Pricing

What Building Work Costs

Most projects fall into a range. These are the figures we see on real jobs in Essex and London, so you can work out roughly what your project sits at before you speak to anyone.

Free

Site visit and written quote

Itemised

Every cost set out line by line

Staged

Payments tied to work completed

Loft Conversions

Based on a typical 3 bed semi

Type of Work Typical Cost On Site

Rooflight (Velux) conversion

Simplest route where the roof already has the height

£18,000 – £42,000

6 – 8 weeks

Dormer conversion

Added headroom and floor area, most common choice

£35,000 – £65,000

8 – 11 weeks

Hip to gable

End of terrace and semis, squares off the roof

£45,000 – £75,000

10 – 13 weeks

Mansard

Largest gain in space, usually needs planning

£60,000 – £95,000

12 – 16 weeks

Extensions

Excluding kitchen and bathroom fit

Type of Work Typical Cost On Site

Single storey rear, small

Up to roughly 15m²

£30,000 – £60,000

10 – 14 weeks

Single storey rear, large

Roughly 25m² to 35m²

£55,000 – £95,000

14 – 18 weeks

Side return

Narrow infill, common on Victorian terraces

£45,000 – £80,000

12 – 16 weeks

Wraparound

Side return and rear combined

£75,000 – £130,000

16 – 22 weeks

Double storey

Footprint added over two floors

£85,000 – £150,000

18 – 26 weeks

Everything Else

Residential, commercial and surveying

Type of Work Typical Cost On Site

Kitchen refurbishment

Strip out to final fix, excluding units

£10,000 – £35,000

4 – 7 weeks

Full property refurbishment

Rewire, replumb, heating, layout, decoration

£1,200 – £1,900 per m²

12 – 24 weeks

New build (residential)

Groundworks through to handover

£2,000 – £2,800 per m²

9 – 14 months

Office fit-out (Cat B)

Partitioning, services, flooring, finishes

£650 – £1,200 per m²

6 – 14 weeks

Restaurant fit-out

Front and back of house, extraction, services

£1,200 – £2,200 per m²

10 – 18 weeks

Drone survey

Roof and elevation capture with imagery pack

£250 – £600

Same day

Snagging inspection

Room by room, with photographed schedule

£350 – £750

1 – 2 days

What Moves the Price

Access. A rear garden with no side access means everything goes through the house, which adds labour.

Structure. Removing load bearing walls means steel, calculations and building control.

Services. Moving a kitchen or bathroom means new runs for waste, water and power.

Specification. The difference between standard and high end finishes is often 20 to 30 per cent.

Ground conditions. Trees, drains and poor soil all affect foundation depth.

Planning. Permitted development is quicker and cheaper than a full application.

Want a Figure for Your Project?

Book a site visit and you get a fixed written quotation with a programme, not a range.

Figures are indicative only and based on typical projects in Essex and London. They exclude planning fees, building control fees, structural engineering, party wall awards and VAT unless stated. A formal quotation follows a site visit.