South Cornwall · TR11 · Cornwall Council Central
Design, planning and build for Durgan renovation
Cornish housing stock is brilliant and infuriating in equal measure. We renovate cottages, farmhouses, mid-century homes and post-war estates — opening up layouts, fixing damp, adding light and bringing the property up to a standard worth living in. What works on a TR11 plot rarely works elsewhere — Durgan is a creekside settlement in the TR11 area, with waterside homes, wooded valleys and narrow-lane access shaping the brief, with a building stock that leans toward waterside homes and converted barns.
Durgan sits in South Cornwall — just off the A39; covering TR11 from Mawnan Smith, Mawnan, Truro outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓Measured-survey accuracy from day one
- ✓One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
- ✓Local to South Cornwall — not a national franchise
Free · No obligation
Free Durgan feasibility call
Tell us about your renovation. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Local proof — Our South Cornwall workload means a Durgan renovation project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Durgan is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Durgan is consistent: creekside ecology, flood risk, trees and views across the water often matter as much as the building form itself. For renovation specifically, parts of Durgan 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 Durgan drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. That's why we treat every Durgan project as a TR11-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The waterside homes that dominate Durgan (and continue out toward Truro) set the tone for any renovation scheme here.
Planning note
Most Cornish renovations don't need planning — but listed status, curtilage listing, Conservation Area designation and material changes can all change that picture.
What we focus on
Renovations considerations specific to Durgan.
01
Asbestos surveys are standard for anything pre-2000 — we factor a survey into the programme before stripping out begins.
02
Listed and curtilage-listed properties need Listed Building Consent for many internal alterations that wouldn't normally need approval.
03
Original fireplaces, slate floors, beams and joinery are often worth rescuing; the design conversation should start with what stays, not what goes.
04
Older Cornish properties are often built with cob, rubble or solid granite — modern insulation strategies that work in cavity walls cause damp problems in solid construction. Breathable build-ups matter.
Keep reading
Related TR11 pages
Durgan is covered from our Mawnan Smith 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.
Who this is for
Our footing in South Cornwall
- Designated-area work is routine here, so heritage and landscape statements are produced alongside the drawings rather than outsourced.
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a renovation enquiry does not get passed between firms.
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Durgan 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.
Scope
Where our work starts and stops on a TR11 project
Not every project needs every stage. On a Durgan job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Building regulation drawings
Full Plans sets with sections, construction notes and coordinated structural information.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Durgan?
Both routes are open on a TR11 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Durgan 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 TR11 scope, not as one opaque figure
Our process
How a Durgan renovation project runs.
Step 1
Survey
Measured survey, condition assessment, services check and listed status review.
Step 2
Design
Layout options, material strategy and a clear list of what stays and what changes.
Step 3
Approvals
Listed Building Consent and building regulations as needed.
Step 4
Strip-out and works
Carefully sequenced demolition, structural works and rebuild.
Step 5
Finish and handover
Joinery, decoration, snagging and documentation pack.
Whole-house renovations typically run six to fourteen months on site; partial remodels two to four months.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Durgan 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 Durgan and the TR11 area.
Local fabric
Why a South Cornwall studio is the right fit for Durgan renovation.
Building stock
Across Durgan (TR11) we work on creekside cottages, detached houses, boat sheds, converted barns, waterside homes. Each stock type drives a different renovation response — waterside homes in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Durgan sits in the parish of Durgan, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a renovation application.
Coverage
We cover TR11 from our studio, with regular renovation jobs also running in Mawnan Smith, Mawnan, Truro. Most Durgan site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Durgan site?
Usually within the same week. Durgan (TR11) is on our regular South Cornwall run, alongside Mawnan Smith, Mawnan, Truro. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Durgan Renovations — local questions answered.
- How much does a full renovation cost in Durgan?
- A whole-house renovation typically lands between £1,800 and £3,000 per square metre depending on condition, listed status and finish level. We survey before quoting and don't price by guesswork. In Durgan specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Can you renovate and extend at the same time?
- Yes, and often it's the right call — the planning, regs and disruption all happen once instead of twice. We design and price it as a single project.
- We live in the house. Can a renovation in Durgan 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 Durgan are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- Do I need planning permission to renovate internally?
- Usually no — except on listed buildings, where Listed Building Consent is needed for many internal alterations. We confirm the position before any wall comes down.
- What about damp and old walls?
- We assess the cause first — usually rising damp myths, blocked vents, hard cement renders trapping moisture, or roofs needing attention. A breathable repair strategy fixes most of it without chemical intervention.
- How long does a renovation take?
- Single rooms in weeks, kitchens in two to three months, whole-house renovations in six to fourteen months depending on size and listed status.
Durgan is part of Mawnan Smith
Durgan sits inside the Mawnan Smith catchment — we cover both as one renovation territory.
See Renovations in Mawnan Smith →Other services in Durgan
Nearby places we cover
If you're balancing ambition against TR11 planning realism, our Durgan renovation work threads that needle without the usual drama. Applications are dealt with through Cornwall Council, with Truro the office we deal with most for TR11.
Book a site visit in the TR11 area Truro handles the planning end for TR11.
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Book a free visit in Durgan
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