.

The Risks Of Relying On Lead-Gen Companies

Before we dive into the seven best lead-gen companies for construction firms, it’s important to stress that for greater long-term rewards, and to build lasting trust and credibility, you will likely need to focus on:

•   Building an area of expertise
•   Establishing a clear market position
•   Cultivating a network of referrals

Often, when businesses look to external solutions (such as lead-gen companies), they turn their attention away from the internal aspects of their proposition that need immediate attention. But lead-gen companies aren’t a substitute for solidifying your proposition. Those who invest in their unique strengths are better positioned to thrive and adapt to market changes.

Different platforms have different effects on your brand but the level of appropriateness of the leads, your ability to stand out and the resultant relationship are all at their best via a direct referral. 

1. Checkatrade

Checkatrade generates leads for construction professionals by featuring them in a trusted directory of vetted tradespeople with verified reviews, offering a subscription-based model—meaning you only pay for the subscription, not per lead.

Pros

Checkatrade brings qualified leads to you. They discover your profile, learn about your services, and then reach out to you if they’re interested in hiring you. This removes most of the legwork, and it means you won’t be following up with and paying for cold or fake leads.

Checkatrade is a much simpler subscription model than Rated People since you only pay a monthly or annual fee. You don’t pay per lead, though the monthly subscription is much higher.

With over three million searches each month, it’s the UK’s number one trade directory—and it focuses exclusively on that, without the bells and whistles, like with Houzz, which includes software such as expense tracking and project scheduling.

Those looking for a low-maintenance lead-gen system that requires minimal effort will likely benefit from Checkatrade. You can sit back and wait for leads to come in rather than chasing work and promising the world when bidding for jobs using pay-per-lead services.

As a bonus, Checkatrade sends out free vinyl and marketing assets to allow you to display your Checkatrade accreditation on your company vehicles.

One huge benefit that draws customers to Checkatrade is their 12-month homeowner guarantee. In the unlikely event of a dispute about substandard work, the £1,000 guarantee provides homeowners extra reassurance for any work booked through Checkatrade.

It puts them at ease, and the sentiment when engaging in direct contact is on the whole noticeably more positive.

Cons

Checkatrade’s monthly subscription prices vary depending on the industry in which you work. If you’re an architectural or design firm, you can expect to pay more than a gardener.

There are four tiers of memberships: Approved, Lite, Standard, and Pro.

Be careful when signing up. You can’t view the subscription plans side by side, so you’ll need to adjust the sliding scale to select the right plan.

Also, to confuse matters, the widget shows you the price per month for the first six months but quotes a much higher figure in small print (usually an additional 50%) for the remaining six months.

A membership for your first year will cost anywhere from around £500 to £2,500 per year.

And then after that?

Well, so many tradespeople have been stung by price hikes. In one review on Trustpilot, a user remarked how they paid £756 in their first year, but their renewal price came out at £2,160.

New members get a preferential deal. Don’t expect any discounts for loyalty.

Summary

•   Type: Directory
•   Cost: Between £50 and £250 per month
•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.8/5.0, from 51,488 reviews
•   Link: checkatrade.com

2. Houzz

Houzz is a platform that allows contractors to showcase their work and connect with homeowners through a subscription-based visibility model.

Houzz Pro isn’t just a directory to market your services, it’s a digital toolbox that includes a 3D floor planner, invoicing system, online payments, expense tracking, time tracking, reports, and project scheduling.

Pros

Before committing to a paid subscription, you can take out a 30-day free trial.

When subscribing to Houzz, you have four options (all prices in USD):

•   Starter: $85 per month
•   Essential: $129 per month
•   Pro: $199 per month
•   Custom: not disclosed

After signing up for one of these profiles, your business will be visible to homeowners hunting on Houzz. You can easily create or upload engaging videos that showcase your business.

Reputation is everything—and one thing that Houzz does better than the rest is helping you acquire reviews. They provide templates and integration tools that allow you to easily send review requests to your contacts. These reviews automatically appear on your Houzz profile, so you don’t need to manually update your profile.

One useful tool for converting prospects is the ability to host video meetings. Houzz lets potential leads book a video meeting with you directly from your profile and directory listing—something no other platform in this review does.

Cons

Houzz Pro is pricey for a standalone lead-generation service. It’ll cost you an additional $60 per month per user, so those costs will rack up if you’re a medium to large business that wants to connect employees across departments.

Besides, many established firms already have software solutions for 3D floor plans, takeoff estimations, and email marketing. If you already have these solutions in place, you may be unassumingly duplicating costs.

Houzz Pro is better suited to construction firms looking for a new holistic approach to their operations, rather than those looking exclusively for lead generation.

Also, payments for work are encouraged through the platform. If customers choose to pay through Houzz, you will be subject to a 4.5% payment handling charge.

Summary

•   Type: Directory
•   Cost:

o   Starter: $85 per month

o   Essential: $129 per month

o   Pro: $199 per month

o   Custom: not disclosed

•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.0/5.0, from 15,173 reviews
•   Link: houzz.com

 

3. Federation of Master Builders – FMB

Established in 1941, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the largest trade association in the UK construction industry, and it connects members with homeowners seeking quality builders, using a subscription-based model.

It’s an independent, nonprofit organisation that’s run by members for members, with support from a senior management team.

Pros

To earn FMB’s badge of quality, you need to pass a strict vetting process and independent inspection of your work. While this involves more administration compared to other lead-generation companies, it adds to your overall credibility and reassures clients of your high standards. It helps give you a foot in the door over other builders who are quoting for the same job.

You also get a host of other membership benefits, such as free downloadable contract templates, expert advice with a business helpline (whether it’s HR, health and safety, legal, or tax matters), dispute resolution support, free online training, and a 10% discount at Trade Point.

As a nonprofit, the FMB works with the media and the government to raise awareness of issues in the construction industry. Membership fees are reinvested to support you.

In the latest manifesto, FMB is lobbying the government to address the country’s shortage of homes. They want the government to:

•   Create a dedicated secretary of state for housing
•   Reduce VAT on repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI) work
•   Introduce a licensing scheme to rid the industry of cowboy builders

In taking out a membership with the FMB, you’re advocating reform in the construction industry and supporting a team who are fighting for it.

The FMB has a track record of success, having previously influenced policy changes such as the introduction of the Green Homes Grant and securing additional funding for vocational training in the building sector.

Cons 

To become an FMB-registered contractor, you need to apply by completing a short online form. A representative will then reach out to you and explain how the process of becoming a member works.

Once the administration is complete, they’ll have an independent assessor visit one of your sites for a day to carry out an inspection of your work to check it meets high standards. The overall application process takes around two to three weeks.

Jumping through these hoops is unlikely to be worthwhile for smaller businesses, even though the FMB has a proud history of supporting small and medium-sized firms.

There are only 73 active members using FMB, most of which are national businesses, such as Isuzu, Openreach, BP, and Trade Point.

There’s also a lack of price transparency for becoming a member, but you can expect to pay around

£53 and an inspection fee of £11 per month (in the first year only).

That’s expensive when there is no indication of how many prospects will view your profile or reach out to you. Still, payments are monthly and you can cancel anytime.

Summary

•   Type: Directory
•   Cost: £53.51 (+VAT) and inspection fee of £10.92 per month (+VAT)
•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.3/5.0, from 629 reviews
•   Link: fmb.org.uk

4. MyBuilder

MyBuilder helps construction professionals generate leads by allowing them to bid on jobs posted by homeowners needing trusted tradespeople, with a pay-per-lead payment model.

They charge when a customer shortlists you for the job, which is usually between £10 to £50, depending on the job’s size and nature.

Pros

Signing up for MyBuilder is free, and you don’t need to commit to an expensive rolling monthly contract. Once you’re set up, MyBuilder will send you leads that match your skills and work area. You can respond to as many of these as you like when it suits you.

If customers are interested in your bid, they’ll shortlist you. So you’ll only pay a fee when they’re actively engaged and when you have expressed interest.

Before bidding, you get full visibility of how many other tradespeople have expressed interest and how many have been shortlisted. This helps you gauge whether applying is still worthwhile.

With three main tabs to navigate—New leads, Interested, and Contacts—MyBuilder’s user interface is the simplest platform to use and navigate, which is perfect for technophobes.

This makes it incredibly easy to keep track of and respond to your leads.

Cons

If you apply for several projects and are shortlisted for multiple jobs, the costs start mounting up. Customers are unaware of how tradespeople are charged, so they often liberally shortlist tradespeople, up to a maximum of 10.

In a sense, customers are encouraged to shortlist; it’s only when they do that they’re able to read a message from you.

But that can also mean that by the time you follow up with them, they’re disgruntled from having already dealt with so many other contractors.

Many customers complain about the barrage of communication they receive from tradespeople, meaning the experience overall is much less customer-friendly.

Summary

•   Type: Pay per lead
•   Cost: Account creation is free, with a fee of between £10 to £50 for each shortlisting
•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.6/5.0, from 50,865 reviews
•   Link: mybuilder.com

5. Rated People

Rated People connects construction experts with homeowners seeking reliable tradespeople, providing a steady flow of leads, and it operates on a pay-per-lead basis.

You simply choose the location you are available to work in, and you’ll see a list of homeowners who need your help.

Pros

One of the delights of using Rated People is that there are no shortlists and no waiting for the phone to ring. The platform puts you in complete control.

You buy leads when it suits you, and no more than three tradespeople can buy the same one. This means you stand to achieve a much higher win rate. Once you buy a lead, you get immediate access to the homeowner’s details, so you can follow up instantly.

If, for whatever reason, the lead is not contactable (say, if they’ve used a fake email address), you can get a credit back for the failed lead. You don’t have that luxury with other pay-per-lead platforms like MyBuilder.

The Rated People ecosystem is so easy to use. You can chat with customers on the go, get alerts for new leads, and request reviews for work in just a couple of taps.

Cons

When signing up for Rated People, their team will follow up with a phone call (usually within 24 hours) to explain how Rated People works. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that this is basically a smokescreen to sell you the benefits of using their platform before sharing the price with you.

Their most popular subscription costs £35 a month, which isn’t unreasonable, but you have to pay per lead too. So if you have periods where you’re too busy to pick up extra jobs, you’ll still be paying for the service, unlike with MyBuilder (where you only pay per lead).

Also, jobs are only live on Rated People for three working days, whereas Checkatrade keeps them live for around 30 days.

While this keeps the market competitive, it doesn’t give you a great window of opportunity to respond to job posts. You need to be routinely checking Rated People two to three times a week to ensure you don’t miss any.

If you have any issues and need to speak to customer service, finding contact information (whether email or phone) is virtually impossible. If you do enough digging around in the “Help hub”, you’ll eventually stumble across a live chat option.

Summary

•   Type: Pay per lead
•   Cost: Leads cost £2 to £65; monthly subscription of £35.
•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.4/5.0, from 17,172 reviews
•   Link: ratedpeople.com

 

6. Bark

Bark connects construction professionals with potential clients who are looking for a wide range of building and renovation services (as well as other services outside the construction industry), charging per lead to help you grow your business.

After creating a free account with Bark, customers can find you and reach out to you. Bark will also send you emails and notifications with relevant leads in your area. Not only that, but you can browse job posts.

Bark charges a fee for each introduction (paid for in credits), where you get each potential customer’s phone number and email address.

Pros

To some, no doubt spending £230.40 (ex VAT) for 180 credits may sound expensive, but Bark doesn’t lock you into a paid monthly subscription like other lead-generation companies.

This puts you in complete control over managing your workload. Your credits never expire, so there’s no pressure to use them within a certain period.

With 180 credits, you can usually buy around 12 leads, which works out at around £23 per lead. Bark is so confident that you’ll get hired at least once, that they will issue you with a full refund if you don’t. It’s a no-risk lead-generation strategy, and you can cancel anytime.

There are no commissions or hidden fees with Bark, nor is there a risk of a subscription price hike.

When a lead posts a job, a maximum of five professionals can respond to them—and you can always see how many have already been in contact with the job poster.

Contractors with a more sophisticated CRM system can integrate Bark with Hubspot and Zapier, to automatically sync purchased leads and carry out targeted campaigns.

Cons

As with any lead-generation service, you can expect leads to ignore your messages or calls. Usually, around one in five prospects will actively engage. But some aren’t always interested in actually going ahead, even though their lead profile says they have high hiring intent.

Also, many tradespeople have noticed that the cost (in credits) for the same job often differs. For example, a 30m2 house extension in the same area costs 12 credits, and another costs 18 credits.

After signing up with your free account, you’ll be encouraged to sign up for the Elite Pro plan, which supposedly helps your profile stand out and rank higher in SEO results. But for £49.95 per month (ex VAT), your money is better spent contacting customers directly.

Summary

•   Type: Pay per lead
•   Cost: 180 credits for £230.40 (enough for eight to 10 leads)
•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.2/5.0, from 93,880 reviews
•   Link: bark.com

7. Resi Connect

Resi is one of the UK’s largest architectural services, and they provide a Connect service for helping customers find vetted contractors.

As a vetted contractor, you get access to the projects and their design, and you can manage your projects using the online dashboard. Resi will introduce you to customers, and you won’t pay a penny until you land a project.

Pros

Resi Connect is a small network of around 150 tradespeople, meaning that you’re not up against dozens of competitors. If you offer a specialist service or cover a certain region, this means your chances of landing a contract are higher.

Resi’s process involves:

1. Project matching – Resi introduces customers to a selection of suitable contractors.
2. Client intro – Customers request to meet contractors based on high-level cost estimates.
3. Client site visit – Resi arranges any necessary site visits and allows you to take over.
4. Decision-making – Resi’s customer service team handles any tendering queries.
5. Full handover – Resi confirms the on-site start date and completes a full handover.

It’s a personal service that streamlines the tendering process, eliminating confusion for customers who might be tired of browsing endless listings of amateur tradespeople in online directories.

Not only that, but you can manage your projects using Resi’s online Dashboard to provide quotes, manage important documents, and communicate with the Resi team.

The signup process is subject to background checks and vetting, but getting started takes no more than 30 seconds by filling in your details with your Companies House number and website.

Cons

One of the downsides of Resi is account creation. You have to dig deep to find the small section on the Connect page that says “Are you a tradesperson? Get in touch if you're interested in being introduced to Resi customers”.

To sign up, you need to head to the Trade page.

Once your request has been received, Resi will be in touch to start the vetting process and acceptance is not guaranteed

Then, those who are successful in winning a contract are hit with a 5% referral fee—which earns it the title of Most Expensive Lead Generator in this comparison.

Resi charges an agent fee, but the process still requires effort on your behalf, as you need to bid for jobs on the dashboard.

Having learned this, some customers have remarked their disapproval, suggesting that the fee inflates the price of the contract, a cost which is passed on to them—which may affect their overall satisfaction.

Summary

•   Type: Introducer
•   Cost: ~5% referral fee
•   Trustpilot Rating: 4.6/5.0, from 589 reviews
•   Link: resi.co.uk

  

Local Listings for Construction Companies

If you want to pick up more local work, the quickest win for boosting your lead generation is to list your business on:

•   Google My Business
•   Bing Places for Business

Local search results are prioritised, especially when a user appends “near me” to their searches. By accumulating reviews on Google and Facebook (which are visible in Bing listings), you can leapfrog the local competition to the top of the local search results.

You don’t need to be in the habit of publishing tonnes of blogs and building a comprehensive SEO strategy to be visible to your local audience.

This is the lowest-hanging fruit of the lead-generation world—and it’s totally free!

                                                                 

Best Lead Generators for Construction Companies

For a steady stream of leads, you might want to take a mixed-methods approach, rather than relying exclusively on one type, such as directories. Whichever type of lead-gen company you use, be sure to track your performance and conversion rates; you want to avoid paying fees if your chosen platform isn’t generating new leads and, most importantly, conversions.

Also, if you’re getting more leads than you can handle, you might want to pause your subscriptions. Paying monthly (rather than annually) for subscriptions might be the most economical choice, especially if your business experiences demand fluctuations.

Overall, good luck! And remember to focus on your business fundamentals and customer satisfaction rather than just buying leads, as tempting as it may seem.

How do you balance functionality and aesthetics when creating a lighting plan? Lighting sometimes falls by the wayside during the planning stages and is often overlooked for more grandiose aspects of our designs. But when a project is complete, the impact of good or bad lighting can be immediately felt—at which point, it’s too late to rectify. 

Rebecca Weir, creative director at Light IQ, says ‘Architectural lighting should be discussed at the outset of a project.’ Doing so helps avoid common mistakes made with new-build projects, where lighting is too often an afterthought.

1. Aesthetic Goals

Lighting isn’t simply a means to eliminate darkness. Identifying specific goals for each lighting element helps us decide what kinds of light to choose, as well as the colour, intensity, and shape.

When someone steps into a room, how do you want them to feel? The intensity and colour temperature of the light creates a certain ambiance. Consider these two contrasting goals and their respective solutions:

• Goal: cosy, intimate dining room – Solution: low light dimmers. 
• Goal: a study room that inspires productivity – Solution: bright, cool lighting.

Get it the wrong way round and you may well induce a person to sleep in their office or study.

Ambience is just one goal you might want to consider; you can also manipulate lighting to:

• Accentuate specific elements – Lighting can be strategically placed to highlight artwork on walls or sculptures.
• Make a space feel bigger – Recessed lighting in the ceiling can create an illusion of greater height, making the room feel larger and more expansive.
• Spark conversation and impress – Installing a statement piece gets people’s attention the moment they walk in.

The challenge lies in finding lighting that meets multiple goals. It’s not enough to simply have a contemporary light fitting if the lighting is inadequate or casts unwanted shadows.

You need lighting where form follows function.

2. Natural Light Considerations

Artificial lights are one part of the equation. Natural light is another aspect that’s often overlooked, and it has a significant effect on people’s psychological state and how they behave. 

Living in the UK, especially during those short, dark winter days, your goal may be to invite as much natural light as possible. In which case, be mindful that north-facing rooms receive less direct sunlight during the day compared to rooms facing other directions.

In another room, however—say, a study—too much light may cause screen glare. Ever heard of smart glass? It can change its transparency to control glare, but it also contributes to heat gain, improving energy efficiency.

One of the most convenient options for letting in natural light that’s favoured by developers is a skylight, and they come in many forms:

• Pitched skylights – can be opened and closed
• Fixed skylights – stationary and cannot be opened
• Ventilating skylights – can be opened and closed
• Pyramid skylights – often used in commercial buildings or atriums

There’s nothing quite like standing beneath a skylight during a storm. 

Be mindful that too many windows can cause a greenhouse effect, with buildings overheating in the sun and rapidly losing heat when the temperature drops. 

3. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

The energy efficiency of every product we use is becoming increasingly important from a sustainability perspective. Not only that, buildings that are more energy-efficient can attract higher sale values, both in private and commercial sectors.

Research led by the real estate consultant JLL examined 592 offices in Central London and found that Capital values were on average 20.6% higher as a result of BREEAM certification.

So, what can we do to lessen the energy consumption of a property through our lighting plan? 

• Install dimmers – adjusting the brightness levels avoids wasting energy for excessive light and gives greater control of the setting of the ambiance.
• Select the right lamps – LED light bulbs are currently the most efficient option, particularly chip-on-board (COB) which offers higher lumen output and better energy efficiency.
• Avoid certain light fixtures – does a property really need countless spotlights, accent lighting in unused areas, and excessive landscape lighting?
• Use motion sensors and timers – automatically control lighting, ensuring lights are only active when necessary, thus reducing energy waste.
• Implement automation – manage lighting schedules and preferences to optimise energy usage and enhance overall efficiency.

It’s worth noting that Wi-Fi-operated automations, colloquially known as ‘vampire appliances’, still consume fractions of power when on standby or turned off.

4. Ambient, Task, & Accent Lighting

Lighting layering refers to the technique of using multiple types of lights and fixtures within one space. There are essentially three layers of lighting:

• Ambient lighting – natural light, ceiling fixtures, etc.

• Task lighting – pendant lighting, kitchen worktop lighting, floor lamps, etc.

• Accent lighting – wall sconces, cove lighting, step lighting, etc.

While layering requires more complex planning and installation, there are many benefits for the occupants, namely improving comfort by avoiding unnecessary brightness when not needed.

For instance, in a museum, ambient lighting from skylights and ceiling fixtures are the main ambient light sources, while task lighting directs light towards specific exhibits, and accent lighting highlights individual artworks.

At home, a similar approach could be applied in a study where windows and ceiling lights provide ambient lighting, desk lamps offer task lighting for work surfaces, and LED strips or backlights illuminate the edge of the desk for added visibility.

5. Up-Lighting, Down-Lighting, & Cross-Lighting

The position of lighting helps create certain atmospheric effects. Have you considered any of the following when designing your lighting system?

• Up-lighting involves positioning light fixtures at ground level to illuminate architectural features from below, such as columns, trees, or facades.
• Down-lighting or overhead lighting involves mounting fixtures on high surfaces to highlight specific areas, such as seating areas or pathways.
• Cross-lighting involves placing fixtures at opposing angles to illuminate to accentuate an object’s profile and texture.

Before you commit, it’s worth noting the following drawbacks of each:

• Uplights don’t evenly illuminate large areas or tall spaces, leading to uneven lighting distribution and potential shadows in certain areas.
• Downlights positioned at eye level or with insufficient shielding cause glare, which some may find too dazzling.
• Cross-lighting produces pronounced shadows, disrupting the overall appeal of adjacent walls and the coherence of the environment.

These types of lighting aren’t generally necessities, but they more distinctly convey the character and mood of a particular space.

6. Wall Washing

Those who obsess about uniformity will appreciate the washing technique—which is where a uniform layer of light is projected over a surface, typically a wall or ceiling, to create an even glow.

Wall washing the axes of a room and its functional areas clear, and a bright background is pleasant to the eye (which can even prevent fatigue). 

Certain lights, like light bars with adjustable spotlights, are notorious for creating bright spots and shadowed areas.

The solution to achieving uniformity lies in making two choices:

• Light fitting type – choose something unshaded or unobstructed; recessed spotlights tend to create an even glow; even lights with transparent decorations refract light and cast shadows.
• Strategic placement of lights – consider the proximity of light fittings and the walls as well as the angle of the light fixture’s lamps.

Wall washing, when done correctly, affects our perception of a room’s size.

Creating a Lighting Scheme for Your Project

The interplay of light and shadow goes beyond the simple hitting of a switch; it’s an art form that shapes our perception of space and influences how we interact with it. 

Perhaps the biggest pitfall is when we design a lighting plan that’s homogenous throughout a property. Each room—and even space—has its own lighting needs. When creating a lighting scheme, it’s helpful to consider each room in isolation before firming up a specification.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Plans

Here are some frequently asked questions about lighting plans.

What is a BREEAM-certified building?

BREEAM is the world’s leading sustainability assessment method that scrutinises the acquisition, design, construction, and operation of a development. Central to its evaluation are sustainability objectives spanning diverse categories, including energy, land use, ecology, and water.

What’s the difference between ambient, task, and accent lighting?

Ambient lighting acts as the main light source in a space, task lighting offers targeted illumination for particular activities (like a bright desk lamp when writing), and accent lighting draws attention to specific elements within a room (such as a spotlight for an ornamental vase)

What is architectural lighting design?

Architectural lighting is the intersection of art (architecture) and technology (lighting). It serves to emphasise a building’s aesthetic, history, and purpose. Physics, engineering, and the psychological effects of light also influence architectural lighting design.

With an aging population in the UK, Bungalows are in high demand. The average price of a bungalow rose by 17% in 2023, compared with 13% for houses and 5% for flats. The rising demand (and prices) has many wondering what the total cost of building a bungalow is. Naturally, building costs vary by size, type, and complexity, so in this article, we’ll cover the cost of building a bungalow across various regions in the UK.To give you an accurate view, we’ll compare the cost of building three different types of bungalows:

• Two-bedroom bungalow (90m2)
• Three-bedroom bungalow (100m2)
• Three-bedroom bungalow with garage and driveway (125m2)

Let’s delve into the cost breakdown for each bungalow, as well as the average costs per sq metre, to ensure your project is accurately costed and to minimise overspend.

The Bungalow Bottleneck

With no stairs, bungalows are practical for people who have mobility issues, but there aren’t enough of them to go around. The National House Building Council (NHBC) says bungalows are “on the critically endangered list” after construction recently hit an 80-year low.

There are just 228 new bungalows registered to be built between July and September 2024. But the need to provide housing for those aged 65 and over has reached a critical point. Right now, there are over 10 million people currently aged 65 and over (18% of the population).

In the next 40 years, the number of people:

• Aged 65-79 is predicted to increase by 30% to over 10 million.
• Aged 80 and over is set to more than double to over 6 million.

Is now a good time to build a new bungalow? Demand is certainly not lacking, but developers find it challenging to make them financially viable due to limited space and lower profit margins compared to two-storey homes.

Let’s take a look at how much they cost.

Building A Bungalow Construction Cost Calculations

In our calculations, we applied a consistent methodology across nine regions: East Anglia, London, the Midlands, North England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South East England, South West England, and Wales.

In terms of build specification, BuildPartner’s pricing tool gives you three broad options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Low spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Mid spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• High spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

To keep our comparisons simple, we have chosen mid spec in all our cost estimations. We’ve also provided three different benchmarks to show the types of contractors. These are:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.
• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

 

Cost Of Building A Two-Bed Bungalow (90m2)

Below is a table showing the average cost of building a two-bedroom bungalow (90m2) in the UK, comprising the following rooms:

• Two bedrooms
• Open-plan kitchen-living-dining room
• Bathroom
• Cloakroom
• Pantry

Two-bed bungalow (90m2)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£156,796	£171,051	£185,305	£1,742	£1,901	£2,059
London	£180,904	£203,693	£227,662	£2,010	£2,263	£2,530
Midlands	£153,565	£167,526	£181,486	£1,706	£1,861	£2,017
North England	£146,917	£166,410	£180,277	£1,632	£1,849	£2,003
N. Ireland	£149,446	£160,273	£173,630	£1,632	£1,781	£1,929
Scotland	£151,975	£165,790	£179,607	£1,689	£1,842	£1,996
South East	£166,677	£186,375	£206,781	£2,013	£2,251	£2,471
South West	£155,249	£175,327	£192,432	£1,742	£1,948	£2,138
Wales	£153,701	£171,866	£184,256	£1,708	£1,910	£2,047
Average	£157,248	£174,257	£190,159	£1,764	£1,956	£2,132

All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a two-bedroom bungalow (90m2):

• It costs 20% more to build a two-bedroom bungalow in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £146,917 and the maximum cost is £227,662.
• The total average cost is £173,888, or £1,951 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Three-Bed Bungalow (100m2)

Below is a table showing the average cost of building a three-bedroom bungalow (100m2) in the UK, comprising the following rooms:

• Three bedrooms
• Open-plan kitchen-living-dining room
• Bathroom
• Cloakroom
• Pantry
• Separate WC

Three-bed bungalow (100m2)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£167,968	£183,238	£198,507	£1,680	£1,832	£1,985
London	£193,862	£218,334	£244,445	£1,939	£2,183	£2,444
Midlands	£164,484	£179,437	£194,390	£1,645	£1,794	£1,944
North England	£157,344	£178,247	£193,101	£1,573	£1,782	£1,931
N. Ireland	£160,067	£185,953	£171,648	£1,573	£1,860	£1,716
Scotland	£162,789	£177,588	£192,387	£1,628	£1,776	£1,924
South East	£178,720	£199,842	£219,338	£1,943	£2,172	£2,384
South West	£166,305	£187,819	£206,143	£1,680	£1,878	£2,061
Wales	£164,642	£184,099	£197,382	£1,646	£1,841	£1,974
Average	£168,464	£188,284	£201,927	£1,701	£1,902	£2,040

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a three-bedroom bungalow (100m2):

• The minimum cost is £157,344 and the maximum cost is £244,445.
• The total average cost is £186,225, or £1,881 per square metre.

 

Cost Of Building A Three-Bed Bungalow With Garage & Driveway (125m2)

Below is a table showing the average cost of building a three-bedroom bungalow (125m2) with a garage and driveway, comprising the following:

• Three bedrooms
• Open-plan kitchen-living-dining room
• Bathroom
• Cloakroom
• Pantry
• Separate WC
• Garage with a pitched roof
• Driveway

 

Three-bed bungalow w. garage/driveway (125m2)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£178,546	£194,777	£211,009	£1,428	£1,558	£1,688
London	£205,980	£231,885	£259,317	£1,648	£1,855	£2,075
Midlands	£174,904	£190,805	£206,705	£1,399	£1,526	£1,654
North England	£167,406	£189,541	£205,336	£1,339	£1,516	£1,643
N. Ireland	£164,058	£185,750	£201,229	£1,312	£1,486	£1,610
Scotland	£173,022	£188,751	£204,481	£1,384	£1,510	£1,636
South East	£189,869	£212,308	£235,553	£1,519	£1,698	£1,884
South West	£176,804	£199,646	£219,124	£1,414	£1,597	£1,753
Wales	£175,062	£195,751	£209,832	£1,400	£1,566	£1,679
Average	£178,405	£198,801	£216,954	£1,427	£1,590	£1,736

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a three-bedroom bungalow (125m2):

• The minimum cost is £164,058 and the maximum cost is £259,317.
• The total average cost is £198,054, or £1,584 per square metre.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Bungalow In 2024?

So, how much does it cost to build a new bungalow in the UK? That depends largely on where you are building. Based on the three types of bungalows covered in this article, building a bungalow could cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Two-bed bungalow (90m2) – £174,257, or £1,956 per square metre
• Three-bed bungalow (100m2) – £188,284, or £1,902 per square metre
• Three-bed bungalow w. garage/driveway (125m2) – £198,801, or £1,590 per square metre

Please remember all costs exclude VAT.

Other Build Costs To Factor In

Please note that these costs do not encompass utility fees like gas, water, and electricity, nor do they include design fees for NHBC, architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, or party wall agreements. Additionally, costs for anomalies such as ground obstructions, contaminated waste, or project-specific site requirements are excluded. There is no contingency included in these costs, which would typically add around 5% to the budget.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Build Cost Of Bungalows

Here are some frequently asked questions about building a bungalow in the UK.

Can I build a bungalow in my back garden?

You can build a bungalow in your back garden, subject to obtaining planning permission from your local authority. There are building regulations and guidelines you’ll need to adhere to, such as those concerning the size, height, and distance from property boundaries. 

Can you build up on a bungalow?

It’s possible to build upward on a bungalow by adding additional floors on top of the existing single-storey structure. Although the foundations are already in place, any plan to build upward would require an evaluation of their capacity to support additional floors.

As always, you would need to obtain planning permission from your local authority before proceeding, as there are regulations and guidelines governing building height, structural integrity, and aesthetics.

Is there a shortage of bungalows?

Construction of new-build bungalows has hit an 80-year low, and there is a huge demand for accessible living due to the ageing population. However, building upwards instead of on the ground floor allows a builder to maximise land usage (particularly where land is expensive) and create more dwellings within the same footprint.

Estimating the cost of building a porch is challenging when the economy is wrestling with inflation. Material costs and labour have risen substantially. We’ll bring you up to speed on just how much to ensure your project is accurately costed and to minimise overspend.r Naturally, building costs vary by size, type, and complexity, so in this article, we’ll cover the cost of building a porch across various regions in the UK.

To give you an accurate view of costs, we’ll compare four different types of porches:

• Brick porch – constructed with bricks.
• Rendered porch – built with blocks and a rendered finish.
• Timber porch (enclosed) – made primarily from wood.
• Open porch – without enclosed walls, and offering an external shelter.

Let’s explore the cost breakdown for each type of porch, to help you make an informed decision about on which is best for your construction project.

Building A Porch Construction Cost Calculations

In our calculations, we applied a consistent methodology across different regions. The cost comparisons are based on a gross external floor area (GEFA) of 3m². You can build a porch as large as this without submitting a planning permission application.

The only exception is the open porch. Our calculation for this is based on a GEFA of 2m2, which more than suffices.

In terms of build specification BuildPartner pricing tool gives you three broad options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Low spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Mid spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• High spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

To keep this comparison simple, we have chosen mid spec in all our cost estimations. In addition to this, we have also provided three different benchmarks to show the range you can expect amongst different contractors. These are:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.

• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Cost Of Building A Brick Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 3m2 brick porch in the UK:

Brick Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£6,923	£7,552	£8,181	£2,308	£2,517	£2,727
London	£8,100	£9,057	£10,094	£2,700	£3,019	£3,365
Midlands	£6,773	£7,389	£8,004	£2,258	£2,463	£2,668
North England	£6,454	£7,327	£7,938	£2,151	£2,442	£2,646
Northern Ireland	£6,565	£7,627	£7,040	£2,151	£2,542	£2,347
Scotland	£6,676	£7,283	£7,890	£2,225	£2,428	£2,630
South East	£7,452	£8,333	£9,245	£2,700	£3,019	£3,314
South West	£6,850	£7,741	£8,496	£2,308	£2,580	£2,832
Wales	£6,778	£7,579	£8,133	£2,259	£2,526	£2,711
Average	£6,952	£7,765	£8,336	£2,340	£2,615	£2,804

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a brick porch:

• It costs 21% more to build a porch in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £6,454 and the maximum cost is £10,094.
• The total average cost is £7,684, or £2,587 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Rendered Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 3m2 rendered porch in the UK:

Rendered Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£6,387	£6,968	£7,549	£2,129	£2,323	£2,516
London	£7,405	£8,281	£9,241	£2,468	£2,760	£3,080
Midlands	£6,257	£6,826	£7,395	£2,086	£2,275	£2,465
North England	£5,979	£6,774	£7,338	£1,993	£2,258	£2,446
Northern Ireland	£5,859	£6,638	£7,191	£1,953	£2,213	£2,397
Scotland	£6,178	£6,739	£7,301	£2,059	£2,246	£2,434
South East	£6,813	£7,618	£8,452	£2,271	£2,539	£2,817
South West	£6,325	£7,142	£7,839	£2,108	£2,381	£2,613
Wales	£6,262	£7,002	£7,507	£2,087	£2,334	£2,502
Average	£6,385	£7,110	£7,757	£2,128	£2,370	£2,586

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a rendered porch:

• The minimum cost is £5,859 and the maximum cost is £9,241.
• The total average cost is £7,084, or £2,361 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Timber Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 3m2 timber porch in the UK:

Timber Porch (Enclosed)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£5,758	£6,281	£6,805	£1,919	£2,094	£2,268
London	£6,470	£7,234	£7,940	£2,157	£2,411	£2,647
Midlands	£5,658	£6,173	£6,687	£1,886	£2,058	£2,229
North England	£5,451	£6,139	£6,650	£1,817	£2,046	£2,217
Northern Ireland	£5,535	£5,946	£6,442	£1,817	£1,982	£2,147
Scotland	£5,619	£6,130	£6,641	£1,873	£2,043	£2,214
South East	£5,952	£6,656	£7,305	£2,157	£2,411	£2,647
South West	£5,711	£6,438	£7,066	£1,919	£2,146	£2,355
Wales	£5,664	£6,333	£6,776	£1,888	£2,111	£2,259
Average	£5,757	£6,370	£6,924	£1,937	£2,145	£2,331

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a timber porch:

• The minimum cost is £5,451 and the maximum cost is £7,940.
• The total average cost is £6,350, or £2,138 per square metre.

Cost Of Building An Open Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 2m2 open porch:

Open Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£2,483	£2,709	£2,934	£1,242	£1,354	£1,467
London	£2,879	£3,219	£3,533	£1,439	£1,609	£1,767
Midlands	£2,435	£2,657	£2,878	£1,218	£1,328	£1,439
North England	£2,328	£2,633	£2,852	£1,164	£1,316	£1,426
Northern Ireland	£2,359	£2,540	£2,752	£1,164	£1,270	£1,376
Scotland	£2,390	£2,608	£2,825	£1,195	£1,304	£1,412
South East	£2,648	£2,961	£3,286	£1,439	£1,609	£1,767
South West	£2,459	£2,776	£3,047	£1,242	£1,388	£1,524
Wales	£2,484	£2,723	£2,918	£1,218	£1,361	£1,459
Average	£2,496	£2,758	£3,003	£1,258	£1,393	£1,515

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building an open porch:

• The minimum cost is £2,328 and the maximum cost is £3,533.
• The total average cost is £2,752, or £1,389 per square metre.

Summary Of The Average Cost To Build A Porch

So, how much does it cost to build a new porch in the UK? That depends largely on where you are building. If you’re building a porch in London, it will cost you an average of 21% more, whereas if you’re building in North England, it will cost you around 8% less on average.

Based on the four different types of porches covered in this article, you can expect building a porch to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Brick porch – £7,765, or £2,615 per square metre
• Rendered porch – £7,110, or £2,370 per square metre
• Timber porch (enclosed) – £6,370, or £2,145 per square metre
• Open porch – £2,758, or £1,393 per square metre

Please remember all costs exclude VAT.

Frequently Asked Questions About Building A Porch

Here are some frequently asked questions about building a porch.

Can I build a porch without planning permission?

Porches are generally regarded as permitted developments, providing they adhere to certain conditions. The gross external floor area must not exceed three square metres, and the porch must be no higher than three metres above ground level. Also, the porch must be more than two metres away from the boundary of the property.

Does a porch add value to a house?

It’s not possible to quantify the extent to which a porch adds value to a property. However, a new porch boosts curb appeal and increased the perceived value of the property. It also serves as an extra barrier against heat loss, making it harder for heat to escape a house, increasing the overall energy efficiency.

How long does it take to build a porch?

Building a porch can take anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. It depends on the complexity of the project and waiting times. If, for example, you’re waiting for a heating engineer to connect pipework and install a radiator, the project could take longer. 

The same is true of other trades, such as roofers, electricians, plasterers, and joiners. One to two weeks would be reasonable, providing tradesmen are aligned to the project timelines.

 

The cost of building a new garage has risen in the last few years. Naturally, building costs vary by size, type, and complexity, so in this article, we’ll cover the cost of building a garage across various regions in the UK. 

To give you an accurate view of costs, we’ll also compare four different types of garages: a single garage with a flat roof, a single garage with a pitched roof, a double garage with a flat roof, and a double garage with a pitched roof.

 

Building A Garage Construction Cost Calculations

In our calculations, we applied a consistent methodology across different regions. The cost comparisons are based on the garage being an extension appended to an existing dwelling, not building a new detached structure.

The typical sizes of garages in the UK are:

• Single – 10 x 18 feet (3m × 5.5m, with a gross external area of 16.5m2)
• Double – 18 x 18 feet (5.5m × 6m, with a gross external area of 33m2)

We have used both of these measurements to calculate the costs in this article.

 

In terms of build specification when using our BuildPartner pricing tool, our pricing calculator gives you three broad options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Low spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Mid spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• High spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

 

To keep this comparison simple, we have chosen mid spec in all our cost estimations. In addition to this, we have also provided three different benchmarks to show the range you can expect amongst different contractors. These are:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.

• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Cost Of Building A Single Garage With A Flat Roof

 

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a single garage with a flat roof in the UK:

Single Garage With Flat Roof	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£22,709	£23,234	£26,838	£1,376	£1,408	£1,627
London	£26,878	£30,055	£32,987	£1,629	£1,821	£1,999
Midlands	£22,185	£24,202	£26,219	£1,345	£1,467	£1,589
North England	£21,047	£23,948	£25,944	£1,276	£1,451	£1,572
Northern Ireland	£21,378	£22,960	£24,873	£1,276	£1,392	£1,507
Scotland	£21,708	£23,682	£25,655	£1,316	£1,435	£1,555
South East	£23,835	£26,652	£29,252	£1,445	£1,615	£1,773
South West	£22,450	£25,393	£27,870	£1,376	£1,539	£1,689
Wales	£22,192	£24,815	£26,649	£1,345	£1,504	£1,615
Average	£22,709	£24,993	£27,365	£1,376	£1,515	£1,659

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a single garage with a flat roof:

• It costs 23% more to build a garage in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £21,047 and the maximum cost is £32,987.
• The total average cost is £25,023, or £1,516 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Single Garage With A Pitched Roof

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a single garage with a pitched roof in the UK:

Single Garage With Pitched Roof	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£26,880	£29,323	£31,767	£1,629	£1,777	£1,925
London	£32,019	£35,803	£39,296	£1,941	£2,170	£2,382
Midlands	£26,170	£28,549	£30,928	£1,586	£1,730	£1,874
North England	£24,686	£28,245	£30,598	£1,496	£1,712	£1,854
Northern Ireland	£25,137	£26,930	£29,174	£1,496	£1,632	£1,768
Scotland	£25,588	£27,914	£30,240	£1,551	£1,692	£1,833
South East	£28,477	£31,842	£34,949	£1,726	£1,930	£2,118
South West	£26,528	£30,056	£32,989	£1,629	£1,822	£1,999
Wales	£26,176	£29,270	£31,497	£1,586	£1,774	£1,909
Average	£26,851	£29,770	£32,382	£1,627	£1,804	£1,963

All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a single garage with a pitched roof:

• The minimum cost is £24,686 and the maximum cost is £39,296.
• The total average cost is £29,668, or £2,382 per square metre.
  

Cost Of Building A Double Garage With A Flat Roof

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a double garage with a flat roof in the UK:

Double Garage With Flat Roof	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£32,488	£35,442	£38,395	£1,074	£1,172	£1,269
London	£38,620	£43,184	£47,397	£1,277	£1,428	£1,567
Midlands	£31,719	£34,603	£37,487	£1,049	£1,144	£1,239
North England	£30,039	£34,227	£37,079	£993	£1,131	£1,226
Northern Ireland	£30,532	£32,770	£35,501	£1,009	£1,083	£1,174
Scotland	£31,024	£33,844	£36,665	£1,026	£1,119	£1,212
South East	£34,126	£38,159	£41,882	£1,128	£1,261	£1,385
South West	£32,108	£36,328	£39,872	£1,061	£1,201	£1,318
Wales	£31,728	£35,477	£38,119	£1,049	£1,173	£1,260
Average	£32,487	£36,004	£39,155	£1,074	£1,190	£1,294

All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a double garage with a flat roof:

• The minimum cost is £30,039 and the maximum cost is £47,397.
• The total average cost is £35,882, or £1,186 per square metre.

 

Cost Of Building A Double Garage With A Pitched Roof

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a double garage with a pitched roof in the UK:

Double Garage With Pitched Roof	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£39,156	£42,716	£46,276	£1,294	£1,412	£1,530
London	£46,707	£52,227	£57,322	£1,544	£1,727	£1,895
Midlands	£38,076	£41,538	£44,999	£1,259	£1,373	£1,488
North England	£35,840	£41,093	£44,518	£1,185	£1,358	£1,472
Northern Ireland	£36,539	£39,098	£42,356	£1,185	£1,293	£1,400
Scotland	£37,238	£40,624	£44,009	£1,231	£1,343	£1,455
South East	£41,609	£46,526	£51,065	£1,375	£1,538	£1,688
South West	£38,620	£43,784	£48,056	£1,294	£1,447	£1,589
Wales	£38,084	£42,585	£45,859	£1,259	£1,408	£1,516
Average	£39,097	£43,355	£47,162	£1,292	£1,433	£1,559

All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a single garage with a pitched roof:

• The minimum cost is £35,840 and the maximum cost is £57,322.
• The total average cost is £43,204, or £1,428 per square metre.

Summary Of The Average Cost To Build A Garage

 

So, how much does it cost to build a new garage in the UK? That depends largely on where you are building. If you’re building a garage in London, it will cost you an average of 23% more, whereas if you’re building in North England, it will cost you around 8% less on average.

Based on the four different types of garages covered in this article, you can expect building a garage to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Single with flat roof – £24,993, or £1,515 per square metre
• Single with pitched roof – £29,770, or £1,804 per square metre
• Double with flat roof – £36,004, or £1,190 per square metre
• Double with pitched roof – £43,355, or £1,433 per square metre

You’ll notice that the cost per square metre decreases as the project size increases due to more efficient resource utilisation and lower average costs, leading to economies of scale.

Please remember that these costs are based on appending an extension to an existing dwelling, not building a new detached structure – and all costs exclude VAT.

In the ever-evolving landscape of construction and home improvement, the question of building costs is perennially at the forefront of any designer’s mind—materials, labour, compliance with the latest building regulations, and VAT of course.

Naturally, the cost of building an extension varies by size, type, and complexity, so in this article, we’ll break down the costs across various regions in the UK. We’ll also look at four types of extensions:

• Single-storey rear extension
• Double-storey rear extension
• Ground-floor wrap-around extension
• Brick porch extension

We’ll explore both the total project costs and costs per square metre. At the end of the article, we’ll summarise with a comparison to give you a holistic view of the costs of building an extension.

Building An Extension Construction Cost Calculations

In our calculations, we applied a consistent methodology across different regions. The cost comparisons are based on the following:

• The roof of the extension is pitched, not flat.
• The extension is constructed out of brick/block, not a timber frame.

As far as rooms are concerned, we included the following in our calculations:

• Single-storey rear extension – dining room, utility room, WC.
• Double-storey rear extension – dining room, utility room, WC, two bedrooms, an en-suite bathroom, a storage room, small landing.
• Ground-floor wrap-around extension – dining room, utility room, WC, boot/cloakroom.
• Brick porch extension – vacant space.

If you’d like to try a demo of our pricing tool, sign up here.

 

Which rooms you choose ultimately affects the overall cost of the extension. If we were adding a room for a kitchen instead of a dining room in these extensions, we would need to factor in the cost of fitting a kitchen and the appliances – which would bump up the cost.

Important! To keep things simple, we’ve only included the costs to build the extension, not the costs to refurbish and remodel the existing space.

So, when somebody asks “How much does it cost to build an extension?” it depends entirely on the nature of the project.

There’s no single answer.

But by sharing with you the specifications for these examples, you’ll leave with a much clearer idea of the range and average costs. When using our BuildPartner pricing tool, our pricing calculator gives you three broad options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Low spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Mid spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• High spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

To keep this comparison simple, we have chosen mid spec in all our cost estimations. In addition to this, we have also provided three different benchmarks to show the range you can expect amongst different contractors. These are:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.
• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.
• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

In short, contractor pricing varies due to factors such as expertise, location, and project intricacies.

 

Cost Of Building A Single-Storey Rear Extension

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a single-storey rear extension with a gross external area of 30 square metres:

Single-Storey Rear Extension	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£70,600	£77,018	£83,436	£2,353	£2,567	£2,781
London	£81,986	£92,188	£102,408	£2,733	£3,073	£3,414
Midlands	£68,963	£75,232	£81,502	£2,299	£2,508	£2,717
North England	£65,568	£74,576	£80,790	£2,186	£2,486	£2,693
Northern Ireland	£66,730	£71,528	£77,489	£2,186	£2,384	£2,583
Scotland	£67,892	£74,064	£80,236	£2,263	£2,469	£2,675
South East	£74,199	£82,968	£91,062	£2,473	£2,766	£3,035
South West	£69,801	£78,943	£86,645	£2,353	£2,631	£2,888
Wales	£69,003	£77,157	£82,847	£2,300	£2,572	£2,762
Average	£70,527	£78,186	£85,157	£2,350	£2,606	£2,839

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a single-storey rear extension:

• It costs 21% more to build an extension in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £65,568 and the maximum cost is £102,408.
• The total average cost is £77,957, or £2,598 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Double-Storey Rear Extension

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a double-storey rear extension with a gross external area of 60 square metres:

Double-Storey Rear Extension	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£123,085	£134,276	£145,465	£1,827	£2,238	£2,424
London	£143,207	£160,796	£179,281	£2,387	£2,680	£2,988
Midlands	£120,286	£131,221	£142,156	£2,005	£2,187	£2,369
North England	£114,540	£130,152	£140,998	£1,909	£2,169	£2,350
Northern Ireland	£116,541	£124,952	£135,365	£1,909	£2,083	£2,256
Scotland	£118,542	£129,318	£140,095	£1,976	£2,155	£2,335
South East	£129,236	£144,509	£158,608	£2,154	£2,408	£2,643
South West	£122,295	£137,633	£151,060	£2,051	£2,294	£2,518
Wales	£121,504	£135,864	£145,812	£2,025	£2,264	£2,430
Average	£ 123,113	£136,525	£148,760	£2,027	£2,275	£2,479

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a double-storey rear extension:

• The minimum cost is £114,540, and the maximum cost is £179,281.
• The total average cost is £136,132, or £2,268 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Ground-Floor Wrap-Around Extension

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a ground-floor wrap-around extension with a gross external area of 35 square metres:

Ground-Floor Wrap-Around Extension	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£84,035	£91,675	£99,314	£2,334	£2,547	£2,759
London	£97,577	£109,621	£122,056	£2,710	£3,045	£3,390
Midlands	£82,103	£89,567	£97,031	£2,281	£2,488	£2,695
North England	£78,096	£88,792	£96,191	£2,169	£2,466	£2,672
Northern Ireland	£79,458	£85,196	£92,295	£2,207	£2,367	£2,564
Scotland	£80,820	£88,167	£95,514	£2,245	£2,449	£2,653
South East	£88,296	£98,731	£108,363	£2,453	£2,743	£3,010
South West	£83,092	£93,967	£103,134	£2,308	£2,610	£2,865
Wales	£82,150	£91,858	£98,619	£2,282	£2,552	£2,739
Average	£83,959	£93,064	£101,391	£2,332	£2,585	£2,816

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a ground-floor wrap-around extension:

• The minimum cost is £78,096, and the maximum cost is £122,056.
• The total average cost is £92,804, or £2,578 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Brick Porch

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of a brick porch with a gross external area of five square metres:

Brick Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£5,983	£5,984	£7,071	£952	£1,197	£1,414
London	£6,917	£7,735	£8,489	£1,383	£1,547	£1,698
Midlands	£5,861	£6,394	£6,927	£1,172	£1,279	£1,385
North England	£5,606	£6,344	£6,873	£1,121	£1,269	£1,375
Northern Ireland	£5,693	£6,116	£6,625	£1,121	£1,223	£1,325
Scotland	£5,780	£6,306	£6,831	£1,156	£1,261	£1,366
South East	£6,249	£6,987	£7,669	£1,250	£1,397	£1,534
South West	£5,926	£6,691	£7,343	£1,197	£1,338	£1,469
Wales	£5,868	£6,562	£7,033	£1,174	£1,312	£1,407
Average	£5,851	£6,569	£7,207	£1,170	£1,314	£1,441

All costs exclude VAT

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a brick porch:

• The minimum cost is £5,606, and the maximum cost is £8,489.
• The total average cost is £6,584, or £1,317 per square metre.

Summary Of The Average Cost To Build An Extension

So, how much does it cost to build an extension in the UK? Based on the four different extensions we covered, you can expect it to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Single-storey rear extension – £78,186, or £2,606 per square metre.
• Double-storey rear extension – £136,525, or £2,275 per square metre.
• Ground-floor wrap-around extension – £93,064, or £2,585 per square metre.
• Brick porch – £6,569, or £1,314 per square metre.

With the exception of a brick porch, you’ll notice that the cost per square metre decreases as the project size increases due to more efficient resource utilisation and lower average costs, leading to economies of scale.

Please remember that these costs do not include VAT.

By Tommy Crabtree

The fees and costs when making an application for Building Regulations differ by local council, of which there are 317 in England, 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales, and 11 in Northern Ireland. In this article, we’ll compare five local authorities in England – one in the North East, North West, South East, South West, and the Midlands.

We’ll also take a look at whose responsibility it is to apply for Building Regulations, the different types of Building Regulations applications, and approved documents.

What Are The Building Regulations?

In England and Wales, Building Regulations comprise 16 approved documents (ranging from A to S), and they cover the following aspects of construction:

Building Regulations and Approved Documents
Part A – Structure	Part J – Fuel
Part B – Fire Safety	Part K – On-site Safety
Part C – Contamination and damp	Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Power
Part D – Toxicity	Part M – Access
Part E – Sound	Part N – Glazing
Part F – Ventilation	Part O – Overheating
Part G – Hygiene	Part P – Electrics
Part H – Drainage	Part S – Infrastructure for Charging Electric Vehicles

You can access a merged document on GOV.UK which shows the contents of each approved document. With over 1,500 pages, it’s not for the faint-hearted, though! But it is particularly useful if you need to perform a word search across all documents.

It’s important to remember that these regulations apply only to England and Wales. For Scotland and Northern Ireland, see:

• Scotland’s Building Standards
• The Northern Ireland Building Regulations

These regulations are enforced by approved safety inspectors to protect people’s safety, health, and welfare in and around buildings.

The Types Of Building Regulations Approval

The three main types of Building Regulations applications are:

• Full plans applications, where documents and plans are submitted for approval
• Building notice applications, where work can be carried out without approval
• Regularisation applications, which is a retrospective application.

A full plans application is for more comprehensive construction projects like buildings and extensions, whereas a building notice application will suffice for more domestic building work and alterations. The latter is a faster process, and work can commence 48 hours after an application has been submitted (except where the work is a commercial project or close to a public sewer).

Regularisation applications are needed in instances where work has already happened but is not compliant; say, for example, a project took place in 2010, but a solicitor is requesting a completion certificate to proceed with a house purchase in 2024.

Even so, you would not be expected to comply with building regulations that have recently been introduced, such as Part S (Infrastructure for Charging Electric Vehicles). It only applies to regulations that were in place at the time.

Important! Homeowners and property owners are legally responsible for ensuring work carried out is done in accordance with Building Regulations.

The owner of the property doesn’t need to get approval if they use a contractor who is registered with a competent person scheme.

Who Can Approve Constructions?

While there is very little difference in cost, property owners now have a choice as to whether they wish to use:

• a local authority inspector employed by the local council; or
• an approved inspector from an approved building inspection company.

About one-fifth of approvals are now handled through private building control (PBCs) organisations without any involvement of the local authority. These firms must re-register with the Construction Industry Council every five years.

Any discrepancies or disagreements that cannot be resolved between the PBC and the client must be escalated to the local authority. Only they have the powers of enforcement.

Building Regulations Application Costs

Here is a table showing the cost of Building Regulations applications across five different councils. Please be mindful that Building Regulations costs are much more nuanced. For instance, there are separate costs for loft conversions, replacement windows and doors, commercial properties, and other alterations.

Here, we focus exclusively on a dwelling and an extension (between 10m2 and 40m2).

	1 Dwelling (up to 300m2)		Extension (10m2 to 40m2)
Local Authority	*Full Plan	Regularisation	Building Notice
Leeds City Council	£950.00	£1,187.50	£650.00
North Somerset Council	£790.00	£918.00	£530.00
Maidstone Borough Council	£1,134.00	£1,214.22	£809.00
Preston City Council	£762.00	Unspecified	£510.00
Rutland County Council	£817.38	£885.49	£715.20
Average Cost	£859.01	£1,051.30	£642.84

*Includes plan charge and inspection charge. 

All prices shown include VAT, except in the case of regularisation where VAT is exempt. 

Based on the above councils, the average cost for a full plan application for one dwelling is £860. To get an exact cost, you’ll need to find the information on your local authority’s website.

Some councils, however, are known to charge more, particularly those in Inner London. Westminster City Council sets its charges based on the value of the property. For a property that’s worth £250,000, you’ll pay an eye-watering £2,460.00 for a full plan application (and the same for a building notice charge), and it costs £3,075.00 for a regularisation application.

The higher the property value, the more you pay.

Other councils fail to display all costs on their website. For instance, Liverpool City Council displays application costs for extensions but not new-build dwellings. You will need to contact them directly or fill in an enquiry form to get the answers you need.

What’s The Difference Between Planning Permission And Building Regulations?

Many confuse the Building Regulations approval process with the planning permission approval process. In many instances, you require both.

Remember, Building Regulations is primarily concerned with ensuring that work has been carried out correctly, such as:

• the structural stability of the building;
• fire safety measures;
• the design standards for sanitary pipework and drainage; and

• the inspection and testing of electrical installations.

Planning permission, however, is concerned with the external appearance of the building, to ensure that a building is in keeping with the local environment. In essence, it’s there to avoid architectural eyesores.

Obtaining A Building Regs Certificate

Once the inspector signs off the project in accordance with Building Regulations, they will issue you with a completion certificate. The property owner must retain this (as well as a copy of the planning permission) if they ever wish to sell. Lenders and property insurers may also request a copy.

You may also need this as proof if you wish to claim VAT on the expense (where applicable).

What happens if you misplace your Building Regulations certificate? Your local authority should be able to provide you with a copy of your certificate or full plans approval notice.

What Happens Once An Application Has Been Sent?

After sending an application to a local authority or a PBC, they will get in touch with the applicant to arrange inspections at various phases of the building project to inspect the property. If the property owner has taken the decision to deviate from the approved plans (which is fairly common), they need to liaise with the local authority or PBC to discuss any implications this has.

Ensure You Comply With The Building Regulations

Suppose your local authority deems the work to be unsatisfactory. In that case, they have the power to order you to pull down the work or serve an enforcement notice to bring it up to standard (which can be served no later than 12 months after the completion of the building work).

If the owner of the property fails to comply with the notice, the local authority can undertake the work itself and recover the associated costs from the owner.

In some cases, this entails prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court where an unlimited fine is imposed (sections 35 and 35A of the Building Act 1984).

Building costs per square metre have reached historic highs over the last couple of years, driven by several factors which we’ll touch on in this article. More specifically, we cover the average cost of building a house per sq metre in 2024 across various regions in the UK.

Rather than providing you with an aggregated figure, we’ve mined the intel from millions of data points to show you the average costs per sq metre for East Anglia, London, the Midlands, North England, the South East, the South West, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Given the volatile rate of inflation and building materials prices, these estimates are constantly changing. We aim to publish a new article every six months to give you the latest insights.

Why Are House-Building Costs Rising?

We covered this at length in a previous article, but to give you a quick overview, building costs have risen sharply over the last couple of years, initially triggered by shortages in the pandemic, and then exacerbated by inflationary pressure.

But even after the effects of the pandemic abated, other economic factors have sustained the high materials prices:

• The Russia-Ukraine war has led to severe shortages of materials and fuel.
• Brexit has given rise to shipping delays, a reduction in foreign workers, and a widening trade deficit (the difference between exports and imports).
• A sustained level of high demand means builders and suppliers can charge more.

It’s doubtful that prices will return to previous levels.

Methodology For Our Construction Cost Calculations

House-building costs vary significantly depending on many factors. For instance, Purple Bricks reports that it costs on average £1,200 to £1,500 per square metre to build a house yet provides no context regarding the specification, location, or size of the dwelling. They’re basing that on a general rule of thumb.

The old adage “How long is a piece of string?” inevitably springs to mind.

In our calculations, we applied a consistent methodology across different regions. We focused on comparing a mid-range specification of a three-bedroom new-build project. The average number of bedrooms in the UK is 2.95 rooms per house, so we rounded it up to 3.

The average total floor area of a dwelling in the UK is 94m². However, new-build designs generally exceed the average floor area of a UK home. Our data shows that a typical two-storey three-bedroom new build has a gross internal floor area (GIFA) of 110m² – which we have based our calculation on.

Rooms included in our average costs are three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, a dining room, a cloakroom, the hallway and landing, and a dedicated boiler and storage cupboard. A garage was excluded from our calculations since only a third of UK homes have one.

In terms of build specification, our pricing calculator has three options:

·       Low spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.

·       Mid spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.

·       High spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

For the purposes of this comparison of build costs per square metre, we have chosen mid spec.

Average House Build Costs Per Square Metre – By Region

Here’s a table showing the average building costs per square metre for a three-bedroom house in the UK (by region), where:

·       Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

·       Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.

·       High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Cost Per Square Metre Of Building A 3-Bedroom UK House (By Region)

Cost Of Building A 3-Bedroom UK House (By Region)	Average Cost Per Sq Metre (excl. VAT)
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£2,386	£2,571	£2,765
London	£2,714	£2,973	£3,287
Midlands	£2,287	£2,495	£2,703
North England	£2,182	£2,477	£2,684
South East	£2,455	£2,678	£2,950
South West	£2,340	£2,552	£2,809
Scotland	£2,260	£2,465	£2,670
Wales	£2,304	£2,513	£2,723
Northern Ireland	£2,136	£2,380	£2,578
UK Average	£2,340	£2,567	£2,797

Average Total Cost Of Building A 3-Bedroom UK House (By Region)

Here’s a table showing the average total building costs for a three-bedroom house in the UK (by region):

Cost Of Building A 3-Bedroom UK House (By Region)	Total Average Building Cost (excl. VAT)
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£262,405	£282,771	£304,147
London	£298,486	£327,058	£361,552
Midlands	£251,625	£274,500	£297,375
North England	£239,981	£272,496	£295,204
South East	£270,005	£294,551	£324,474
South West	£257,355	£280,751	£308,949
Scotland	£248,545	£271,140	£293,736
Wales	£253,439	£276,478	£299,518
Northern Ireland	£234,931	£261,798	£283,614
UK Average	£257,419	£282,394	£307,619

Methodology For Ground-Floor Rear Extension Costs

As above, we applied a consistent methodology across different regions when calculating the average cost per square metre for a ground-floor rear extension. 

This single-storey extension has a gross internal floor area of 30m2 (which estimates suggest is the UK average) and comprises three rooms in total: an open-plan kitchen and dining room, and a living room – including the costs of refurbishments in the existing rooms.

Costs Per Square Metre Of Building A Ground-Floor Rear Extension (By Region)

Here’s a table showing the average building costs per square metre for a ground-floor rear extension in the UK (by region):

Cost of building a Ground-Floor Rear extension (By Region)	Average Cost Per Sq Metre (excl. VAT)
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£2,491	£2,758	£3,024
London	£2,897	£3,269	£3,607
Midlands	£2,513	£2,742	£2,970
North England	£2,416	£2,723	£2,950
South East	£2,655	£2,896	£3,181
South West	£2,559	£2,792	£3,064
Scotland	£2,488	£2,714	£2,940
Wales	£2,515	£2,743	£2,972
Northern Ireland	£2,416	£2,635	£2,855
UK Average	£2,550	£2,808	£3,063

Average Total Cost Of Building A Ground-Floor Rear Extension (By Region)

Here’s a table showing the average total building costs for a ground-floor rear extension in the UK (by region):

Cost Of Building A Ground Floor Rear Extension (By Region)	Total Average Building Cost (excl. VAT)
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£74,742	£82,744	£90,745
London	£86,924	£98,079	£108,228
Midlands	£75,408	£82,263	£89,119
North England	£72,480	£81,694	£88,501
South East	£79,661	£86,903	£95,456
South West	£76,792	£83,773	£91,935
Scotland	£74,650	£81,436	£88,223
Wales	£75,456	£82,316	£89,175
Northern Ireland	£72,480	£79,069	£85,658
UK Average	£76,510	£84,253	£91,893

Average Cost To Build A House In 2024

So, how much does it cost to build a new house in the UK? That depends largely on where you are building. If you’re building a house in London, the overall cost is around £327,058 (excluding VAT), whereas it’ll cost you an average of £272,496 in North England.

Bear in mind that these are averages and that significant outliers do, in fact, exist. Manchester, for instance, is situated in the Midlands (according to our geographic categorisation; we work on postcode-specific pricing). According to Statista, Manchester has the second-highest residential construction costs per square metre in the UK – second only to London.

The big question on many minds is “Will UK construction costs fall in 2024?” The construction sector faces several challenges, such as a decline in housing demand, a stagnating economy due to inflation, and climbing mortgage rates – but what about rising costs?

In this article, we’ll explore how several economic factors are impacting the build cost of UK construction projects and the outlook for 2024.

A Look Back At Historical Construction Prices

Before we dive into what the market is currently indicating, let’s take a look back at historical prices. The latest figures released by the Department for Business & Trade suggest the construction material price index decreased by 2.1% in October 2023 compared to the same month the previous year.

If you look at the last 24 months in isolation, you see a gradual decline in construction prices. However, this fall is negligible when you consider the increase we saw in 2021/22 – when prices of building materials rose more than 45% at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite a slight decline from the peak in 2022, material prices have held for the most part – even though the initial demand that triggered the spike has long since subsided. A 2.1% decline in the UK construction price index is a small shift.

Since construction output has fallen by around 7% in 2023, you might be wondering why construction material prices haven’t fallen more drastically. Economics is seldom so formulaic.

There are several factors influencing the prices of construction materials. Here are the ones having the greatest impact in the UK.

1. The Cost-of-Doing Business Crisis

We often hear that we’re in a cost-of-living crisis, but we rarely (if ever) mention that we’re in a cost-of-doing-business crisis.

Inflationary pressure has squeezed the value of the pound, and operating costs are much higher. Rising energy costs, interest rates, wages, and the cost of goods are eroding the profitability of building material suppliers.

Important! UK interest rates now seem to have reached a peak, and it’s expected that they will remain around 5.25% until 2025.

2. The Current Housing Market

Even though the sector has seen a 7% decline in the output of new-build housing as well as repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI), the forecast for 2024 is more bullish. Glenigan predicts that construction output will grow around 12% at the start of 2024 due to a strengthening in project-starts and a pickup in housing spend.

For prices of building materials to drop, there would need to be a significant reduction in demand for those materials – but so far, construction output remains at relatively stable highs since records began in 2010. Thus, demand for build materials remains relatively high as well.

Even so, as we saw with the pandemic, in April 2020, construction output decreased by 40.1%, but that wasn’t accompanied by a drop in building materials prices – suggesting the construction market is much less reactionary to external economic factors.

3. The Brexit Impact

The cost of labour and materials have increased more steeply in the UK than in the EU, according to The Guardian. Analysis shows that, between 2015 and 2022, the cost of construction materials increased by 60%, whereas they rose only 35% in the EU.

The Guardian hasn’t made it clear which of those EU member states were included in its research, nor have they referenced which building materials this purports to. A more suitable comparison would have been between France and Germany (countries with similar GDP).

Nevertheless, one challenge that is apparent, however, is that before Brexit, 40% of construction workers in the UK came from other EU countries. The end of free movement means there is an even greater shortage of skilled workers, making it harder for companies to recruit and driving up the labour costs of construction projects.

A shortage of labour drives labour costs higher, which increases overall construction costs – subsequently reducing demand.

The Construction Industry Training Board has predicted that the industry will require an extra 225,000 workers to meet demand by 2027.

4. Government Initiatives

The total housing output in 2022 was healthy at £46.2 billion, but it was bolstered by government initiatives (Stamp Duty suspension and the Help to Buy scheme).

The Stamp Duty suspension remains in effect until 31 March 2025. The Help to Buy scheme, however, ended in March 2023. This means it’s now harder for first-time buyers to get a mortgage. They were previously able to secure a mortgage with a 5% deposit.

The dismantling of this support over the last year can be linked with the decline in construction output this year, with experts expecting a further impact in 2025 when the Stamp Duty cuts end.

An impending general election in 2024 could bring with it further stability or instability.

Labour pledges

At the Labour Party conference, Sir Keir Starmer promised to build 1.5 million homes during the next five years of parliament. He also pledged to:

• Bulldoze through the planning system in England
• Build on unused urban land (“grey belt”) to create next generations of new towns
• Increase the stamp duty for foreign buyers to disincentivise speculative overseas investment in UK property.

Conservative pledges

Back in 2021, the Conservatives set an ambitious plan to build 300,000 new homes a year, but in the year prior to the pandemic, there were 243,770 net additional dwellings.

At the Conservative Party conference, Gove reaffirmed the government’s commitment to:

• Building more homes (without offering specifics)
• Easing planning rules in cities to allow the conversion of empty retail premises
• Relaxing rules around barn, warehouse, and agricultural building conversions.

5. A Growing Reliance On Imports

One recent and alarming trend is the growing reliance on imports in the UK. Since Brexit, it’s clear that we do not yet possess the comparative advantages that our European neighbours do, such as Germany and Italy – who accounted for £2.2 and £1.3 billion of imports in 2022, respectively.

The gap between imports has more than doubled since 2015, with UK exports hardly growing in the last eight years. In 2022, the annual trade deficit widened by £3.9 billion to £15.5 billion, an increase of 34.4%. Why? Because foreign suppliers can provide commodities much cheaper than suppliers in the UK.

We imported £1.3 billion of sawn wood in 2022. Given the availability of land and the suitability of our climate for growing trees, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine a future in which the UK was self-reliant in timber production – leaving housebuilders (and their customers) less exposed to volatile prices and less exposed to supply chain disruptions at ports.

The UK also imported £700 million of linoleum products. The UK’s last surviving linoleum factory in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, which opened in 1847, is continuing to produce the eco-friendly and natural flooring solution (made of completely natural materials that come from renewable sources and are 100% biodegradable).

Should the UK be more independent when it comes to sourcing building materials? Self-reliance carries economic benefits as well as ecological benefits, but it’s not high on the agenda of our incumbent government.

What A Drop In Demand Of Brick Sales Tells Us

The UK market for brick sales saw a 29.1% decrease in brick deliveries in October 2023 compared to October 2022. It’s a similar pattern for concrete blocks too – a 24.2% decrease year on year. These early signs suggest that the demand for new housing is slowing.

Brick sales have dropped to their lowest level since 2010, and the downward trend looks set to continue. But that doesn’t necessarily mean to say we should expect a price decline.

Why prices rarely come back down

Unless there is something majorly disruptive, such as an innovation that slashes the costs of raw material production, prices of building materials rarely drop back to previous levels following a prolonged increase.

The price elasticity of demand refers to the change in demand when there is a change in the price of a product. Demand is considered inelastic if demand for a good or service remains unchanged even when the price changes.

Necessities such as building materials are inelastic, luxuries are considered elastic.

If demand sustains after a price increase, suppliers have no reason to reduce their prices – because that’s the price that customers are willing to pay. The Invisible Hand of the market determines whether prices will rise or fall.

Final Word On Construction Prices In 2024

Certain markets may see a temporary drop in material costs in 2024 (should we see a decline in construction activity), but due to the several economic factors outlined – government policy, construction cost inflation, Brexit, the annual trade deficit, and the current housing market – most material costs are unlikely to return to previous levels.

The cost of doing business has reached historic highs, meaning suppliers of building materials are faced with a stark choice: charge higher prices or wind up their operations.