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. Start with a clearer route for your project.
Building projects involve choices about scope, existing conditions, approvals and finishes. We help you work through the design and construction route before deciding what to take forward.
- 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.
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
We combine design and construction experience, so the early layout discussion considers how a home could be altered as well as how it could look. Detailed scope, pricing and programme are agreed separately for each project.
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.
Clearer scope before work begins
We use the available drawings and project information to discuss the proposed work before a quote and contract are agreed.
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 can take agreed construction work through to the finished room.
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 clear scope matters
Building work involves choices about the scope, existing conditions, materials, approvals and how the work is sequenced. Clear information gives everyone a better starting point, but it cannot remove every unknown that may arise on site.
Drawings can help test the layout, explain the intended work and identify questions that need further input. Structural design, survey information and statutory approvals are separate parts of the project where needed.
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 |
| How structural questions are handled | Varies by project | Varies by project | We coordinate the required input |
| Drawings to check the price against | Yes | No | Yes |
| Firms you deal with | 3 or 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Who you speak to about the project | The firms you appoint | The builder you appoint | PlanBuild for our agreed services |
Questions to resolve before work begins
What goes wrong
How we stop it
The scope changes as the project develops.
We use the available drawings and information to discuss scope and allowances. If new information or changes arise, their effect needs to be reviewed.
Structure needs further input.
Where required, a structural engineer designs the relevant structural elements and Building Control inspects work under its own process.
Existing conditions are different from the available information.
Surveys and opening-up work can reveal issues that were not visible at the early design stage.
Neighbour or party-wall matters apply.
The need for notices or professional advice depends on the proposed work and adjoining property.
Planning or Building Regulations requirements apply.
The approvals route depends on the property and proposal. We can explain the relevant next steps once there is enough information.
Our work
Finished rooms from our jobs.
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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 can explain the further work needed and quote any separately agreed service.
Quoted separately
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 can prepare a quote and contract using the information available for the agreed scope. Changes, site conditions and client decisions can affect scope, cost or programme. Further away, we can prepare tender information and support the selection of local builders.
Quoted for the agreed scope
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 before deciding whether detailed drawings are worth pursuing.
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, so you can decide which direction is worth developing.
You can discuss the next stage clearly
Once a direction is chosen, we can explain the surveys, approvals, technical work or construction services that may be needed.
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. A separate builder will price the information available to them, and you will coordinate the designer, engineer and builder. PlanBuild can provide agreed design and construction services through one point of contact where that suits the project.
What will my project cost?
It depends on the scope, site conditions, structure, materials and finish. We explain the information needed before a construction quote can be prepared for an agreed scope.
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, surveys, approvals, design decisions, site conditions and availability. We discuss an indicative programme once the scope is sufficiently defined, but it can change as the project develops.
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.
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