House Extensions
House Extensions in Washington
Washington sits with Sunderland City Council for planning and building control, and that is the first thing worth pinning down before anyone prices house extensions, because it decides where the application goes and whose guidance actually applies. Washington is a town designated as a new town in 1964 and built out as numbered villages, wrapped around the much older Washington Village and Usworth.
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More than 25 years of building work across the city means we know which questions to ask on a Washington property before quoting, and the quote itself always arrives in writing.
House Extensions
Our house extensions in Washington cover
- Wrap around extensions: combining a side return and a rear extension into one usable space
- Roofing and rainwater: flat or pitched roof structure, coverings, fascias and drainage
- Single storey rear and side extensions: foundations, brickwork, roof structure and a weathertight shell ready for first fix
- Building control liaison: we work to the approved drawings and meet the inspector at each stage
- Making good: brick matching, pointing and external finishes so the new work reads as part of the house
- Two storey extensions: structural design coordinated with your engineer, then built and tied into the existing house
Local Knowledge
Local considerations for house extensions in Washington
Every house extensions project in Washington answers to Sunderland City Council, so that is where the application and the inspections go. Alongside that, planning and building control here sit with Sunderland City Council rather than Durham, which catches people out because the postal address and the historic county both point elsewhere. Knowing this at the outset is what keeps a project moving, because a design produced in ignorance of a constraint usually has to be produced again.
The ground itself is the other half of the picture, because the new town was laid over a landscape of former collieries and industrial ground, so a coal mining risk assessment is a routine early step for anything involving new foundations rather than an unusual request. An extension puts new load on new foundations, so this is the question that decides the trench, not a detail to sort out on the day.
Washington covers a real mix of building stock. Near Washington Village, Fatfield, Usworth expect the older cores at Washington Village, Usworth and Fatfield, and beyond that the new town villages built from the mid 1960s onward. For house extensions, an extension on the older properties normally means matching brick, mortar and eaves detail carefully, whereas the newer stock is generally a straightforward tie in. The new town road layout makes deliveries straightforward, though the numbered village system means we confirm the exact estate rather than trusting a postcode alone. It does not move the price, which is set after we have seen the property, but it does shape the programme.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work in Washington
Site visit first
The first step is a site visit. Nothing gets priced in Washington until we have seen what we are actually being asked to build.
A written quote
The quote arrives in writing with the scope set out, so you can see what is included rather than trusting a number said out loud.
Regulations handled
An extension is the one job where planning and building control both come into play. Many single storey rear extensions still fall inside permitted development, but the limits on depth, height and eaves are specific and they tighten on a semi detached or terraced property. Building regulations approval is needed either way.
Kept informed
Expect to know what is happening each week. Clear communication is what most of our work in Washington comes from, because people pass it on.
Frequently Asked Questions
House Extensions in Washington: your questions
Which council handles house extensions applications in Washington?
Sunderland City Council covers Washington for planning and for building control, so both sides of the approval sit with one authority. On house extensions the requirement to satisfy is permitted development limits and a full building regulations approval.
What sort of properties do you carry out house extensions on in Washington?
The full range. Washington runs from the older cores at Washington Village, Usworth and Fatfield to the new town villages built from the mid 1960s onward, and the construction type is what actually drives the approach on house extensions.
Do I need planning permission for a house extension?
Not always. A large number of single storey rear extensions fall within permitted development, but the allowances depend on whether the house is detached, semi detached or terraced, how far it projects, the eaves and ridge heights and whether anything has already been added. Building regulations approval is a separate requirement and applies either way.
Do you cover the areas around Washington as well, such as Sunderland and Houghton-le-Spring and Birtley?
Yes, Sunderland, Houghton-le-Spring, Birtley and the surrounding area are all covered for house extensions. Being based in Blaydon-on-Tyne keeps most of the region within a reasonable drive.
Do you take care of the drainage and any manholes?
Yes. Where an extension crosses or sits near a public sewer we deal with the build over agreement, and existing drainage is diverted or rebuilt as the approved drawings require.
Do ground conditions in Washington affect house extensions?
Often, yes. The new town was laid over a landscape of former collieries and industrial ground, so a coal mining risk assessment is a routine early step for anything involving new foundations rather than an unusual request. That is why we look at the plot before pricing rather than quoting from a description over the phone.
How much does an extension cost?
It depends on size, ground conditions, roof type, the amount of structural steel and the finish level. We quote in writing after visiting the property so the figure is based on the actual job rather than a rate per square metre.
Do you offer a guarantee on extension work?
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed for an agreed period which we confirm in writing before work starts, alongside the manufacturer warranties on the materials used.
Who arranges the structural calculations?
A structural engineer produces the calculations for beams and lintels. If you do not already have one we can point you toward engineers we work with regularly, and we build to whatever the approved calculations specify.
Are there any planning restrictions I should know about in Washington?
There can be. Planning and building control here sit with Sunderland City Council rather than Durham, which catches people out because the postal address and the historic county both point elsewhere. Where that is the case, expect Sunderland City Council to take a closer interest in materials and detailing than it would elsewhere in the city.
Also covering near Washington
We carry out house extensions across the surrounding area as well as in Washington itself.
Other building services in Washington
Whatever else the project needs, it is the same team and the same standard.
Planning house extensions in Washington?
Tell us what you are planning and we will arrange a look at the property. You get a written, no obligation quote for house extensions in Washington, and an honest answer about what the regulations will actually require.
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