South Cornwall · PL23
Bodinnick extension — feasibility first, drawings second
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. On a Bodinnick site, the brief always meets the place — Bodinnick is a creekside settlement in the PL23 area, with waterside homes, wooded valleys and narrow-lane access shaping the brief, with a building stock that leans toward waterside homes and boat sheds.
Bodinnick sits in South Cornwall — covering PL23 from Fowey, Golant, Mixtow outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ Conservation Area experience built into the fee
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
Who this is for
Bodinnick runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every extension enquiry from the use-class up.
Local watch-list
The PL23 constraints that shape a extension brief.
Watch #1
Conservation Area material and fenestration controls in central Bodinnick
Watch #2
AONB landscape-impact scrutiny on visible elevations
Watch #3
Coastal exposure driving fixing, render and joinery spec
Local proof — Most Bodinnick extension clients we work with are second-time builders — they've seen the templated approach fail once already.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
Bodinnick Extensions — local questions answered.
- 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. In Bodinnick specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- What about the Party Wall Act?
- If you share a wall with a neighbour or build close to a boundary, the Act applies. We flag it early, recommend a surveyor and keep the programme aligned with the notice period.
- How much does an extension cost in Cornwall?
- Build costs in Cornwall typically run from around £2,200 to £3,200 per square metre for a good-quality single-storey extension, more for kitchen-grade fit-out or complex glazing. We give a realistic budget before drawings start, not after.
- Can you handle the build as well as the design?
- Yes — that's the whole point of the studio. One contract, one point of contact, no finger-pointing between architect and builder when something needs a decision on site.
- 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.
Local context
Why Bodinnick is its own job.
Locally, creekside ecology, flood risk, trees and views across the water often matter as much as the building form itself. For extension specifically, parts of Bodinnick 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 Bodinnick drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. Which is why we scope Bodinnick projects parish-up, not template-down — the PL23 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on waterside homes in the centre or further out toward Fowey, the extension response is locally tuned.
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 Bodinnick.
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
Drainage on older Cornish properties is rarely on a clean modern map; CCTV survey before design is often money well spent.
03
Extensions over a certain proportion of the original house trigger full Part L upgrade obligations to the existing building — worth knowing before brief is set.
04
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
Our process
How a Bodinnick 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 PL23.
Building stock
Across Bodinnick (PL23) we work on creekside cottages, detached houses, boat sheds, converted barns, waterside homes. Each stock type drives a different extension response — waterside homes in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Bodinnick sits in the parish of Bodinnick, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a extension application.
Coverage
We cover PL23 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Fowey, Golant, Mixtow. Most Bodinnick site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Bodinnick consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a PL23 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitBodinnick is part of Fowey
Bodinnick sits inside the Fowey catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.
See Extensions in Fowey →Other services in Bodinnick
Nearby places we cover
From initial feasibility to final handover, we manage extension projects across Bodinnick with careful attention to what makes South Cornwall unique.