Local Expertise
What gets your extension through Solihull Council.
Officer recommendation and committee decision aren't always the same thing in Solihull. Your application can be called in to committee once enough objection letters land, even when the case officer has already recommended approval.
That sounds alarming until you look at what committees do with those objections. In one recent Solihull case, a garage extension went to committee after six objections and was approved unanimously, because none of the objections raised a genuine planning issue. Your neighbours might not like the change. The committee is required to assess your plans against policy, not against complaints.
That's the distinction your design needs to hold up to: a scheme that survives planning policy, not one that merely looks inoffensive enough to avoid a letter. Castle Bromwich, Dorridge, Knowle and Olton all have their own character and their own sensitivities, and a design that respects your roofline, your materials and your boundary distances tends to clear both the officer's desk and the committee table without a fight.
Thinking about extending in Solihull?
Get a free, no-obligation consultation with our team.
OUR APPROACH
From first sketch to finished extension.
Your project moves through four stages, with us managing each one. You get a single point of contact throughout, so you're never chasing different people for different answers about your own project.
Free consultation
We visit your house (or video call if that suits you better) to understand your space, your budget and what you need from the extra room.
Design & feasibility
We sketch options, check what Solihull Council is likely to accept on your specific street, and agree a direction with you before any formal drawings begin.
Planning submission
We prepare and submit your application, and handle any questions from the case officer on your behalf. If a neighbour objection sends it to committee, we make sure the planning argument is already strong enough to stand on its own.
Build support
Building regulations drawings, contractor tender support, and site visits through to completion, giving you one team to call from start to finish.
start the conversation
Let's talk about your extension.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation and find out what's possible for your house in Solihull, with a realistic plan for your budget and timeline before you commit to anything.
I'm a builder who has worked with JSA. I found them to have great ideas and really detailed drawings. Chris whom I dealt with on the project was very friendly and approachable and explained easily and concisely any details and was really great to work with.
Deene Ball, D W Ball
COMMON QUESTIONS
Do you need planning permission?
A lot of homeowners assume any extension needs a full application. Often it doesn't. The deciding factors are size, position, and whether your property falls inside one of Solihull's conservation areas.
NO APPLICATION NEEDED, IN MOST CASES
Permitted Development
Permitted development rights cover a good number of single-storey rear extensions, provided you stay within set limits on depth and height. No application, no committee, no waiting.
- Single-storey rear extensions within set depth limits
- Property sits outside a conservation area
- Materials and roofline broadly match the existing house
FULL APPLICATION REQUIRED
Planning Permission
Go beyond permitted development limits, or sit inside a conservation area, and your extension needs a full application to Solihull Council. That's not a reason to worry. It's a reason to design it properly from the start.
- Two-storey, side, or wrap-around extensions
- Properties in Knowle, Dorridge, or other conservation areas
- Listed buildings, or extensions exceeding permitted limits
Your free consultation tells you which route your project sits in, and what that means for your timeline, before any drawings are started.
Part of every free consultation
services
How we can help in Solihull.
House extensions are our most requested service here, but they're rarely the only thing a project needs.
House Extensions
Rear, side and wrap-around extensions designed around how your family lives, with planning handled for you.
New Build Homes
New builds, renovations and full project support across Solihull, from your first sketch through to completion.
3D Visualisation
See your extension before it's built. Helpful for getting the whole household on the same page before work starts.
Thinking about extending in Solihull?
Get a free, no-obligation consultation with our team.
FAQ's
Common Questions
It depends on the size, position and type of your property. Many single-storey rear extensions fall under permitted development rights and don't need full planning permission, but there are limits on height, depth and proximity to boundaries. Larger extensions, side extensions, and anything affecting a property in one of Solihull's conservation areas will usually need a full application to Solihull Council. We check this for you at no cost before any design work starts.
Not on their own. An application can be called in to a planning committee if enough objections are received, even when planning officers have recommended approval, but objections only carry weight if they raise material planning concerns. In a recent Solihull case, a garage extension was unanimously approved by committee despite six objections, because none of them raised a genuine planning issue. Good design carries more weight than the number of letters against it.
Architect fees for a house extension are usually charged as a fixed fee based on the complexity and scale of the project, rather than a percentage that fluctuates with your build cost. We agree this with you before any work begins, so there are no surprises later. For a detailed breakdown of how fees work, see our pricing guide.
Yes. We work across Solihull and the surrounding areas, including Castle Bromwich, Marston Green, Olton, Knowle, Dorridge and Dickens Heath, all of which fall under Solihull Council for planning purposes.
LOCAL TO YOU
Covering Solihull and the surrounding area.
We work across Solihull's full planning landscape, from established suburbs like Olton and Castle Bromwich to the more rural conservation character of Knowle and Dorridge. Wherever your property sits, your application goes through Solihull Council, and that's the process we design around.
Solihull Town Centre - Castle Bromwich - Marston Green - Olton - Knowle - Dorridge - Dickens Heath
