Side return extensions for homes in Essex
Thinking about a side return extension for your Essex home? Start with a free site visit: we measure up, check what the council will allow and give you honest guide figures on the day.
- Guide priceFrom £19,000 inc VAT
- PlanningOften permitted development; party wall notice usual
- Towns covered21
- Site visitFree, no obligation
Towns in Essex
Working in Essex
Towns we cover in Essex include Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Colchester, Chelmsford, Harlow, Grays, Braintree, Brentwood. Across the East of England many houses sit on generous plots, and single-storey and wraparound extensions are a natural fit.
What we take care of
- New boundary wall or raised party wall
- Kitchen-ready shell or full finish
- Removal of the side wall and new steelwork
- Party wall notice support (England and Wales)
- Design to keep daylight in the middle of the house
- Survey of the outrigger, boundary wall and drainage
Do I need planning permission in Essex?
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.
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.
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.
Building regulations approval is separate from planning. In England you can use the council's building control team or a registered building control approver; a full plans application gets the drawings checked before work starts, and the inspector signs the work off with a completion certificate.
Applications are decided by the local planning authority (your district, borough or unitary council).
Side return extension prices in Essex
Prices below are for Essex, using the East of England factor of ×1.06. They are guide ranges including VAT for the build only, not a quote.
Typical rates in Essex: £2,230 to £4,030 per m² including VAT, depending on specification.
| Size | Essential | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m × 4.5 m 8 m² | £19,000 – £23,000 | £20,000 – £25,500 | £25,000 – £32,500 |
| 2 m × 5.5 m 11 m² | £24,000 – £29,500 | £27,500 – £35,000 | £34,500 – £44,500 |
| 2.2 m × 7 m 15 m² | £33,000 – £40,000 | £38,000 – £48,000 | £47,500 – £60,500 |
For a figure based on your own dimensions, use our guide-price tool.
Our process, step by step
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
It starts with a visit to your house to measure, check access and talk through ideas and budget.
Design and approvals
We draw the design, agree it with you and handle planning or permitted development checks and building regulations.
Fixed written price
The price is fixed in writing once the design is settled, with a clear programme and payment stages.
Build and sign-off
The build is managed from start to finish, inspected at each stage and signed off on completion.
Side return extension questions answered
Do you cover all of Essex?
Yes, across the whole of Essex. Site visits are free and there is no obligation.
Do I need building regulations approval in Essex?
Yes. Almost every extension needs it, whatever the planning route. We prepare the drawings and book the inspections.
Can I see a price before committing to anything?
Yes. The guide prices on this page are adjusted for Essex, and the guide-price tool gives a range for your own size. After the survey you get a written price before anything is agreed.
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 Essex
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.