Side return extensions in Folkestone: design, approvals and build
A side return extension in Folkestone starts with the right design and the right approval route. We take care of both, then build it with our own project management.
- Guide price in FolkestoneFrom £20,000 inc VAT
- PlanningOften permitted development; party wall notice usual
- Build time10–14 weeks on site
- Postcode districtsCT18, CT19, CT20
Guide prices for Folkestone
Prices below are for Folkestone, using the South East England factor of ×1.12. They are guide ranges including VAT for the build only, not a quote.
Typical rates in Folkestone: £2,350 to £4,260 per m² including VAT, depending on specification.
| Size | Essential | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m × 4.5 m 8 m² | £20,000 – £24,000 | £21,500 – £27,000 | £26,500 – £34,500 |
| 2 m × 5.5 m 11 m² | £25,500 – £31,000 | £29,500 – £37,000 | £36,500 – £47,000 |
| 2.2 m × 7 m 15 m² | £35,000 – £42,500 | £40,000 – £50,500 | £50,000 – £64,000 |
For a figure based on your own dimensions, use our guide-price tool.
Is a side return extension right for your house?
- Victorian and Edwardian terraces with a rear outrigger
- Homes where the garden is too small to lose much depth
- Narrow galley kitchens
Light is the design problem. A side return can make the middle of the house darker if the roof is solid, so we model the daylight and usually recommend a glazed slope or a run of rooflights along the boundary edge.
Local to Folkestone
Site visits are available across Folkestone (CT18, CT19, CT20). The same team covers Dover (7 miles), Ashford, Kent (13 miles), Deal (14 miles), Canterbury (14 miles), all within easy reach.
Hastings, in East Sussex, is roughly 30 miles from Folkestone and also on our list. Homes across the South East range from Victorian terraces in the older town centres to large detached houses on the edges, so the right extension type varies street by street.
Do I need planning permission in Folkestone?
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).
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
A designer visits, takes measurements and photos, and discusses layouts, budget and timing with you.
Design and approvals
Drawings are prepared and agreed with you, then submitted for the right planning route and building regulations approval.
Fixed written price
We confirm the build price in writing, based on the approved drawings and the finishes you have chosen.
Build and sign-off
Work is carried out to the agreed programme, inspected by building control and signed off at the end.
Common questions in Folkestone
Will my neighbours in Folkestone be involved?
If a planning application or prior approval is needed, the council notifies neighbours. If the work is on or near a shared boundary, party wall notices may also be needed.
Can I see a price before committing to anything?
Yes. The guide prices on this page are adjusted for Folkestone, and the guide-price tool gives a range for your own size. After the survey you get a written price before anything is agreed.
Who do I contract with for a side return extension in Folkestone?
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.
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.
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.
Book a free site visit in Folkestone
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.