How long did you expect your extension to take… and how long did it actually take?

[Jessforless]

We’re imminently starting an extension. I’ve been told 4 months approx by the builder… without exception every single one of my friends and work colleagues has laughed and said their work took probably double the time quoted.

How true do you find this to be? Just trying to manage kids (and my!) expectations?

My only comparison is a retaining wall that took 2 months. We weren't quoted a time to be fair and they only didn't work if something needed time to cure, or it was Christmas or the weather too poor to do that stage (like rendering and the freezing temperature week). We felt our builders were pretty much on it so it's amazing how long things take.

Our neighbours are having a roof retiled and they are at a month already and most days they aren't there. When they are progress is noticeable.

I think a lot will.come down to how often they disappear onto other jobs to be honest!

We were told 16-20 weeks. We are now on week 25 and nowhere near finished. I’d plan for 6-7 months if they’ve said 4

We're planning an extension and so not enjoying reading this! Friends doing ones have had mega overruns with cheap builders or bang on time with the expensive ones.

Overran. Decent builder. Gaps waiting for suppliers to deliver impacted a lot. 3 months equalled 5 months in reality.

oh dear… I was a bit confused at the range of times given when we were getting quotes actually.

One (our cheapest and clearly most inexperienced) said 8 weeks!

One with a higher but still quite fair price said a year.

How do you rectify that? 😂

I was told 18 weeks in January 2023. I hope to be able to move in (finally) at the end of this month.

In fairness, about 4 months of the delay was caused by my first builders running off, and having to restart the works with a new firm. Basically anything can happen, and you will need to keep on top of things in order to ensure that the works remain on schedule. Also allow a generous budget contingency...

Honestly I would take all time limit with a pinch of salt! They make them up on the spot. A lot is to do with how long it take for them to procure materials and labourers.

I didn’t have an extension, but did have kitchen refit, new doors, windows, moved a window, added a French door into the back of the property and front and back gardens redone and it took eight long fucking months 😂

It IS worth it but it will be really horrible whilst it’s going on. But you do learn to live with it quite quickly (I would try and book weekends away if you can to get away from the dust which will send you potty).

Told 9 months. Currently at 10 months. Hoping to be in at 11 months but it won’t be completely finished inside and outside won’t have even started by then. Probably over a year to fully finished. (But I always thought it would take a year)

My very large single storey extension took 14 weeks to plaster, then waited a week to fully dry, a further week to seal and paint then another 9 days to install the kitchen, I then oiled the wooden floorboards that took two days. 4 months give or take a week but would have been a week or two quicker if I'd paid for the kitchen installation and painting (we got these done my family for free)

I should add mine was built by an experienced team of 4, they got paid for the job splitting on percentages so was in all their best interests to get it done. If the foreman isn't on site daily and/or it's a smaller team then things do take longer

Three months took six before we could move in. It was the weather partly, took three weeks to dig out the foundation too.

12 weeks and it took 12 weeks .. dh is a master project manager though and there builders were bloody brilliant .. bang on budget too!

My partner and I did a lot of the work on my single storey extension last year and it took around 6 months to get it more or less finished (soakaway still needs doing though). It's useable, decorated and furnished.

Technically it should be quicker if you have a company that has all the trades on call but sadly the reality is that it very often isn't. The weather, availability of materials, the tradespeople being 'urgently needed elsewhere'- all these and more can cause delays.

I'd say just have it in your head that it'll take twice the amount of time they say and be very glad if/when it doesn't take that long.

Told it would be 6 months and it was, that was a side extension, loft conversion and total refurb. We did move out though which helped and our project started in spring with decent weather straight through.

We had a 2 story side extension done. We were told 16 weeks, took almost a yr in the end. The cause was a combination of architects fuck up not being picked up by anyone until too late, which had a knock on effect on the tradies our builder had contracted in to do parts of the work. He ended up having to do a lot himself which took a lot longer. Think my builder was close to a breakdown by the end, let alone us who had a baby half way through. Love it but should have just bloody moved

Ours only overran by 4 weeks, and it was just an accumulation of things like the skylight couldn't be ordered until the roof was on as it was made to measure, and they'd told the builder 2 weeks, then it was 4 when he went to order - and the kitchen plastering couldnt be finished till that was in, which then pushed the kitchen fitting and the quartz guys weren't available...

Told 12, was 28. Builder smiling and lovely to our faces then would disappear for days at a time and nothing happened. A labourer built most of it single-handedly. Lots of small quality / design issues that no one else would see but that do bug me.
Overall good enough job though and would do it again for the extended kitchen.

We got told 22weeks!
was due to complete last August… still waiting!
First builder was a cowboy! Rarely showed up!
luckily found a new competent angel of a builder who is working alongside building inspector to get it up to standard! Not there yet but can finally see the end is in site!
we started early April last year!