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. In Drakewalls specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history 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.

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.

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.

East Cornwall · PL18

Extensions for Drakewalls (PL18)

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. Working in Drakewalls means starting from the PL18 context — Drakewalls is a former mining settlement in the PL18 area, with granite terraces, chapel buildings and industrial landscape character still visible, with a building stock that leans toward post-war estates and granite terraces.

Drakewalls sits in East Cornwall — covering PL18 from Callington, Stoke Climsland, Linkinhorne outward.

Cornish Mining World Heritage Site

Book a free Drakewalls site visit Call the studio More on Extensions →

✓ Same team on paper as on site
✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
✓ Local to East Cornwall — not a national franchise
✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings

Cornish mining-landscape ridge with engine-house silhouette

coastal contemporary build above the dunes

Our process

How a Drakewalls 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 proof — Our East Cornwall workload means a Drakewalls extension project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.

Get a free feasibility view

What we focus on

Extensions considerations specific to Drakewalls.

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
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.
03
Cornish granite and slate-hung walls react differently to new openings than modern brickwork — lintel choice and structural sequencing matter.
04
Wind and sea-spray exposure can drive material choices on west-facing extensions; we detail accordingly.

Local context

Why Drakewalls is its own job.

In Drakewalls the planning picture is specific: mining heritage, old plot widths and traditional materials make proportion and detailing more important than generic extension templates. For extension specifically, the wider area forms part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, which adds a heritage assessment layer to most material changes. That local reading is what makes a Drakewalls (PL18) project different from a generic Cornwall scheme — and is the whole reason we work this way. On post-war estates in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Calstock — the extension brief always has to read the existing fabric first.

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.

Local watch-list

Local snags worth knowing before drawing a Drakewalls extension.

Watch #1
World Heritage Site assessment on changes visible in the mining landscape

Drakewalls is part of Callington

Drakewalls sits inside the Callington catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.

See Extensions in Callington →

Local fabric

Drakewalls extensions — the local-studio difference.

Building stock

Across Drakewalls (PL18) we work on miners cottages, granite terraces, chapel conversions, workers cottages, post-war estates. Each stock type drives a different extension response — post-war estates in particular needs careful detailing here.

Parish & policy

Drakewalls sits in the parish of Drakewalls, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a extension application.

Coverage

We cover PL18 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Callington, Stoke Climsland, Linkinhorne. Most Drakewalls site visits get booked within the same week.

Can you handle both planning and build in Drakewalls?

Yes — design, planning, building regs and full construction run under one roof. For clients with an existing Drakewalls builder we can stop at a tender-ready Full Plans pack instead.

Request a free visit

Who this is for

Drakewalls runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every extension enquiry from the use-class up.

FAQs

Drakewalls Extensions — local questions answered.

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. In Drakewalls specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history 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.
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.
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.

Other services in Drakewalls

Nearby places we cover

If you're balancing ambition against PL18 planning realism, our Drakewalls extension work threads that needle without the usual drama.

Ready to discuss your project in Drakewalls?

Start a conversation

Extensions for Drakewalls (PL18)

How a Drakewalls extension project runs.

Brief

Design

Approvals

Build

Handover