Building advice for Suffolk homeowners
Planning permission, building regulations and realistic budgets, explained plainly before you spend anything on drawings.
The questions we are asked before a job starts
Most people come to us with a clear idea of the room they want and very little idea of what the council, the regulations and the budget will do to that idea. This is the short version of what we explain on a first site visit, written for homeowners in Framlingham, Woodbridge, Ipswich and the villages between.
Do you need planning permission?
Many extensions, loft conversions and garden rooms fall inside permitted development, which means no application to the council. The rules are tighter than most people expect though, and they change between districts. In Suffolk the conservation areas around Framlingham, Southwold and Aldeburgh remove some of those automatic rights, so a straightforward rear extension in one street may need a full application two roads away. We look at the property and the local policy before anything is drawn, because a refused application costs both money and months.
Building regulations are a separate question
Planning permission decides whether you may build it. Building regulations decide whether it is safe, structurally sound, energy efficient and correctly drained, and they apply to almost every job including work that needs no planning permission at all. Structural openings, drainage runs, insulation, ventilation and electrical work are all inspected at set stages, and those stages cannot be skipped once a wall is closed. We build the inspection schedule into the programme so nobody is waiting weeks for a visit before the next stage starts.
What older buildings in the county need
A large part of our work is on period property: timber framed farmhouses, clay lump walls, thatched roofs and brickwork laid before cement was in common use. These buildings behave differently from modern ones. They need to breathe, which means lime mortar rather than cement and materials that let moisture out rather than trapping it. Listed buildings and those in a conservation area need consent for works that would alter their character, including some internal changes, windows and roof coverings. Getting this wrong is expensive to undo.
How long a project actually takes
A bathroom or kitchen refit is usually two to four weeks on site. A single storey rear extension typically runs ten to fourteen weeks once work starts, with six to ten weeks before that for drawings, an application and building regulations approval. A two storey extension or a full renovation of an older house is often four to six months. Weather, material lead times and discoveries once walls are opened can all move those numbers, and we would rather tell you that at the start than halfway through the build.
What a quotation should tell you
A single figure at the bottom of a page tells you very little. Our quotations set out what is included trade by trade, what is excluded, what happens if the scope changes, and when payments fall due. That way you can compare one quote against another honestly, and there are no surprises when the scaffolding comes down. Anything we cannot price until we can see it, such as ground conditions or the state of existing timbers, is noted as provisional so you know it may move.
This is general guidance rather than a planning or legal decision on your property. Ask your local planning authority, or call us and we will point you the right way.
Topics we answer most often
A short answer to each, with the detail covered properly when we visit.
How long does an extension take from design to finish?
Allow six to ten weeks for drawings, planning and building regulations approval, then around ten to fourteen weeks on site for a single storey rear extension. Larger two storey work or a full renovation of an older house runs longer.
Costs and timelinesCan I extend without planning permission?
Often yes, if the extension stays within permitted development limits on depth, height, eaves and the amount of land covered. Conservation areas and listed buildings remove some of those automatic rights, so we check the address before drawings are produced.
PlanningDo you work on listed buildings and thatched cottages?
Yes, and a large part of our work is on period property. These buildings need materials that allow the walls to breathe, such as lime mortar and breathable insulation, and consent is usually needed before any alteration to their character.
Older buildingsIs your quote a fixed price or an estimate?
We set out the work trade by trade with what is included and excluded, and quote firm where the scope is clear. Anything that cannot be seen before work begins, such as ground conditions or existing timbers, is marked as provisional rather than hidden.
Costs and timelinesDoes a new kitchen need building regulations approval?
Usually not if it is a straightforward swap of units and finishes. Once walls are removed, a doorway is widened, drainage moves or a new window goes into a structural wall, the work becomes notifiable and is inspected in stages.
Regulations
Have a question about your own project?
Tell us what the building is and what you want to change, and we will give you a straight answer.