Extending your home in Eastbourne

Choosing the right extension in Eastbourne

In the South East, plenty of houses have already been extended once, which makes checking the remaining permitted development allowance an important early step.

For many houses here, wraparound extensions, single-storey rear extensions or orangery extensions gives the most useful space for the budget.

Approvals for an extension in Eastbourne

In England a single-storey rear extension can usually go up to 3 m beyond the original rear wall of a semi-detached or terraced house, or 4 m on a detached house, without a planning application, provided it is no more than 4 m high, keeps eaves to 3 m within 2 m of a boundary and, with other buildings, covers no more than half the land around the original house. The larger home extension prior approval scheme raises those depths to 6 m and 8 m, with neighbours notified and a 42-day decision.

In England a two-storey rear extension is permitted development only if it projects no more than 3 m from the original rear wall, sits at least 7 m from the rear boundary, matches the roof pitch and uses obscure, non-opening side windows upstairs. Most two-storey extensions therefore go through a householder planning application, which costs £548 from 1 April 2026 and normally takes about 8 weeks.

In a conservation area, national park, National Landscape, the Broads or a World Heritage Site the permitted development limits are tighter (no side or two-storey extensions without an application). Listed homes need listed building consent, and if permitted development rights have been removed, any extension needs an application.

If the work involves a shared wall, building on the boundary, or digging foundations within 3 m (sometimes 6 m) of a neighbour's building, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies and notice must be served before work starts: two months for work to a party wall, one month for new walls on the boundary and for excavations.

Applications are decided by the local planning authority (your district, borough or unitary council).

Areas we cover around Eastbourne

Site visits are available across Eastbourne (BN20, BN21, BN22, BN23, BN24, BN26). The same team covers Hailsham (7 miles), Seaford (8 miles), Bexhill-on-Sea (10 miles), Peacehaven (13 miles), Hastings (14 miles), all within easy reach. Burgess Hill, in West Sussex, is roughly 22 miles from Eastbourne and also on our list.

• Hailsham
• Seaford
• Bexhill-on-Sea
• Peacehaven
• Hastings

Eastbourne extension prices at a glance

Every figure below is a guide for Eastbourne, adjusted for South East England build costs (×1.12) and including VAT. Design and council fees are shown separately on each page.