Side return extensions in Camden Town: design, approvals and build
Our design and build teams take on side return extensions in Camden Town, from the first measured survey through planning and building control to the finished room.
- Guide price in Camden TownFrom £23,000 inc VAT
- PlanningOften permitted development; party wall notice usual
- Build time10–14 weeks on site
- Postcode districtsN1C, NW1, NW3, NW5, NW8
Covering Camden Town
We cover Camden Town and the postcode districts N1C, NW1, NW3, NW5, NW8, WC1H. We also work in nearby Chalk Farm (0 miles), Holloway (1 mile), Highbury (2 miles), Kilburn (2 miles).
Across London, terraced houses with narrow side returns and tight access are the norm, which shapes everything from party wall notices to how materials reach the back garden.
Guide prices for Camden Town
For Camden Town we adjust our national guide rates by ×1.3, the factor we use for London. Figures include VAT; your written quote after the survey replaces them.
Typical rates in Camden Town: £2,730 to £4,940 per m² including VAT, depending on specification.
| Size | Essential | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m × 4.5 m 8 m² | £23,000 – £28,000 | £24,500 – £31,500 | £31,000 – £40,000 |
| 2 m × 5.5 m 11 m² | £30,000 – £36,000 | £34,000 – £43,000 | £42,500 – £54,500 |
| 2.2 m × 7 m 15 m² | £40,500 – £49,000 | £46,500 – £58,500 | £58,500 – £74,500 |
For a figure based on your own dimensions, use our guide-price tool.
Do I need planning permission in Camden Town?
In England a single-storey side return infill is often permitted development if it stays within the height limits and is no wider than half the width of the original house. Conservation areas, listed buildings and flats always need an application, and the boundary wall usually brings in the Party Wall Act.
Before any drawing is finalised we check whether the house is listed, in a conservation area or subject to an Article 4 direction.
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.
Building over or within 3 m of a public sewer needs the water company's consent, usually through a build-over agreement, before the foundations go in.
Applications are decided by the local planning authority (your district, borough or unitary council).
Is a side return extension right for your house?
- Homes where the garden is too small to lose much depth
- Victorian and Edwardian terraces with a rear outrigger
- Narrow galley kitchens
From first visit to completion
Site visits are free and there is no obligation. Where drawings are needed, the design stage is priced in writing before it starts.
Free site visit
First, a site visit: we look at the house, garden, access and drains and listen to what you need.
Design and approvals
Drawings are prepared and agreed with you, then submitted for the right planning route and building regulations approval.
Fixed written price
With the design and specification agreed, you get a fixed written price and a start date.
Build and sign-off
Work is carried out to the agreed programme, inspected by building control and signed off at the end.
Questions people ask about side return extensions
Do you cover all of Camden Town?
Yes. We cover Camden Town and the surrounding parts of Greater London. Site visits are free and there is no obligation.
Who do I contract with for a side return extension in Camden Town?
Your contract is with S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd, which designs and manages the project and the build teams who carry it out.
Do I need building regulations approval in Camden Town?
Yes. Almost every extension needs it, whatever the planning route. We prepare the drawings and book the inspections.
Do side return extensions need planning permission?
In England many single-storey side returns fit within permitted development if they stay within the height limits and are no wider than half the width of the original house. Conservation areas, listed buildings and flats need an application. Other UK nations have their own rules, which we check.
Will the kitchen be darker?
Not if the roof is designed well. A glazed roof or a line of rooflights along the boundary usually makes the room brighter than before.
Book a free site visit in Camden Town
We will measure up, check the planning position and give you honest guide figures.
- Free, no-obligation site visit
- Planning route checked before you spend on drawings
- Written price once the design is agreed
- Building control sign-off at the end
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6341 or .
Book a free site visit
Tell us a little about the project and we will arrange a time.