How much does it cost?

Each project we undertake is unique, and therefor yours would need costing individually, specific to your requirements.

Below are guide prices to give you an idea and allow you to start planning around your budget.

All prices shown are inclusive of VAT, which is correct to the base at the time of display.

Other potential costs to consider.

Some projects are exempt or are a reduced VAT rate.

Reduced Rate

5%: Applicable in certain circumstances, such as:
- Renovating residential properties that have been empty for over two years.
- Converting a commercial building into residential use.
- Increasing the number of dwellings, like converting a house into flats.

Zero Rate

0%: This applies to:
- The construction of new qualifying dwellings and communal residential buildings.
- Conversions of non-residential buildings into qualifying dwellings.
- Alterations for individuals with disabilities.

What are potential extra costs?

Other costs to factor into your budget include:

Planning application/approval.
Building Control application and sign off
Topography scan depending on site location, such as hills, then:
- Changes to ground works, such as deeper footings or piled foundations, due to ground conditions.
Rerouting or new services, including drainage, electrics, gas/oil, water.

Why are oak framed buildings more expensive than traditional built buildings?

Oak is expensive and the designs can be complicated, depending on the use and style of the frame.

Learning oak framing takes many years to understand the nature of oak, how to design a frame, and how to lay out a beam for its best impact. It's a lot more than 'just' carpentry.

You are paying for the years of knowledge and the level of skill to design and make the frame.

We use green oak for the majority of our frames, as it is easier to work with and has a smaller impact on the environment than kiln dried, and is ready to use fresh sawn, compared to air died, which dries out at a rate of an inch per year in it's width. That means a 200mm beam will take four years to be ready to cut.

Green oak settles into place as it slowly dries out in situ, shrinking and producing shakes (long splits). These are all perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. All these elements of green oak are factored into the design and making of the frame.

All our frames are laid out and scribed before cutting, with all joints cut by hand.

Once each section is scribed and joints cut, we reassemble it to test all the joints.

All the joints have draw-bored holes for air dried oak pegs to be used when the frame is raised and ready to be permanently connected.

As the oak dries out, it contracts around the peg and makes the joint incredibly strong.

Each frame is either planed, sanded before leaving the workshop, or shot blasted once raised on site.

What would your oak framed project cost?

Prices for the non oak phases of the project are based on the footprint of the build per square metre externally, excluding porches. The oak frame is priced per full joint, plus the cost of the oak.

For the larger projects such as garages and extensions, the price includes onsite consultations, design, drawings and structural calculations.

Planning applications and building control approval costs are not included.

Extensions & garden and sun rooms

Designed and constructed

16 - 30m² = £3,500 to £4,800.

Under 16m² & over 30m² will need to be individually quoted.

Garages and out buildings

Designed and constructed

2 - 4 bays = £1000 to £1500 m²

Each bay is generally 3m x 6m.

Single bay garages and out buildings from £870 m².

Open porches

Designed and constructed.

3m² to 8m² = £6,500 to £13,000

Enclosed porches

Due to glazing type and door styles, these are individually priced.

Gazebos

Designed and constructed.

£900 to £1600 m²

Pergolas

Designed and constructed.

£600 to £1000 m²

Why are price ranges so different?

An extension cost depends on certain factors, those generally being:

The ground works required.

If they can be standard footings and oversite slab, or if pile foundations are required for hillsides and slopes.
Raft foundations for moving ground.

The wall style and height.

Is the frame to sit to DPC or on a wall.
What height is wanted for the wall?

The roof style and design.

A single or dual pitched roof, or a flat roof.
Will it need integrating with an existing roof?

The roof covering.

EPDM flat roof or pitched tiled.
The tiles used - slate, clay or cement.

The style of the oak frame.

What is the room to be used for, and then the type of frame.
How much oak to be used ~ is it to be just walled frame?
Will there be oak in the roof structure?

The external envelope.

Is the frame to be glazed, walled and externally clad, brick infill?

Internal extras.

Any electrics, plumbing, heating, finished floor and internal decoration?

Does in need connecting to existing house?

Any knock-outs needing steels or oak beams for support?

Is it a single storey or two storey extension ?

Also, other factors to be considered will be planning permission, building control, structural calculations, design and drawings.

Planning and Building Control.

Do I need planning approval?

Is the building going to be attached to the main dwelling, or will it be free standing?

An attached single storey rear addition comes under the classification of an extension.

Detached will be an outbuilding and comes under the outbuildings regulations.

Is the property listed, in a conservation area or dedicated National Park & landscapes (AONB), heritage, or a curtilage of another building?

Permitted development on designated land (national parks & landscapes and conservation) is stricter. Single storey rear extensions only, with other factors to be considered.

If listed, then it will require listed building approval AND planning approval, for internal and external works. This also applies if the property is within the curtilage of a listed building.

Your property type, location of new building and existing extensions.

If the property has already been extended beyond 50% of the original house footprint (as it stood on 1 July 1948, or as first built if later), then there's no permitted development rights, as any previous owners' extensions are considered.

Flats have no permitted development rights for extensions and modern builds usually have the permitted development rights removed by a planning condition.

A detached building considered as a separate living dwelling, with a bedroom and a kitchen needs permission, irrelevant of it's size.

In England, a rear extension is considered permitted development if it's no more than 4 metres out from the existing wall on a detached house, or 3 metres on any other house.

It must be no more than 4 metres high. Where it is within 2 metres of a boundary, the eaves must be no higher than 3 metres.

It can be up to 8 metres in width on a detached property and 6 metres on any other.

There are separate rules for designated land to be considered alongside these rules.

Detached buildings.

It is permitted development if:

It is 4mts or less in height for a dual-pitched roof and 3mts for ` flat roof.
No taller than 2.5mts within 2mts of a boundary.
Eaves no greater than 2.5mts.
No forward of the principle elevation of the property.
No more than 50% of the original garden and no raised platforms above 300mm.
Not a living dwelling and domestic purposes only
Not located within a conservation area or part of a listed building.

Building Regulations

Building regulations are needed for all extensions on a property if it is to be a permanent part of the habitable house.

That means if there are no doors leading into the extension, or there are doors but they are internal doors, then building regulations are needed.

For an outbuilding or detached garage, then building regulations are required for:

Anything over 30 m²
if it has internal stairs, such a a garage with room in the roof.
Anything between 15 m² and 30 m² that has sleeping accommodation, built of combustible materials or within 1 mt of a boundary.

In short, for an oak framed garage, most will require building regulation approval, unless it is under 15 m².

There are different rules for England and Wales.

Hand crafted excellence

Serving Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, the Malverns, and the Cotswolds.

How much does it cost?

Other potential costs to consider.