Honest answers to the questions every homeowner asks before starting their extension project.
Do I need planning permission for a home extension in Flintshire?
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Not always. Many smaller extensions in Flintshire qualify under Permitted Development rights, which means no planning application is needed. As a general rule, single storey rear extensions up to 4 metres for detached houses (3 metres for others) can often proceed without planning permission. However, this depends on your specific property, its location, and whether any previous extensions have already used up your permitted development allowance. Mike will assess this at your Initial Site Appraisal Meeting and give you a clear answer on exactly what your project needs.
How much does a home extension cost in North Wales?
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Build costs in North Wales typically range from £1,500 to £2,500 per square metre depending on the specification, materials and complexity of the build. A typical single storey kitchen extension of 20 square metres might cost between £30,000 and £50,000 to build. Mike's architectural fees are separate from build costs and will be clearly set out in a written fee proposal before any work begins. He will also flag any additional costs — such as planning fees, building control fees or structural engineer costs — so you have a complete picture from the start.
What is the difference between an architect and an architectural technician?
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An architectural technician specialises in the technical and practical side of building design — producing the detailed drawings, planning applications and building regulation documentation needed to get your project built. For most home extensions, an architectural technician offers everything you need at a more accessible cost than a fully chartered architect. Mike has a BSc in Architectural Design Technology and 25 years of specialist experience in domestic extensions — making him ideally qualified for exactly this type of project.
How long does the planning permission process take in Flintshire?
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Flintshire County Council typically targets an 8 week determination period for householder planning applications, though this can vary. Mike prepares thorough, well-presented applications which minimise the risk of delays or requests for further information. If your extension qualifies under Permitted Development, no planning application is needed at all — saving you both time and the planning application fee.
Do I need building regulations approval for my extension?
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Yes — almost all extensions require building regulations approval regardless of whether planning permission is needed. Building regulations ensure the work is structurally sound, energy efficient and safe. Mike produces the full building regulation drawings your builder needs, and will obtain a quote from building control on your behalf. Building control then inspects the work at key stages during the build and issues a completion certificate when finished — this is an important document if you ever sell your home.
How do I get started?
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Simply call Mike on 07703 786 460 or fill in the contact form below. He'll arrange an Initial Site Appraisal Meeting at your home — usually within a few days. The visit costs £60, and if you go ahead the full £60 is deducted from your agreed fee, so it effectively costs you nothing. At the visit he'll look at your space, listen to what you want to achieve, and give you honest advice on what's possible, what the process involves and what it's likely to cost.
Who draws up the plans for a house extension?
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An architect or architectural technician draws up house extension plans — first the existing and proposed drawings for planning, then the detailed building regulation drawings your builder prices and builds from. Mike is a qualified architectural technician (BSc Architectural Design Technology) and has drawn extension plans across Deeside, Chester, Wrexham and Denbighshire for over 25 years. He handles the whole process, including submitting the planning application for you.
How much does an architect cost for an extension in North Wales?
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For a full design and approvals package — survey, existing and proposed drawings, planning application and building regulation drawings — Mike's fees typically range from £750 to £1,400 for a single storey extension, £950 to £1,800 for a two storey extension, £950 to £1,500 for a loft conversion and £750 to £1,400 for a garage conversion. Use the instant estimate tool on this page to see the complete picture including council fees, or book a £60 Initial Site Appraisal Meeting for a written fixed-fee proposal — the £60 is deducted from your fee if you go ahead.
My builder says I don't need drawings — is that true?
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Be careful with this one. Building control requires proper technical drawings for an extension anyway — so the question isn't whether drawings get done, it's whether they're done properly, before the price is agreed. A builder quoting without drawings is quoting a guess, and a guess is exactly how a £40,000 job becomes a £60,000 job halfway through. Proper drawings fix the scope: you can get three builders to quote on exactly the same job, compare them fairly, and hold everyone to what was agreed. The good builders Mike works with actually prefer it — it protects them too.
Can I draw the plans and apply myself?
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Legally, yes — there's no rule that says you can't. In practice, councils reject or stall applications every week for drawings that aren't to scale, missing site plans, or details that don't meet validation requirements — and each round of fixes costs you six to eight weeks of waiting. Then come the building regulation drawings, which are genuinely technical: structure, insulation values, fire safety, drainage. Getting it wrong there costs real money on site. What you're buying from Mike isn't lines on paper — it's 25 years of knowing exactly what your council needs to say yes first time.
Your fees seem low compared to architects — are corners being cut?
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No — and it's fair to ask. You get the same drawings the council and your builder need, to the same standards. The difference is overheads, not quality: Mike is a one-man specialist working from Deeside, not a practice with a studio, staff and city-centre rent — and he's spent 25 years doing one thing: domestic extensions. A chartered architect earns their higher fee on bespoke, design-led projects. For a standard home extension, you'd be paying that premium for overheads you don't need. Established 2010, registered at Companies House, and every planning application Mike submits is publicly checkable on the council portal — cheap corners don't survive that kind of paper trail.
Do you cover my area?
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Mike is based in Deeside and works across Flintshire (Connah's Quay, Shotton, Queensferry, Hawarden, Ewloe, Buckley, Mold, Flint, Holywell, Northop), Chester and the border villages, Wrexham, Denbighshire (Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph), and the Wirral (Neston, Heswall). If you're nearby but don't see your town, call — he almost certainly covers you.
