Extensions in Radford
Most extensions are decided long before anyone digs: how deep you can go without a planning application, what is in the ground, and where the daylight will come from once the back wall moves.
- Local to Radford
- Fully insured
- Free fixed quotes
Radford sits in the CV6 district, 1.5 miles north of the city centre. We build extensions there from groundworks up: foundations sized to the ground conditions, structural steel to engineer calculations, roof and glazing, and full fit-out. Building Control inspections are planned into the programme rather than chased at the end.
Working in Radford
Radford lies 1.5 miles north of Coventry city centre, in the CV6 postcode district.
Within walking distance you will find Asda and St. Francis of Assisi, and we work on properties throughout the streets around them.
The nearest areas we also cover are Coundon (0.8 miles) and Bishopsgate Green (0.9 miles), so work in Radford sits inside the same run of the city.
- Asda
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
- Hill Farm Academy
- Radford and Holbrooks Methodist Church
- Charlie Supermarket
- New brick will not match eighty-year-old brick, so the junction is a design decision.
- The kitchen layout has to be settled before first fix, because it sets every socket and waste position.
- On a semi or terrace, party wall notice is the norm rather than the exception.
- Peg the footprint out on the ground before you commit to a depth — it changes minds.
- A rear extension of 4m detached or 3m semi/terraced is generally permitted development, subject to conditions.
The work itself, in plain terms
The extension work we carry out on Radford properties, from groundworks and structure to glazing and full fit-out.
Single storey rear extensions
Rear extensions from foundations to finished room, with the light to the existing house designed in rather than lost.
Two storey extensions
Two-storey extensions, cheaper per square metre because foundations and roof are shared, though more likely to need planning.
Side returns & side extensions
Side return infill on Victorian and Edwardian terraces, squaring off an awkward galley kitchen.
Planning & Building Control
We establish early whether the project is permitted development or needs an application, and build the approvals into the programme.
Groundworks & structure
Excavation, foundations, drainage and structure — the stages that decide whether everything above goes smoothly.
Full fit-out
First and second fix, plastering, flooring and decoration — handed over as a finished room, not a shell.
Built around how you own the property
Growing families
The space you need without moving, with a programme you can plan family life around.
Open-plan projects
Rear builds combined with removing the original back wall, which is where the transformation actually comes from.
Investors
Honest advice when the numbers say the extension will not return what it costs here.
The jobs that start with a phone call
- 01
Drains or an inspection chamber running directly under the proposed footprint.
- 02
A finished extension with a step down into it, because the slab level was set before anyone measured the house floor.
- 03
Sockets in the wrong places, because the kitchen layout was decided after first fix.
- 04
Wiring, an outside light and the alarm sensor all cut off with the wall that came down.
- 05
New brickwork that reads as obviously new, because the mortar was never matched to the original.
- 06
A party wall notice served too late, holding up a start date that had already been booked.
What we check on a property in Radford
Every quote starts with a survey. These are the things we look at on extension work in Radford, and why each one changes the recommendation.
Glazing orientation and overheating
A large glazed elevation facing south behaves very differently from one facing north. We raise shading and glass specification at design stage rather than after the first summer.
Light to the existing rooms
Extending across the back of a house can leave the middle dark. We flag it at survey so rooflights or an internal opening can be designed in rather than regretted.
The existing structure being opened into
What carries the wall you are opening up, and what sits above it, determines the steel and the propping. We establish this before quoting, not when the plaster comes off.
Services to be diverted
Gas meters, soil pipes, external taps, boiler flues and incoming supplies all tend to be exactly where the new wall goes. We identify them early so diversions are planned, not improvised.
Scaffold and working space
Where scaffold can stand, and whether it needs to go on a neighbour's land, is both a practical and a legal question. Better settled before a start date is agreed.
Protecting the rest of the house
We plan dust screens, floor protection and the route in and out before starting. Living through a build is tolerable if the mess is contained to where the work is.
Simple, transparent, no pressure
Free inspection & advice
We visit, assess the job properly and explain your options in plain English — no pressure.
Transparent fixed quote
A clear, line-by-line quote with no hidden costs. You decide in your own time.
Expert workmanship
Our qualified, insured team completes the work on time, on budget and to a high standard.
Walkthrough & tidy finish
We clean up fully and don't leave until you're 100% happy.
Trusted across Coventry
Extensions in Radford — your questions answered
Still have a question? Our local team is happy to help — no pressure, no jargon.
Speak to us today0786 5778332Which part of Radford do you cover?
All of it — the streets around Asda included. Where a property sits matters less to us than what the access is like, which is something we look at on the survey rather than guessing from an address.
How quickly can you get to Radford?
Quickly — it is about 1.5 miles north of the city centre. Short distances are the main reason we can offer same-week surveys and come back promptly if something needs a second look.
Can you work from our architect's drawings?
Yes, and it is how most of our extension work comes to us. We price from the drawings and structural calculations, flag anything that looks buildable only in theory, and liaise with the designer during the build. Where there are no drawings yet we can advise on what level of detail you need before anyone can give you a price worth comparing.
Will an extension add value?
Usually, though rarely pound for pound, and the ceiling is the top of the market for your street. Adding a bedroom or opening up a cramped ground floor tends to do better than simply adding area. Overdeveloping relative to the neighbours is the way to spend money you will not get back. We would rather say that at survey than after you have committed.
What is the Party Wall Act and does my extension trigger it?
It applies if you build on the boundary line, cut into a shared wall, or excavate within 3m of a neighbouring structure to a depth below its foundations — which most extensions on a semi or terrace do. You serve notice in advance; the neighbour consents or surveyors agree an award. Notice periods run to two months, so it needs starting early, not when the scaffold arrives.
How deep do the foundations need to be?
That depends on the ground, not on the extension. Foundation depth is driven by soil type, the water table, and especially nearby trees — clay soils near mature trees can require foundations well beyond the usual minimum. Building Control inspect the excavation before concrete goes in and will ask for them deeper if the ground says so. This is the single most common reason a groundworks budget moves.
How long does an extension take to build?
A straightforward single-storey rear extension is typically somewhere around three to four months on site; a two-storey is longer. The part people underestimate is everything before that: design, structural calculations, planning if needed, Building Control and lead times on glazing and steel can easily add as long again. We give a programme that includes those stages because a build-only timescale is not a date you can plan around.
Get your free extensions quote in Radford
Tell us what you are hoping to add and roughly where on the house. We will come and look at the plot, the drains and the access, and tell you what is realistic before anyone pays for drawings.
- No obligation, no pressure, no hidden costs
- Qualified, insured Coventry tradespeople
- Fast response — within 24 hours on urgent jobs