Cost planning for homeowners
Extension & renovation cost planning.
Know what your extension, loft conversion or renovation should cost before you commit to an architect, a planning fee or a builder's quote. Chartered QS budget cost plans from £495 + VAT.
Why it matters
Most extensions go over budget before a brick is laid.
The usual sequence is: sketch, planning, building regulations, three quotes — and then the shock that every quote is 40% above the number you had in your head. By that point you have paid for drawings of a building you can't afford, and the only options are to cut the scheme or find the money.
A cost plan at the start reverses that. A chartered quantity surveyor prices your brief from current North East rates before design fees are spent, so the architect designs to a number you have already agreed with yourself. A second pass at building-regulations stage gives you an independent benchmark to hold contractors' quotes against.
What you receive
- Elemental cost plan: substructure, frame, roof, envelope, finishes, M&E, external works
- Preliminaries, contingency and professional fee allowances stated separately
- Cost-per-square-metre benchmark against comparable North East projects
- Value engineering notes: where the money goes and where it can be saved
- Optional review of contractors' quotations for completeness and value
Projects we cost
Single and double-storey extensions, loft and garage conversions, kitchen-diner remodels, whole-house renovations, barn and outbuilding conversions, and the refurbishment of period property bought following one of our Level 3 surveys.
Not a design service. Lovatt provides cost consultancy only. Design responsibility rests with your architect or designer; we price their work and yours.
Cost planning fees
| Budget cost plan — extension or loft conversion | from £495 |
| Detailed cost plan at building-regs stage, incl. quote review | Quoted |
| Whole-house renovation cost plan | Quoted |
Plus VAT. Fixed fee agreed on the brief.
Discuss your project“Design to the budget, not the other way round. It is the cheapest advice you will ever take.”
Dave Lovatt MRICS MQSi
Questions
Cost planning — asked before instructing.
What is an extension cost plan?
An elemental budget for your project — substructure, structure, roof, windows, finishes, services, external works — with allowances for contingency, professional fees and VAT, prepared by a chartered quantity surveyor from your brief or your architect's drawings.
When should I get one?
Ideally before you spend on planning drawings, so the design is sized to the budget rather than the other way round. A second, more detailed plan at building-regulations stage lets you check contractors' quotes against an independent benchmark.
Do you design the extension?
No. We do not provide design services. Cost planning works alongside your architect or designer, whose drawings remain their responsibility; we price them.
Can you review builders' quotes?
Yes — checking that quotes are complete, like-for-like and reasonable against the cost plan is one of the most valuable things a QS does for a homeowner. It is included at the building-regulations stage or available on its own.
What does it cost?
Budget cost plans start at £495 + VAT for a typical single-storey extension or loft conversion. Larger renovations and whole-house projects are quoted.
Tell us about the project.
A few lines on the property, the idea and the budget you have in mind — we'll confirm a fixed fee for a cost plan within one working day.
Discuss your project Ask a question Call 07888 824248