Covering Cheshire
We cover Cheshire, including Warrington, Chester, Crewe and Ellesmere Port, and the towns around them.
Homes in the North West
Terraced housing is a defining feature of many North West towns, which brings party walls and narrow access into most projects, with more space to extend on suburban semis.
What does a knock down and rebuild involve?
Knock down and rebuild means demolishing an existing house and building a new one in its place, often a bungalow or poorly built post-war house replaced by a larger, more efficient home. Because the new house counts as a new dwelling, the build is usually zero-rated for VAT.
- Asbestos survey, demolition notice and service disconnections
- New foundations, structure and full fit-out
- Reconnection of services and landscaping
What will a knock down and rebuild cost?
Use these ranges to budget for knock down and rebuild; the survey turns them into a fixed price for the agreed specification.
| Knock down and rebuild | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Demolition and site clearance (total) | £15,000 to £35,000 |
| Rebuild, standard specification (per m²) | £2,100 to £2,600 per m² |
| Rebuild, good specification (per m²) | £2,600 to £3,100 per m² |
| Rebuild, high specification (per m²) | £3,100 to £3,700 per m² |
Planning and building rules in Cheshire
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.
This needs full planning permission from the council.
What can change the price or programme?
- A replacement dwelling is usually zero-rated for VAT where the old house is demolished completely to ground level.
- Asbestos is common in post-war houses and must be removed by licensed contractors where required.
From first call to completion
- Tell us about the project. Call, use the guide price tool or send the form with a few photos and a postcode.
- Site visit. We walk the plot or existing house, look at access, levels, services and boundaries, and talk through what could be built.
- Drawings, approvals, written quote. We prepare the design, apply for the approvals it needs, and give you a fixed price in writing.
- Build and hand over. Our teams build to the programme, building control inspects, and you get the completion paperwork at the end.
What people ask before starting
Is VAT charged on a knock down and rebuild?
Usually not on the new house, if the old one is demolished completely and the new building is a qualifying dwelling.
How long does it take?
Around 36 to 60 weeks including demolition.
Can you visit a house in Cheshire to quote?
Yes. After a short call we arrange a site visit to measure up and agree what the design needs to do, then send a written price.
Also covering
- Knock down and rebuild in Warrington
- Knock down and rebuild in Chester
- Knock down and rebuild in Crewe
- Knock down and rebuild in Ellesmere Port
- Knock down and rebuild in Widnes
- Knock down and rebuild in Runcorn
- Knock down and rebuild in Macclesfield
- Knock down and rebuild in Northwich
- Knock down and rebuild in Great Sankey
- Knock down and rebuild in Winsford
- Knock down and rebuild in Congleton
- Knock down and rebuild in Wilmslow
Learn more about knock down and rebuild, or see every project we cover in Cheshire.