FinishedHouse extensions
Single-storey and two-storey extensions. Drawn, approved and built by one team.
House extensions in Poole →Is this your project? Get a free reviewDesign and build · Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch
Extensions, knock-throughs and wall removal in Poole. Know the cost before building starts.
Projects often go over budget because the builder is pricing drawings they didn’t make. We draw your project and build it, so the price is agreed from the drawings before work starts.
- 5.0 on Google · 15 reviews
- Checkatrade 10/10· 20 reviews
- We reply the same working day.
Josh Carrivick, founder. We draw it, price it and build it. Trading since 2017.
5.0 ★
on Google · 15 reviews
10/10
on Checkatrade · 20 reviews
2017
the year we started trading in Poole
One team
drawings, approvals and the build
What our customers say
- ★ 5.0 on Google (15 reviews)
- Checkatrade 10/10 (20 reviews)
- We reply the same working day.
“…they can do everything from start to finish for you.”
“…carried out layout drawings for a very reasonable amount. Josh also gave us a budget price to carry out the works.”
“I couldn't recommend Josh enough! He has been absolutely fantastic, nothing was too much trouble, he was happy to bounce lots of ideas back and forth until we were happy. He is polite, friendly and professional in every aspect. I would definitely be using his services again in the future when needed.”
“Josh got the plans for our extension completed and submitted very quickly. We had a number of amendments and obstacles to overcome but nothing was too much trouble for him. A very professional and efficient service.”
Why homeowners choose us
The people who draw your project are the people who build it. So the drawings are made to be built, not just to get approval, and we price each item on them before you commit.
Free
Free project review
Tell us what you want to do. We call you back the same working day to tell you what your project needs and whether it is worth doing. There is no cost and no obligation.
The price is agreed from the drawings
The build price only changes if you change the design.
One firm and one contract
You don't have to find and manage separate designers, engineers and builders.
You can stop after any step
The drawings are yours to use with any builder.
What are you planning?
What we build in Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch.
Finished
FinishedKitchen knock-throughs
We take out the wall, fit the steel beam and get the work signed off by Building Control.
Kitchen knock-throughs in Poole →Is this your project? Get a free review
During the buildWall removal and RSJs
We check whether the wall is load-bearing, get the calculations done, prop up the house and fit the beam.
Wall removal and RSJs in Poole →Is this your project? Get a free review
During the buildLoft conversions
Rooflights or a dormer, a new staircase and the fire safety work.
Loft conversions in Poole →Is this your project? Get a free review
During the buildSingle-storey extensions
Rear and kitchen extensions with wide glazing to the garden.
Single-storey extensions in Poole →Is this your project? Get a free review
DrawingDrawings and planning
Measured plans, planning drawings and Building Regulations drawings.
Drawings and planning in Poole →Is this your project? Get a free reviewCan I do this to my house?
Answer three or four quick questions to see what your project is likely to need before you speak to anyone.
What your project is likely to need
Your answer appears here as soon as you have answered the questions.
One team from the first drawing to the finished room
01
We draw it
We measure your house, draw it as it is now and draw the new layout.
02
We do the structural work
Steel beams, props and Building Control, handled by us.
03
We finish the room
We build it and finish it, priced from our own drawings.
One of our projects, from start to finish
Kitchen refit with rooflights and a lit ceiling panel
A kitchen taken back to bare plaster and fitted out: new units, rooflights, a raised ceiling panel with built-in lighting, worktops and a new floor.
1Walls and ceiling plastered, units arriving
2Base units going in
3Units fitted along the window wall
4Ceiling painted, tall units in
5Worktops on, floor going down
- 6
The finished kitchen
Get your free project reviewSee this projectSee more of our projects
Common problems
- A builder has been round, but the quote is a rough guess.
- You paid for drawings, and three builders priced them three different ways.
- You don't know if your wall is load-bearing, or what Building Control will want.
- You have heard of jobs where the steel wasn't priced, the work stopped and the price went up.
If any of these sound like your project, we can help.
Why projects go over budget
On most projects a designer draws the plans for planning permission, and an engineer works out the steel. Then builders price drawings they didn't make and may not fully understand. Costs and delays come from the gaps between these firms, and when something goes wrong it is hard to say whose fault it is.
Decisions such as the size of a steel beam, what it rests on and how a new opening meets the floor cost nothing to get right on the drawings. Getting them wrong on site costs thousands.
Three ways to do it
| Compare | A designer, then a separate builder | A builder with no proper drawings | PlanBuild |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who prices the build | A builder who didn't draw it | A builder, from a site visit | The people who drew it |
| Steel and structure priced before work starts | Sometimes | No | Yes |
| Drawings to check the price against | Yes | No | Yes |
| Firms you deal with | 3 or 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Who is responsible if something is wrong | Hard to say | Hard to prove | Us |
What can go wrong, and how we stop it
What goes wrong
How we stop it
The price goes up once building starts.
We price the building work from our own finished drawings, so the price is agreed before work starts.
The steel beam is the wrong size, or rests on the wrong thing.
A structural engineer sizes the beam and what it rests on before building starts. Building Control checks it on site.
Old chimney breasts, pipes or cables turn up once the wall comes out.
We look at what the wall holds up and what runs through it before the drawings are finished.
A neighbour dispute holds the job up.
We tell you early if the Party Wall Act applies, so notices go out before the work is planned.
You find out too late that you needed planning permission.
We tell you at the free review whether you need planning permission, and we make the application if you do.
Our work
Finished rooms from our jobs.
1 / 5
How it works
There are five steps. You can stop after any of them.
You can stop after any step. The drawings are yours, and you can use them with another builder.
We build in Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and about 20 miles around them. For homes further away, our remote layout service works anywhere in the UK, and we can price the work, prepare tender documents and vet local builders.
Step 1
Free project review
Send us a few details or call. We look at what you want to do and tell you what it will need and whether it is worth taking further.
Free
Step 2
Layout Ideas Pack
We draw your home as it is now and up to three ways it could work, then fine-tune your favourite with you on a video call. Done remotely from your Rightmove link, floor plan or sketch, or in person with a measured site survey and a 3D point cloud scan.
Remote or in person
Step 3
Cost estimate
Once you have a layout you like, we estimate what it would cost to build.
Price agreed before you commit
Step 4
Drawings, approvals and engineering
Full drawings, structural calculations, and the planning and Building Regulations applications. The house is measured at this stage if it hasn't been already.
Priced after the estimate
Step 5
The build
Near Poole, we price the building work from the finished drawings, then do the work and finish the rooms. Further away, we price it, prepare the tender documents and vet local builders.
Price agreed from the drawings
Is PlanBuild right for your project?
We are a good fit if
- You want an extension, a knock-through, a wall removed or a loft conversion.
- Your home is in or near Poole, Bournemouth or Christchurch.
- You want one firm to do the drawings, the approvals, the engineering and the building work.
- You want to see your options and a rough cost before you pay for full drawings.
We are not the right choice if
- Your home is more than about 20 miles from Poole, Bournemouth or Christchurch. Start with our remote layout service instead: it works anywhere in the UK.
How we help
You want more space or a better layout, but you don't know where to start, what it will cost, or who to trust with it.
We tell you what your project needs
At the free review we tell you whether you need planning permission, Building Regulations approval or a structural engineer, and what that involves.
You see your options before you commit
The Layout Ideas Pack gives you up to three layout options for your house, and the cost estimate tells you what your favourite would cost to build.
You know the cost before work starts
We price the build from our own drawings, so you are not relying on a builder's guess.
You deal with one firm
We do the drawings, the approvals, the engineering and the building work. You don't have to find, manage and chase separate firms.
Questions
Why not use a designer and then a builder?
You can, and the drawings may well be approved. But a separate builder then has to price drawings they didn't make, which is where gaps, extra costs and disagreements come from. We draw it, price it and build it, so the price is agreed from our own drawings.
What will my project cost?
It depends on the size, the structure and the finish. Once you have a layout you like, the cost estimate tells you what it would cost to build. The final build price is agreed from the finished drawings.
Is the review really free?
Yes. Tell us what you want to do and we will tell you what it needs and whether it makes sense. If it is worth taking further, the next step is the Layout Ideas Pack, done remotely or in person.
Do I need planning permission?
Many extensions and most changes inside the house don't need planning permission. Some do, depending on the size, the position and your property. We tell you at the review.
Do I need Building Control for removing a wall?
Yes, if the wall is load-bearing. Building Control is an independent inspector who checks the work and signs it off. We make the application and arrange the structural calculations.
Do I need a party wall agreement?
If the work affects a wall you share with a neighbour, for example a steel beam resting on it, the Party Wall Act usually means you must give them written notice first. We tell you early if this applies.
How long does it take?
It depends on the job and on whether you need planning permission. We tell you how long the drawings, the approvals and the building work will take once you have chosen a layout.
What if I stop after the layout pack or the drawings?
That is fine. The drawings are yours, and you can use them with another builder.
Tell us what you want to change
Send a few details and we will call you back the same working day to tell you what your project needs. There is no cost and no obligation.
We build in Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and about 20 miles around them.
Step 1 of 3