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 Malpas 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.

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.

Mid Cornwall · TR1

Extensions for Malpas (TR1)

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 Malpas means starting from the TR1 context — Malpas is a creekside settlement in the TR1 area, with waterside homes, wooded valleys and narrow-lane access shaping the brief, with a building stock that leans toward waterside homes and detached houses.

Malpas sits in Mid Cornwall — covering TR1 from Truro, St Michael Penkivel, Calenick outward.

Conservation Area
Coastal exposure zone

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

✓ Same team on paper as on site
✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
✓ Local to Mid Cornwall — not a national franchise
✓ One studio — design, planning and build under one roof

Cornish mining-landscape ridge with engine-house silhouette

coastal contemporary build above the dunes

Our process

How a Malpas 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 Mid Cornwall workload means a Malpas 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 Malpas.

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 Malpas is its own job.

In Malpas the planning picture is specific: creekside ecology, flood risk, trees and views across the water often matter as much as the building form itself. For extension specifically, parts of Malpas sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; coastal salt-laden air around Malpas drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. That local reading is what makes a Malpas (TR1) project different from a generic Cornwall scheme — and is the whole reason we work this way. On waterside homes in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Kea — 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

Malpas-specific issues we screen on the first visit.

Watch #1
Conservation Area material and fenestration controls in central Malpas
Watch #2
Coastal exposure driving fixing, render and joinery spec

Malpas is part of Truro

Malpas sits inside the Truro catchment — we cover both as one extension territory.

See Extensions in Truro →

Local fabric

Malpas extensions — the local-studio difference.

Building stock

Across Malpas (TR1) 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

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

Coverage

We cover TR1 from our studio, with regular extension jobs also running in Truro, St Michael Penkivel, Calenick. Most Malpas site visits get booked within the same week.

Can you handle both planning and build in Malpas?

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

Request a free visit

Who this is for

Malpas 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

Malpas 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 Malpas 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.
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 Malpas

Nearby places we cover

If you're balancing ambition against TR1 planning realism, our Malpas extension work threads that needle without the usual drama.

Ready to discuss your project in Malpas?

Start a conversation

Extensions for Malpas (TR1)

How a Malpas extension project runs.

Brief

Design

Approvals

Build

Handover