Looking for builders in Coventry who understand a watchmaker's house in Chapelfields as well as a Victorian terrace in Earlsdon? Whether you want a loft bedroom in Styvechale, a kitchen extension in Coundon or a full renovation in Stoke, the right plan starts with the house and the rules on your street.
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As a building company in Coventry and across the West Midlands, 5K Construction works from our base at 40A Oaklands Rd in Wolverhampton, to the north-west. We have more than 10 years of experience and over 500 completed projects. Every project starts with a site survey at your home and a written quote.
Coventry's rules changed recently in two ways that affect homeowners. Earlsdon became a conservation area with an Article 4 direction in November 2022 (Coventry City Council), and since 30 September 2023 turning a family house into a small shared house needs planning permission in 11 wards (Coventry City Council). We survey your home, explain the approvals you need and help you through the application before work begins.
See what Coventry homeowners say about working with 5K Construction, read straight from our Google Business Profile.
Read our reviews on GoogleAs local builders in Coventry, we cover six types of work, each run by one team with one point of contact.
Coventry's Victorian and Edwardian terraces often have room in the roof for a bedroom and en-suite. Our loft conversions include rooflight, dormer, hip to gable and mansard designs. Outside a conservation area, a loft is usually permitted development within 40 cubic metres on a terrace or 50 cubic metres on other houses (Planning Portal). In Earlsdon, Chapelfields or any other conservation area, a roof enlargement needs planning permission.
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Our house extensions cover single storey, double storey, side return and wrap around designs. On most Coventry semis, a single storey rear extension of up to 3 metres can go ahead without planning permission, or 4 metres on a detached house (Planning Portal). Larger designs, and any side extension in a conservation area, need an application to Coventry City Council.
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Opening a back kitchen into the dining room is one of the most common jobs in Coventry's older terraces. Our kitchen installation team handles the structural alterations, steel beams sized by a structural engineer, plastering, flooring and the full fit-out as one job.
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Our bathroom installation service covers family bathrooms, en-suites and wet rooms. A new en-suite in a loft is planned with the loft itself, so drainage runs and ventilation are agreed before the floor goes down.
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Older homes in Chapelfields, Earlsdon and Spon End often need structural repairs, new layouts and careful work around original windows and brickwork. Our renovation and refurbishment service brings this together in one schedule of works.
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Garage conversions in Coventry are a practical way to add a study or playroom to a family home in Finham, Styvechale or Wyken. Our home improvements service also covers plastering and rendering, flooring, joinery, and painting and decorating.
Learn moreIn Coventry, the same plan can need different approvals depending on your ward and whether your street is in a conservation area. Tell us what you want and we will check the house first.
Every Coventry job runs through five stages with one point of contact and full project management. Read more on how we work.
Coventry's 19th-century suburbs grew around the watchmaking trade on the west side of the city, while most of its 20th-century housing spreads out in every direction from the centre. That decides whether your project is mostly about heritage rules, ward rules or straightforward permitted development.
Sources: Coventry City Council conservation areas; Coventry City Council Chapelfields control plan; The Coventry Society on Chapelfields; Coventry City Council Earlsdon appraisal; Coventry City Council HMO wards; Birmingham Law Society on Coundon; Warwickshire Industrial Archaeology Society on watchmaking.
Coventry has two kinds of Article 4 direction. One controls shared houses in 11 wards; the others protect the look of certain conservation areas.
| Direction | Where it applies | What it means for you | In force since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houses in Multiple Occupation | Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Foleshill, Lower Stoke, Radford, St Michael's, Sherbourne, Wainbody, Whoberley, Westwood and Upper Stoke wards | Changing a family house into a small shared house for three to six people needs planning permission | 30 September 2023 |
| Earlsdon conservation area | Earlsdon | Removes some permitted development rights to protect the area's character | Introduced with the conservation area, enacted 21 November 2022 |
| Lady Herbert's Garden and the Burges | Burges, Chauntry Place, Hales Street and Palmer Lane | Article 4(1) direction made by the council, subject to confirmation | Made 8 July 2025 |
Sources: Coventry City Council HMOs and planning permission; Coventry City Council conservation areas; Coventry City Council Article 4 directions.
Where a conservation area Article 4 direction applies, the council says you may need planning permission for replacement windows, demolishing front garden walls, roof extensions or other alterations. Shared houses for seven or more people need planning permission anywhere in the city.
Coventry has 19 conservation areas, from Allesley Village, Kenilworth Road and Stoke Green, all declared on 20 December 1968, to Earlsdon and Brownshill Green, both enacted on 21 November 2022 (Coventry City Council). You can check your address on the council's online planning map.
In a conservation area you have fewer permitted development rights: side extensions, rear extensions over one storey and roof enlargements all need planning permission. If your home is listed, almost any change that affects its character needs Listed Building Consent, inside as well as out, and there is no fee for that application. Historic England keeps the national list of listed buildings, and you can search it online.
Often not for a loft or rear extension on a house outside a conservation area. Inside one, or on a listed house, the answer is usually yes.
| Project | Outside a conservation area | Inside a conservation area |
|---|---|---|
| Single storey rear extension | Up to 3 m (semi or terrace) or 4 m (detached); up to 6 m or 8 m through prior approval | 3 m or 4 m limits only, no prior approval route |
| Side extension | Single storey, within set limits | Needs householder planning permission |
| Two storey rear extension | Within 3 m of the rear wall and 7 m from the rear boundary | Needs householder planning permission |
| Loft conversion or dormer | Up to 40 cubic metres (terrace) or 50 cubic metres (other houses) | Roof enlargements need planning permission |
Sources: Planning Portal extensions; Planning Portal loft conversions.
A householder planning application in England costs £548 from 1 April 2026 (Ribble Valley Borough Council fee table, based on the national regulations). If your project is permitted development, a Lawful Development Certificate gives you written proof for when you sell.
Building regulations approval is needed for almost every loft conversion, extension and structural alteration, even when planning permission is not. Coventry City Council Building Control accepts both Full Plans applications and Building Notices.
The regulations that most often apply are Part A (structure), Part B (fire safety), Part F (ventilation), Part L (energy), Part M (access) and Part P (electrical safety). Keep the completion certificate safe, because buyers' solicitors will ask for it.
Terraces in Earlsdon, Chapelfields and Spon End share walls on both sides, so most lofts and rear extensions there involve the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Work on an existing party wall, such as inserting steel beams
A new wall on the boundary line
Foundations within 3 m (or 6 m in some cases) of a neighbour's building
Sources: GOV.UK Party Wall Act guidance; GOV.UK example notice letter. Notices stay valid for one year.
The Warwickshire coalfield continues under Coventry (Northern Mine Research Society). Coventry Colliery at Keresley closed under the National Coal Board in 1991, reopened under new owners and closed for good in 1996 (Our Warwickshire), and a former head of mining information at the Coal Authority has said its workings ran under the Coundon area (Birmingham Law Society). The Coal Authority is now called the Mining Remediation Authority.
Most home extensions do not need a full Coal Mining Risk Assessment with a householder application (North Somerset Council), but ground conditions still matter for foundations. Check your address on the GOV.UK coal mining information service, and you can check Environment Agency flood risk data for your address on GOV.UK.
If someone in your home is disabled, you may be able to get a Disabled Facilities Grant towards changes such as a level access shower, stairlift or downstairs bedroom extension (GOV.UK). Apply through the GOV.UK council finder before any work starts.
You can also read our planning and building regulations help.
We work across the whole city, home to around 345,300 people at the 2021 Census (ONS). If you are searching for builders near me anywhere in Coventry, the same team covers every area below.
City centre and Spon EndCV1Coventry Cathedral, Spon Street
Earlsdon, Chapelfields and AllesleyCV5Hearsall Common, Allesley VillageCoundon, Keresley and RadfordCV5, CV6Coventry Building Society Arena
Stoke, Wyken and BinleyCV2, CV3Stoke GreenCheylesmore, Styvechale and FinhamCV3War Memorial ParkCanley and Tile HillCV4Ivy Farm Lane, University of Warwick nearbyGuide prices help you set a budget, but in Coventry the conservation area, ward rules and ground conditions under your house can change the cost as much as its size. These are typical UK guide prices, not 5K Construction prices; your written quote after the site survey sets the real figure.
| Project | Typical UK guide price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rooflight (Velux) loft conversion | Average £27,500 | HomeOwners Alliance, citing Checkatrade |
| Dormer loft conversion | Average £50,000 | HomeOwners Alliance, citing Checkatrade |
| Single storey extension, 20 m² | £40,000 to £56,000 | HomeOwners Alliance, citing Checkatrade |
| Two storey extension | From £1,900 per m² | HomeOwners Alliance |
| Garage conversion, 15 m² | Average £14,250 | HomeOwners Alliance |
| Structural engineer, basic project | About £1,000 | HomeOwners Alliance |
| Mid-range kitchen, supplied and fitted | £10,000 to £25,000 | Screwfix |
| New bathroom, medium size | Average £6,600 | MyJobQuote |
Extra costs that are more common in Coventry include heritage statements in conservation areas, deeper or reinforced foundations where ground conditions need them, and matching original brickwork in Chapelfields and Earlsdon. Ask any builder how their stage payments work and what the schedule of works covers.
Every project starts with a site survey at your home and a written quote.
As building contractors in Coventry, we bring more than 10 years of experience and over 500 completed projects to local homes. Whether you need a builder in Coventry for one room or a whole house, one team and one point of contact look after it from start to finish. Every project starts with a site survey at your home and a written quote, and we explain the approvals you need and help you through the application before work begins. See our projects or read more about us.
Coventry has 19 conservation areas, including Earlsdon, Chapelfields, Spon End, Allesley Village, Kenilworth Road and Stoke Green. The council's online planning map shows the boundaries. 5K Construction also checks your address at the site survey, before any design work starts, so you know which rules apply from day one.
In 11 wards, yes. Since 30 September 2023, changing a family house into a small shared house for three to six people needs planning permission in Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Foleshill, Lower Stoke, Radford, St Michael's, Sherbourne, Wainbody, Whoberley, Westwood and Upper Stoke. Larger shared houses for seven or more people need permission anywhere in the city.
Earlsdon became a conservation area with an Article 4 direction on 21 November 2022. Coventry City Council says such directions can mean planning permission is needed for replacement windows, demolishing front garden walls, roof extensions and other alterations. Check the direction for your street before you plan any external changes.
Not usually, if the house is outside a conservation area and the extra roof space stays within 40 cubic metres on a terrace or 50 cubic metres on other houses. In Earlsdon, Chapelfields or any other conservation area, a dormer or other roof enlargement needs planning permission from Coventry City Council.
Coventry City Council Building Control is the local authority service. It accepts Full Plans applications and Building Notices, and says Full Plans give the owner greater protection. You can also use a registered building control approver. Either way, keep the completion certificate safe, because buyers' solicitors will ask for it.
Parts of it are. The Warwickshire coalfield continues under Coventry, and Coventry Colliery at Keresley worked coal under the Coundon area before closing for good in 1996. Most householder extensions do not need a full Coal Mining Risk Assessment, but check your address on the GOV.UK coal mining information service.
A householder planning application in England costs £548 from 1 April 2026, under the national fee regulations, and that covers extensions and alterations to a single house. Listed Building Consent on its own has no fee. If your project is permitted development, a Lawful Development Certificate gives written proof for when you sell.
5K Construction covers the whole city across CV1 to CV6, including the city centre, Spon End, Earlsdon, Chapelfields, Allesley, Coundon, Keresley, Radford, Stoke, Wyken, Binley, Cheylesmore, Styvechale, Finham, Canley and Tile Hill. The same team and one point of contact look after every project, from the site survey to final sign-off.
Every project starts with a site survey at your home and a written quote. Call 07505 937668 or book through our contact page. At the survey we check the structure, the conservation area and ward rules and any mining history, so your quote reflects the real house and the real approvals.
More answers on our FAQs page.
Whether it is a loft in Earlsdon, an extension in Finham or a careful renovation in Chapelfields, the first step is the same. Every project starts with a site survey at your home and a written quote.
