Kitchen Extensionsin NorthamptonOpen-Plan Living, Properly Built
Turn a cramped kitchen into an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, extension, wall removal and kitchen fit by one team.
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.
Service overview
What kitchen extensions involve
What it is
A kitchen extension adds new ground-floor space and joins it to your existing kitchen, usually by removing a rear or internal wall and installing steel. The result is one open-plan room for cooking, eating and spending time together.
Who it’s for
It is for Northampton homeowners whose kitchen is the busiest room in the house but too small, too dark or cut off from the garden and dining area.
When you need it
It makes sense when you can’t all fit around the table, when the cooking area is boxed into a corner, or when you want the kitchen to open onto the garden.
Why it needs a professional
A kitchen extension combines several trades at once: foundations, drainage, structural wall removal, steelwork, roofing and kitchen fitting. One of our verified Checkatrade reviewers had their kitchen/diner extension built, two supporting walls removed and the new kitchen fitted by our team in one project.
Get it wrong and it costs you
What happens when kitchen extensions are rushed or done cheaply
Structural shortcuts
Removing walls to create open-plan space must follow engineer’s calculations, with proper temporary support during the work.
Coordination gaps
When the extension builder and kitchen fitter are different firms, delays and finger-pointing are common. One team removes that.
Drainage and services
Moving sinks and appliances means new drainage and services routes, best planned before the floor goes down.
Budget creep
Kitchens combine building and fitting costs. A QS-prepared estimate keeps the full picture honest.
Common mistakes homeowners make
- Planning the kitchen layout after the extension has been built.
- Hiring separate firms for the building and the kitchen fit.
- Underestimating the steelwork needed for a wide opening.
Our process
Five clear steps, start to handover
- 01
Initial enquiry & consultation
We talk through your requirements, plans, drawings or ideas, so we understand what you want the finished space to do.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 05
Practical completion
Final inspection, Building Control sign-off where applicable, handover, and a small remaining balance settled on completion.
Why homeowners choose Prime
What you get when we build your kitchen extension
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.
In detail
Kitchen Extensions in Northampton: methods and options
We work on homes only, never commercial property, across Northampton and the surrounding Northamptonshire towns and villages.
Extension plus wall removal
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Most kitchen extensions involve removing at least one load-bearing wall. We install engineer-specified steel, working with a partner local structural engineering firm or from your own calculations.
Drainage for the new layout
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New sink, dishwasher and washing machine positions need drainage. We plan and install this as part of the build.
Supply-and-fit or install-only kitchens
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We can supply and fit your kitchen, or fit cabinetry and appliances you provide. Either way the kitchen is installed by the team that built the room.
Staged construction
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Work runs through clear stages, footings, brickwork to roof plate, watertight roof, plasterboard, each paid only once you can see it done.
Sign-off
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At practical completion there is a final inspection and Building Control sign-off where applicable.
Areas we cover
Before you start
Planning, regulations and living at home during kitchen extensions
How your estimate for kitchen extensions 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 kitchen extensions 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.
FAQ
Kitchen Extensions questions, answered
Can you build the extension and fit the kitchen?
Yes. We offer kitchens on a supply-and-fit basis or install-only where you provide the units and appliances.
Do I need a structural engineer?
Yes, for removing load-bearing walls. We work with a partner local firm or from your own drawings and calculations.
Will I have a kitchen during the build?
There will be a period without a full kitchen. We’ll discuss timing with you at survey stage so you can plan.
Do you build kitchen extensions outside Northampton?
Yes, across the surrounding Northamptonshire towns and villages.
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.
Know the real cost of your kitchen extension before you commit
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