Unlock the full potential of your home with an upward extension, expertly designed by award-winning Brophy Riaz and Partners.
Benefit from expert advice and a no obligation architects desktop review of your property
Are you looking to add space to your home without sacrificing garden area? An upward extension offers a practical and cost-effective way to expand your living space while increasing property value.
At Brophy Riaz and Partners, we specialise in designing and delivering upward extensions that align with the latest UK regulations, ensuring a seamless, stress-free process across properties in Birmingham & the West Midlands.
Upward extension services range between £2500.00 + VAT to £3000.00 + VAT.
In August 2020, new permitted development rights were introduced, allowing homeowners and developers to add additional storeys to existing properties without full planning permission. These rights were updated in August 2021 under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development England) Order 2021.
While these extensions fall under permitted development, prior approval from the local authority is required before construction can begin.
A Chartered Architect focuses on creating designs that are both functional and visually appealing, carefully considering your needs and delivering a solution that meets your expectations. They ensure that your plans comply with building regulations and statutory requirements, offering guidance on potential challenges, such as shared public sewers, to help avoid costly delays. With an architect, you gain expert support in navigating the approval process, managing contractors if necessary, and designing a space that is perfectly suited to your requirements, ultimately saving both time and money in the long term. To help you, read our guide on how to choose the right architect for your home project.
Our award-winning architects will discuss your aims, objectives, goals, budget, and preferences. We will carry out a no obligation architects review of your property, where will examine your property from the building envelope, provide some design advice, discuss the feasibility of your / our proposal, determine the best course of action and which applications may be necessary together with a fee quotation for our services. The telephone consultation will take between 20 to 30 minutes.
If you decide to proceed with our quotation provided, we will issue you with a fee acceptance form for your review and completion. On receipt of your fee acceptance form, we will commence work.
Once appointed, we will visit your property to assess the space, existing structures and carry out a detailed measured survey.
We create the initial drawings, explore design options and then refine the plan after collaboration with you, ensuring that you are happy with everything. This is carried out at a meeting with one of our team at a constraints and opportunities meeting, which supports the client in making key decisions about their home and proposed extensions and alterations.
We will assist with determining whether your project falls under permitted development or requires planning permission. We will then prepare and submit the details of your application to the local planning authority for approval. Typically the approval of this process takes 8 weeks in addition to the 4 weeks of design time required by our team. If it is unclear whether your property benefits from permitted development rights, we will advise the submission of a Certificate of Lawful Development application, we would be able to provide you with a steer at the initial consultation if this is required.
During the technical design phase, we develop more detailed drawings with details of structural and specifications. We may coordinate with specialists, such as structural engineers or carry out simple structural calculations in-house, simplifying the process and possibly saving time and costs to the client, to ensure all aspects are accounted for. These technical plans are then submitted for Building Control or an approved inspector for plan checking and approval to confirm compliance with legal standards prior to commencing work on site.
At this point, if needed and Brophy Riaz & Partners are appointed to do so, tender documents to facilitate competitive bidding and help you select a contractor based on their expertise, reputation, and tender returns.
We certify contractor interim payments, this is often following a monthly valuation, of works completed on site, or could be stage payments agreed between client and contractor, to certify that the milestone has been reached and the agreed stage payment due.
Upon completion, a final inspection is conducted to ensure all work meets the required standards and tender information. Once approved, completion certificates are obtained from building control, and you can enjoy moving into your newly extended home.
An upward extension involves removing the existing roof of a property and constructing an additional floor or two before replacing or rebuilding the roof. This method allows homeowners to expand their living space vertically without extending the property’s footprint. It is an effective solution for increasing space, particularly in urban areas where land is limited.
A double storey extension, also known as a two-storey extension, involves building both a ground floor and first floor extension. This expands the property outward, increasing its overall footprint while adding extra living space on two levels.
The main difference lies in the direction of expansion:
Upward extensions are particularly useful for properties with limited land space but sufficient structural strength to support additional storeys.
The choice depends on factors such as available land, budget, planning constraints, and structural feasibility. An upward extension is ideal for urban homes where space is tight, whereas a double extension suits properties with room to expand outward.
If you’re unsure which option suits your home best, our RIBA Chartered Architects at Brophy Riaz and Partners can assess your property and recommend the best solution tailored to your needs. Get in touch today!
Need some inspiration for your house extension idea? Check out our previous house extension projects that we’ve previously worked on.
Single story kitchen, dining and living room extension to create the heart of the house, with alterations to the garden.
A Grade II Listed Building which involved a contemporary extension, top lit with a vaulted ceiling.
The project involved the extension which increased the building from a 3 bedroom dwelling to a 5 bedroom dwelling.
brp Architects RIBA registered architectural practice has been established for over 28 years. Through our designs, we strive to find the perfect balance between comfort, practicality, and high quality architectural design.
