Basement and cellar conversions in Herefordshire

Covering Herefordshire

Our coverage across Herefordshire includes Hereford, Leominster, Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury.

Homes in the West Midlands

The West Midlands has a large stock of 1930s semis and Victorian terraces in red brick, so matching brick and roof tiles is often the key to an extension that looks original.

What goes into a basement conversion?

A basement conversion turns an existing cellar into dry, usable rooms, or excavates a new basement under a house. Converting an existing cellar is far simpler and cheaper than digging a new one, and often does not need planning permission.

Waterproofing design and installation
Ventilation, heating and electrics
Finished floors, walls and ceilings

What is the guide price for a basement conversion in Herefordshire?

Typical ranges for basement and cellar conversions. Ground conditions, access and specification move the final figure, which we fix in writing before work starts.

Basement and cellar conversions	Guide price incl. VAT
Existing cellar conversion	£1,900 to £3,000 per m²
New basement excavation	£4,200 to £6,600 per m²

What approvals does a basement conversion need in England?

Projects in England go through two separate checks. Planning (or confirmation that the work is permitted development) comes from the district, borough or unitary council, and building regulations approval comes from the council’s building control team or a registered building control approver. Where work touches a shared wall or digs near a neighbour’s foundations, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies.

Converting an existing cellar with no external changes usually does not need planning permission in England. Digging a new basement or adding a lightwell often does, and many councils have basement policies.

What can affect a basement conversion?

A pump for the drainage system needs a battery back-up.
Headroom of about 2.1 m or more is needed, which may mean lowering the floor.

What are the steps?

Send us the details. Give us a postcode, a rough idea of size and some photos, by phone, form or the guide price tool.
We visit and measure. A surveyor checks the house, the boundaries and the ground, and discusses what is realistic.
Design and fixed price. You get drawings and a written price for the agreed specification before anything is ordered.
Construction and completion. One site lead co-ordinates every trade through to the building control certificate.

Basement and cellar conversions: common questions

Does a cellar conversion need planning permission?

Usually not if nothing changes outside. New basements and lightwells often do.

How do you keep a basement dry?

With a designed waterproofing system, usually a cavity drain membrane draining to a pump, sometimes combined with tanking.

Do you work in Herefordshire?

Yes. Herefordshire is within our coverage for basement and cellar conversions, along with nearby Hereford and Leominster.

Basement and cellar conversions near Herefordshire

Learn more about basement and cellar conversions, or see every project we cover in Herefordshire.