Prime Buildings & Developments
wide single-storey rear extension

House Extensions in Towcester

Extensions and renovations for Towcester homes, honest QS estimates and staged payments you can see.

Free, no-obligation estimate for most projects · FMB & Checkatrade members

Local to Towcester

Your local builder in Towcester

Where we are. Towcester is a short drive south-west of our Blisworth base, so it sits comfortably within our regular working area.

Homes we work on. Towcester is a historic market town on Watling Street, with Georgian and older buildings in its centre and a large amount of newer housing built on the edges of the town in recent years.

What people ask for. Towcester homeowners most often ask us about rear and side extensions to newer family houses, kitchen extensions, and alterations to older properties near the centre.

Every Towcester project is led by founder Rick Humphries, who started as an apprentice bricklayer at 16 and has 21 years in the trade. You deal with the same team from first visit to handover.

Why Towcester homeowners choose us

Why choose Prime in Towcester

21 years in the trade

Founder Rick Humphries started as an apprentice bricklayer at 16.

FMB & Checkatrade members

Federation of Master Builders and Checkatrade.

£5M public liability

Plus employers’ liability for all on-site personnel.

NVQ-qualified team

On-site team members hold trade-specific NVQs.

Free QS estimates

Prepared by a professional quantity surveyor for most projects.

Honest pricing

We give estimates, not ‘fixed quotes’ that grow later. A quantity surveyor builds the figure from the real scope of your home.

You pay for what you can see

Between 4 and 7 stage payments, each tied to a visible milestone. You are never paying far ahead of the work.

One team, every trade

Groundworks, steel, brickwork, joinery and finishes are handled by one team, so nothing falls between separate contractors.

Structural work done to calculation

Steelwork follows engineer’s calculations, from our partner local structural engineering firm or your own engineer.

Cover if something goes wrong

£5,000,000 public liability insurance, employers’ liability for all on-site personnel, and an optional insurance-backed guarantee at 15% of the final project cost.

You always know what’s next

Rick stays in contact from the first visit to handover. Reviewers repeatedly mention clear day-to-day updates and tidy, considerate sites.

Local considerations

Common building issues in Towcester homes

Newer estate houses

Many newer homes have compact kitchens and small gardens, so extensions need to make the most of limited space.

Planning conditions on new builds

Some newer developments have conditions limiting permitted development. It is worth checking before assuming an extension doesn’t need planning.

Historic town centre

Older buildings in the centre may sit in a conservation area, which affects planning.

Ground conditions

Soil varies across Northamptonshire, including clay in places, so foundations for a Towcester extension are designed for what is actually found on site.

Planning and Building Regulations

We check early whether your Towcester project needs planning permission, Building Regulations approval or Party Wall notices, so there are no surprises later.

Ageing services

Older wiring, plumbing and drainage in Towcester homes often need updating when a room is extended or reconfigured. We flag this at survey stage.

Our process

How a Towcester project runs

  1. Step 01

    Initial enquiry & consultation

    We talk through your requirements, plans, drawings or ideas, so we understand what you want the finished space to do.

  2. Step 02

    Survey & quantity surveyor estimate

    We assess the site, then a professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope. It is free for standard projects; on rare, unusually complex schemes a detailed estimate is £250 including VAT, and we tell you before any work on it starts.

  3. Step 03

    Pre-commencement

    Your start date is fixed and the work is scheduled. The first payment is due 72 hours before we start on site, not weeks in advance.

  4. Step 04

    Staged construction

    The work is delivered in 4 to 7 clearly defined physical stages, such as concrete footings, brickwork to roof plate, watertight roof and plasterboard complete. Each stage is invoiced only once you can see it done.

  5. Step 05

    Practical completion

    Final inspection, Building Control sign-off where applicable, handover, and a small remaining balance settled on completion.

Before you start

Planning, regulations and living at home during building work in towcester

How your estimate for building work in towcester is put together

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We don’t publish package prices, because no two homes are the same: the age of the house, the ground it sits on, where the drains run, what is hidden in the walls and the finish you want all change the cost. Instead, after a site survey, a professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope of work. That means labour, materials, structural elements and the order of work are all accounted for before you agree anything. For most projects this estimate is free, because we pay for the quantity surveyor’s time. Only for unusually large or complex schemes is a detailed estimate charged, at £250 including VAT, and we always tell you before any work on it starts.

We use the word “estimate” deliberately. Existing homes often reveal things once they are opened up, and pretending otherwise with a “fixed price” usually means the number either hides gaps or carries a large margin for risk. When something does change, we talk about it openly with you and agree the way forward together before carrying on.

What a stage payment looks like

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Your project is divided into 4 to 7 milestones depending on its size and value. Typical examples are concrete footings complete, brickwork up to roof plate, roof covering watertight and plasterboard complete. Each milestone is something you can walk out and see for yourself. Only then is that stage invoiced. The first payment falls 72 hours before we start on site, and a small remaining balance is settled at practical completion and handover, so you are never paying far ahead of the work in front of you.

Planning permission and permitted development

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Planning permission is about what a building looks like and how it affects its surroundings. Some residential work can be carried out under permitted development rights without a full planning application, while other projects need approval from the local council. Rules differ for conservation areas, listed buildings and homes where permitted development rights have been removed by an earlier condition. If you already have approved plans, we build to them. If you don’t, we’ll talk through the options at your first consultation.

Building Regulations are separate from planning

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Even where planning permission isn’t needed, most structural and habitable work must meet Building Regulations. These cover structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation and drainage. A Building Control inspector checks key stages, and on completion you receive the sign-off you’ll need when you come to sell or remortgage. Final inspection and Building Control sign-off, where applicable, are part of practical completion on every project we deliver.

The Party Wall Act

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If your work involves a wall shared with a neighbour, building on the boundary, or digging foundations close to a neighbour’s property, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 usually requires you to give them formal notice before work starts. It’s worth raising early, because notice periods need to run before that part of the work can begin.

Living at home while we work

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Most of our customers stay in their homes throughout. Work is planned in stages so you know what is happening each week, who will be on site and what part of the house will be affected next. Reviewers regularly mention clear day-to-day updates and clean, considerate sites, the things that make living alongside a build manageable.

Questions to ask any builder

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  • Who prepares the price, and what exactly does it include?
  • How much is due before work starts, and when are the stage payments?
  • What insurance do you hold, and is a guarantee available?
  • Who is my day-to-day contact, and how will I be kept updated?
  • Do you work to structural calculations and arrange Building Control?

We’re happy to answer every one of these before you commit. Read about Rick and the team, see verified reviews, or request your estimate.

Local to Northampton

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We’re based at The Beren, Blisworth Hill Business Park, just south of Northampton, and carry out building work in towcester across the town and the surrounding villages, from Towcester, Roade and Bugbrooke to Moulton, Brixworth, Daventry and Wellingborough. Back to the homepage or browse all services.

FAQs

Questions from Towcester homeowners

Do you serve Towcester?

Yes. Towcester is a short drive south-west of our Blisworth base, so it sits comfortably within our regular working area. We take on residential projects across Towcester and the surrounding area.

How fast can you reach Towcester?

Once you send your details, Rick will call you to talk the project through and arrange a visit to your Towcester home at a time that suits you.

How much does building work cost in Towcester?

Every home in Towcester is different, so we don’t publish package prices. A professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope of your project. It is free for most projects; only unusually large or complex schemes are charged at £250 including VAT, and we always tell you first.

Do you offer emergency call-outs in Towcester?

We focus on planned residential projects, extensions, structural alterations and renovations, rather than emergency call-outs, so every job in Towcester gets a proper survey and estimate first.

Do you build extensions on new-build estates in Towcester?

Yes. We’ll check whether planning or any estate conditions apply as part of the early discussion.

Do you work in Towcester town centre?

Yes, on residential properties.

How much will it cost?

Every home is different, so we don’t publish package prices. A professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope. For most projects that estimate is free; only for unusually large or complex schemes is a detailed estimate charged at £250 including VAT, and we’ll always tell you first.

Why an estimate rather than a fixed quote?

Changes often come up once work begins on an existing home. A QS-prepared estimate reflects the real scope, so you get an honest figure rather than a low number that grows later.

How do the payments work?

The first payment is due 72 hours before we start. You then pay in 4 to 7 stages, each invoiced only when that stage is visibly complete, with a small final balance at handover.

Is the work guaranteed?

An insurance-backed guarantee is available as an option, at 15% of the final project cost. We also hold £5,000,000 public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance.

Do you take on emergency call-outs?

We carry out planned residential building projects rather than emergency call-outs. If you have a concern about your property, call Rick on 07704 675073 to talk it through.

Nearby areas

As well as Towcester, we work across Northampton and Northamptonshire, including:

Planning work on your Towcester home?

Share the basics and Rick will call you to talk it through. Free QS-prepared estimate for most projects, no obligation.

FMB & Checkatrade members · £5M public liability · Pay only for stages you can see

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