North Cornwall · EX23 · Cornwall Council North
One studio for new build in Jacobstow
A bespoke new build is the longest project we do, and the most rewarding. From plot appraisal through planning, building regulations and construction, you work with one team from the first sketch to the handover walk-round. Working in Jacobstow means starting from the EX23 context — Jacobstow is a rural parish in the EX23 area, with farmsteads, lanes and scattered homes defining its built character, with a building stock that leans toward smallholdings and farmhouses.
Jacobstow sits in North Cornwall — just off the A39; covering EX23 from Bude, Stratton, Poughill outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓Local to North Cornwall — not a national franchise
- ✓Same team on paper as on site
- ✓Cornwall Council North sub-area regulars
- ✓One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
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Free Jacobstow feasibility call
Tell us about your new build. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Jacobstow?
Both routes are open on a EX23 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Jacobstow clients take the drawings, tender them locally, then come back to us for the build if the numbers do not stack up.
- Route one: feasibility, planning and a tender-ready technical pack
- Route two: the same pack, then the build under one contract
- Either way the survey and feasibility work is identical, so the decision can wait
- Fees quoted per stage against the EX23 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
Scope options for Jacobstow clients
Not every project needs every stage. On a Jacobstow job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
Building regulation drawings
Full Plans sets with sections, construction notes and coordinated structural information.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Local watch-list
The EX23 constraints that shape a new build brief.
Watch #1
Local Plan tests on isolated dwellings, plus lane access for plant and deliveries around Jacobstow
Who this is for
Straight facts about working with us here
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a new build enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Applications for Jacobstow are handled through Cornwall Council, with Bodmin the nearest planning office we deal with regularly.
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Jacobstow questions has seen the detail built.
Planning rules change and every site is different. For the final position on your address, check with Cornwall Council as the local planning authority or the Planning Portal.
What we focus on
New Builds considerations specific to Jacobstow.
01
AONB and Heritage Coast designations apply to large stretches of the county; isolated new builds outside settlement boundaries face a much higher policy bar.
02
Off-grid services — package treatment plants, borehole supply, off-mains gas — are common on rural Cornish plots and need designing, not assuming.
03
Replacement dwellings have specific volumetric tests — getting the ratio between existing footprint and proposed floor area right is the difference between approval and refusal.
04
Self-build CIL exemption requires the right documentation in the right order; missing a step costs five-figure sums.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Jacobstow project is worth pursuing?
Send a few details — we'll come back within 1 working day with a plain-English view on planning risk, likely cost band and whether it's a project we'd take on.
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Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Jacobstow and the EX23 area.
Local context
Why Jacobstow is its own job.
Two things shape a Jacobstow application: parish character and policy. On policy — open-countryside policy, access lanes, drainage and agricultural building history all need to be addressed before drawings go too far. For new build specifically, 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. Get that local reading right and the rest of the Jacobstow programme tends to run on time. On smallholdings in particular — the kind you'll also find toward Flexbury — the new build brief always has to read the existing fabric first.
Planning note
Cornwall's planning policy on new dwellings is among the most restrictive in England outside Greater London. The first conversation should be a planning conversation, not a design one.
Our process
How a Jacobstow new build project runs.
Step 1
Plot review
Site visit, planning history check, designation review and an honest feasibility verdict.
Step 2
Concept design
Sketches that test the plot in massing, orientation and approach before any drawings are committed.
Step 3
Planning
Pre-app, full planning, consultee management and condition discharge.
Step 4
Technical design and build prep
Building regs, structural design, services strategy and contractor procurement.
Step 5
Construction and handover
Build delivered under contract administration with regular client reviews.
Most bespoke new builds run eighteen to thirty months from instruction to keys, depending on site, planning route and build complexity.
FAQs
Jacobstow New Builds — local questions answered.
- What's a replacement dwelling and is mine eligible?
- If a habitable dwelling exists on the plot, you can often replace it — within volumetric and design constraints set by Cornwall's Local Plan. Derelict structures sometimes qualify, sometimes don't, depending on lawful use history. In Jacobstow specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history before committing to a direction.
- How long does the whole project take?
- Allow six to twelve months for design and approvals, then ten to fourteen months on site for a typical four-bedroom new build. Complex sites or long planning routes extend that.
- What about utilities, drainage and access?
- All designed and applied for as part of the package — water, electric, off-mains drainage where mains isn't viable, and highways access agreement with Cornwall Council where required.
- How much does a new build cost?
- Realistic budgets in Cornwall start around £2,800 per square metre for a good-quality build and rise quickly with bespoke joinery, large glazing, complex sites and high-spec finishes. We work to your number, not against it.
- Can I build a new house on my plot in Cornwall?
- Sometimes yes, sometimes no — and the honest answer needs a planning policy review of the specific site. Settlement boundary, designations, access and policy on isolated dwellings all weigh in. We give a frank read at first consultation rather than a sales pitch.
- We live in the house. Can a new build in Jacobstow be done while we stay put?
- Usually yes for single-storey and rear work, with a temporary kitchen or bathroom arrangement agreed before the start. Whole-house remodels and roof work in Jacobstow are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
Jacobstow is part of Bude
Jacobstow sits inside the Bude catchment — we cover both as one new build territory.
See New Builds in Bude →Keep reading
Where to go next from Jacobstow
Jacobstow is covered from our Bude run. Being a smaller place, the local detail matters more than the headline policy: lane access, neighbour proximity and what the immediate street already looks like.
Other services in Jacobstow
Nearby places we cover
To sum up, our new build approach in Jacobstow is built entirely around local Cornwall context, ensuring the best possible outcome for your property. converted barns in particular need a tailored structural answer.
Get a feasibility view on your Jacobstow home Bring the deeds, we will bring the survey kit for the new build.
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