Get a Quote
How our quotes work, what we look at on the survey, and what you get at the end of it.
A proper quotation for an extension takes a site visit. This page explains what we look at, what you get, and why we will not price a job off a photograph.
Why we survey first
The biggest variables on an extension are invisible from the street. The depth the foundations need to go, whether there is a public sewer under the lawn, what the existing structure is actually doing, and how materials get to the back of the house.
A price given without seeing those is a guess, and guesses on building work are always low, because the person guessing has an incentive to win the job and deal with the difference later. We would rather spend an hour at the property and give you a number you can rely on.
What we look at
- The ground. Soil type, and any trees within influencing distance, including in neighbouring gardens.
- The existing structure. What the wall you want to remove is carrying, and what the footings look like where we can see them.
- Drainage. We lift the manhole covers and follow the falls. Twenty minutes here saves a great deal later.
- Access. Whether there is a side gate, where a skip can go, and how materials reach the back.
- Planning position. Conservation area, Article 4, previous extensions, and what remains of the permitted development allowance.
- What you actually want. Often not the extension you arrived thinking you wanted, once light and the rest of the house are considered.
What you get
A written quotation setting out the work, the specification, what is included and what is excluded, and the stage payment structure.
Where we have had to assume something, the quotation says what the assumption is and what happens if it turns out to be wrong. Foundation depth is the usual one, and being explicit about it is the difference between a price and a deposit.
We also tell you the realistic programme, both the front end for permissions and the time on site, and where the risks to that programme sit.
What it costs, and what it commits you to
Nothing, and nothing. The survey and the quotation are free and there is no obligation. We do not chase quotations and we do not put a deadline on them beyond the 30 day validity that keeps the pricing honest.
If you already have drawings
Send them. If you have planning permission and structural calculations already, we can price directly from those and we will tell you if we see anything in them we would question.
If you have drawings but no permission yet, we will tell you honestly whether we think the scheme is likely to need an application and what route we would take.
If you have nothing yet
That is completely normal and it is the better time to talk, not the worse one. An extension usually starts as a problem rather than a plan: the kitchen is too small, or the back of the house is dark.
We can bring in the technician who draws it and the structural engineer who calculates it, manage the planning route, and notify Building Control. You do not need to have arranged any of that before speaking to us.
Ready when you are
Fill in the form below, ring 07487 706530, or email Essexprobuild@outlook.com. If you would rather understand the money first, the costs page has real ranges with the exclusions spelled out.
Last reviewed August 2026.