East Cornwall · PL13
Two-storey extension costs in Polperro — what PL13 homeowners really pay
A two-storey extension in Polperro sits at £2,000–£2,500/m² built for standard finishes, rising to £2,800/m² when the existing gable needs opening up. On whitewashed cottages around the harbour the biggest cost driver is almost never the shell — it's rooflines, matching stone or render, and how the new stair lands upstairs. Extensions are the bread and butter of Cornish homes — adding the kitchen-diner the original layout never had, the bedroom for a growing family, or the light and views the back of the house should always have had. A PL13 site visit comes before a Polperro sketch, every time — Polperro is a famously photogenic East Cornwall fishing village with a tight Conservation Area covering the harbour, smugglers' cottages and the steep lanes inland — vehicle access is restricted in the village core, with a building stock that leans toward modern infill on the upper lanes and Victorian villas above the village.
Polperro sits in East Cornwall — covering PL13 from Looe, Talland outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Two-storey side: £90k–£150k build
- ✓ Two-storey rear: £110k–£180k build
- ✓ £2,000–£2,500/m² typical rate
- ✓ Full planning route mapped before design fee
Local proof — Recent extension enquiries from Polperro have clustered around modern infill on the upper lanes — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Polperro is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Polperro is consistent: conservation Area covers the entire harbour and historic core; AONB and Heritage Coast across the parish. Vehicle restrictions and tight access shape construction logistics on every project. For extension specifically, parts of Polperro sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; the surrounding landscape falls inside the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so massing, height and landscape impact carry extra weight in any planning decision; coastal salt-laden air around Polperro drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure; Cornwall Council's Local Plan applies tighter tests to isolated rural dwellings here, so design rationale and policy fit need to be set out clearly from the outset. That's why we treat every Polperro project as a PL13-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The modern infill on the upper lanes that dominate Polperro (and continue out toward Duloe) set the tone for any extension scheme here.
Planning note
Most extensions in Cornwall are either permitted development or a straightforward householder application — but Conservation Area and AONB sites need a more careful design conversation upfront.
What we focus on
Extensions considerations specific to Polperro.
01
Permitted development for rear extensions runs to four metres on a detached house, three on a semi or terrace — but Article 4 areas remove this in some parishes.
02
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
03
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.
04
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
Our process
How a Polperro extension project runs.
Step 1
Brief
We meet on site, talk through how you live now and what's missing from the current layout.
Step 2
Design
Two or three sketch directions with rough budgets, then refinement of the chosen route.
Step 3
Approvals
Planning or Cert of Lawfulness, then a full building regs package.
Step 4
Build
Either through your own builder with our drawings, or as a full build by our team.
Step 5
Handover
Snag, certify, hand over the keys to your new space.
Typical single-storey rear extensions run twelve to twenty weeks on site; two-storey and wraparound projects sixteen to thirty weeks.
Local fabric
Choosing a extension team that actually knows PL13.
Building stock
Across Polperro (PL13) we work on whitewashed cottages around the harbour, Victorian villas above the village, modern infill on the upper lanes, carefully detailed replacement dwellings. Each stock type drives a different extension response — modern infill on the upper lanes in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Polperro is its own town in East Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the PL13 catchment.
Coverage
We cover PL13 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Looe, Talland, Duloe. Most Polperro site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Polperro site?
Usually within the same week. Polperro (PL13) is on our regular East Cornwall run, alongside Looe, Talland, Duloe. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Polperro Extensions — local questions answered.
- Is a two-storey extension worth it in Polperro?
- On average, yes — value uplift on PL13 stock typically covers the build cost within 3–5 years. The exception is where the existing bedroom layout won't take a new stair without losing a room.
- How much does a two-storey side extension cost in Polperro?
- £90k–£150k for a 30–45m² double-storey side, including matching render/stone, new stair and one extra bedroom + en-suite upstairs.
- Does a two-storey extension need full planning in Polperro?
- Yes — Conservation Area removes two-storey PD entirely. Full householder application, 8-week determination.
- Do I need planning permission for an extension?
- Often no — single-storey rear extensions, side extensions and modest two-storey additions can sit inside permitted development on a typical detached house. Conservation Areas, AONB and Article 4 zones remove some of those rights, so we always check the address first. In Polperro specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Will my house be liveable during the build?
- For most rear and side extensions, yes — we sequence the works so the kitchen and one bathroom stay functional until the new build is watertight and connected.
- How long does the whole process take?
- Allow roughly three months for design and approvals, then twelve to twenty weeks on site for a typical single-storey extension. Wraparounds and two-storey add-ons take longer, mostly through approval and groundworks.
Other services in Polperro
Nearby places we cover
A well-scoped two-storey extension in Polperro nearly always beats moving house. The value is in getting the upstairs plan right in the first sketch, not the last.
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