What is a small housing development?
A small housing development is a scheme of a few new homes, typically two to nine, on a single site. We work with landowners, small developers and investors to build schemes that already have planning permission, or help take a site through planning first.
How much does a small housing development cost in County Durham?
In County Durham, a small housing development typically costs £1,600–£2,450 per m² of floor area (build cost), including VAT at 0% (zero-rated for qualifying new dwellings). For a typical 400 m² project that is roughly £640,000–£980,000. The guide for County Durham reflects typical costs in the North East, roughly 10% below the UK-wide figure. Design, structural calculations and council fees are extra.
| Size or type | Guide range |
|---|---|
| Smaller project (280 m²) | £448,000–£686,000 |
| Typical project (400 m²) | £640,000–£980,000 |
| Larger project (560 m²) | £896,000–£1,372,000 |
| Rate per m² | £1,600–£2,450 |
The main things that change the cost:
- Ground conditions
- Site access and phasing
- Specification
- Number and size of homes
Your exact price depends on the survey and drawings. The guide price tool gives a quick range in the meantime.
Do you need planning permission for a small housing development in County Durham?
Before anything is built in County Durham, we confirm which approvals apply in England. In England small schemes need full planning permission and may involve a section 106 agreement, the Community Infrastructure Levy, highways and drainage approvals, and biodiversity net gain where it applies.
Building regulations approval comes from the council’s building control service or a registered building control approver. The work is inspected at key stages, such as foundations, drainage and insulation, and a completion certificate is issued at the end.
We check this for your address before design work starts, so there are no surprises later.
What we handle
The work we manage on a small housing development:
- Groundworks, roads and drainage
- Pre-construction cost plan
- External works and landscaping
- Warranty and building control inspections
- Utility connections
- Design development and discharge of conditions
How long does it take?
Allow 12 to 24 months depending on scheme size. Before that, surveys, drawings and approvals usually take 6 to 12 months, longer if the council asks for changes.
Building in County Durham
The North East has many terraced streets and post-war semis, where rear extensions and loft conversions are popular ways to gain space.
Towns we cover in County Durham include Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, Chester-le-Street and Billingham.
How it works
- 01
Survey and brief
We visit, discuss your ideas and budget, and survey the property or site at no cost.
- 02
Drawings and written quote
We prepare the design and give you a written, itemised quote with inclusions and exclusions.
- 03
Approvals in place
We handle planning, building control and neighbour notices before work starts.
- 04
Build and handover
Work follows the agreed programme, with inspections along the way and a completion certificate at the end.
Questions about small housing developments in County Durham
Is VAT charged on new homes?
Construction of qualifying new dwellings is normally zero-rated for VAT.
Do you work with landowners?
Yes. If you own land, with or without planning permission, we can discuss building on it with you.
Who approves a small housing development in County Durham?
Planning matters in County Durham go to the council covering your address, and the work needs building control approval. We prepare and submit the applications for you.
How much does a small housing development cost in County Durham?
In County Durham, a small housing development typically costs £1,600–£2,450 per m² of floor area (build cost), including VAT at 0% (zero-rated for qualifying new dwellings). A typical 400 m² project comes to roughly £640,000–£980,000. Your fixed price depends on the survey and drawings.
Who handles road adoption?
We build roads and sewers to adoptable standards where agreements are in place with the highway authority and water company.