Extension
Lawful Development Certificate for proposed Single Storey Rear Extension
M45, Bury
Typical value £40k–£90k (typical for an extension)
Quoting and job software for builders in Manchester
EstiMate is quoting and job software for builders and trades working across Greater Manchester. Price an extension, loft or refurbishment with the materials and labour itemised, send a quote the client can accept on their phone, and run the job from contract to final invoice in one place.
Below is what the ten Greater Manchester councils have approved recently, read from their planning registers, and how EstiMate prices labour for a site in an M, BL, OL, SK, WN or WA postcode.
- 10 councils
- Postcodes M, BL, OL, SK, WN, WA
- Labour index 0.96
Built in Altrincham
EstiMate was built in Altrincham, in Trafford, by Dave Groom, founder of Tatton Projects, a design-and-build firm working across Cheshire and Manchester. It started as the spreadsheet Tatton priced its own jobs from and grew into the app that runs its quotes, contracts, sites, invoices and accounts. Every feature in it exists because a real job needed it.
The story behind EstiMate →Live from the planning registers
What's being approved in Greater Manchester
Applications for building work that the ten Greater Manchester councils approved between 18 September 2026 and 17 October 2026. This is a busy area, so the figures cover the newest decisions on the register rather than a full month.
463
applications for building work approved
30
days of decisions counted
10 of 10
councils' registers answered
By kind of work
- Extension324
- Commercial fit-out / change of use30
- Garage / outbuilding27
- Loft conversion17
- Landscaping / external16
- New build13
- Demolition9
- Commercial new build5
- Refurbishment5
- Conversion / change of use5
- Structural work5
- Annexe4
- Commercial refurbishment2
- Basement1
By council
- Stockport72
- Trafford65
- Oldham57
- Manchester56
- Bury52
- Wigan40
- Rochdale34
- Salford34
- Bolton31
- Tameside22
Recent examples
Garage / outbuilding
New detached garage/workshop
SK2, Stockport
Typical value £20k–£60k (typical for a garage/outbuilding)
Extension
Demolition of existing garage, erection of single storey front and side extension, and associated external alterations.
M41, Trafford
Typical value £40k–£105k (typical for an extension)
Annexe
Erection of granny annexe ancillary to the existing dwelling
M45, Bury
Typical value £60k–£120k (typical for an annexe)
Loft conversion
Remodelling of existing dwelling including new roof, new dormers and roof lights to front and rear, new front porch, detached garage to front, alterations to existing…
WN1, Wigan
Typical value £55k–£105k (typical for a loft conversion)
New build
Demolition of existing dwelling and erection of replacement dwelling with associated landscaping and boundary works.
WA15, Trafford
Typical value £180k–£400k (typical for a new build)
Commercial fit-out / change of use
Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed change of use from office (use class E) to non-residential education Special Educational Needs…
M50, Salford
Typical value £50k–£290k (typical for a commercial fit-out)
Commercial new build
Erection of a new data centre comprising two commercial units (Sui Generis) with associated external plant, substations, boundary fencing, landscaping, highway access…
M40, Manchester
Typical value £300k–£2.1m (typical for a commercial new build)
Source: the councils' public planning registers, collected by PlanIt and searched by TenderPilot. Checked 17 October 2026 at 15:02 and refreshed about twice a day. Building work leaves out trees, signs and paperwork on existing consents. Locations are shown to postcode district only, no applicant details are shown, and value bands are typical ranges for that kind of work rather than quotes.
See them all on TenderPilot, free to searchLabour rates
How labour is priced for a site in Manchester
×0.96
Greater Manchester & North West
Postcode areas M, BL, OL, SK, WN, WA: 4% below the national guide
When EstiMate Pro's AI take-off prices a job whose site postcode starts M, BL, OL, SK, WN or WA, it multiplies its national labour day-rate guide by 0.96, the Greater Manchester & North West index, so labour comes out 4% below the national guide. If you set your own day rates in Settings, the AI prices labour from those instead and the index no longer applies.
What you get
What EstiMate does for a builder in Manchester
Quotes clients accept online
Materials and labour itemised with your markup and margin, sent as a link the client can accept, decline or query on their phone, with optional extras they can tick.
Contracts with e-signature
A build contract generated from the accepted quote, with your payment terms, signed online. Variations are added as signed addenda.
Variations and extras
Price additional works from site and send a one-tap approval link. The contract total and invoices update, with a full audit trail.
Invoicing and getting paid
Invoices with card payment links, payment milestones from the quote, and automatic chasing when an invoice falls overdue.
P&L, VAT and CIS
Receipts, supplier invoices and bank imports land in one ledger: profit and loss for any period, a VAT return helper, the CIS register and aged debtors.
Finding the work
TenderPilot, the sister product, searches live tenders and every council's planning register. Searching is free on any plan.
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£15.99/ month
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Everything, plus the full AI suite and the site tools.
Every price is per business, not per user. No contract; cancel any time.
Councils and postcodes covered
- Bolton
- Bury
- Manchester
- Oldham
- Rochdale
- Salford
- Stockport
- Tameside
- Trafford
- Wigan
Main postcode areas: M, BL, OL, SK, WN, WA.
TenderPilot can search any of these councils' planning registers, or all of them at once, free. Search local applications or browse live tenders.
Questions builders in Manchester ask
Where do the Manchester planning figures come from?
From the public planning registers of the ten Greater Manchester councils, collected by PlanIt, which gathers UK council registers into one search, and read by TenderPilot about twice a day. Councils publish at different speeds, so one that shows few decisions may simply be behind; its own planning portal has the full record.
How does EstiMate price labour for a job in Manchester?
When EstiMate Pro's AI take-off prices a job whose site postcode starts M, BL, OL, SK, WN or WA, it multiplies its national labour day-rate guide by 0.96, the Greater Manchester & North West index, so labour comes out 4% below the national guide. If you set your own day rates in Settings, the AI prices labour from those instead and the index no longer applies. Once you know your rates, entering them is the better option.
Is EstiMate a Manchester company?
It was built in Altrincham, in Trafford, by Dave Groom, founder of Tatton Projects, a design-and-build firm working across Cheshire and Manchester. It works the same for builders anywhere in the UK.
What does EstiMate cost?
Free for up to 3 jobs a month. EstiMate is £15.99 a month for unlimited jobs with quotes, contracts, invoicing and the accounts, and EstiMate Pro is £39.99 a month with the AI quote writer, take-off and Construction Copilot. Prices are per business, not per user, and there is no contract.
Quote, contract and invoice your Manchester jobs in one place.
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