Rayleigh side return extensions, designed and built
Rayleigh homeowners can use us for the whole side return extension project: survey, design, planning or permitted development checks, building regulations and the build itself.
- Guide price in RayleighFrom £19,000 inc VAT
- PlanningOften permitted development; party wall notice usual
- Build time10–14 weeks on site
- Postcode districtsSS5, SS6, SS7
Guide prices for Rayleigh
These guide figures apply our East of England adjustment (×1.06) to national rates. They include VAT at 20% and cover the build itself; design and council fees are listed separately.
Typical rates in Rayleigh: £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 |
Try the guide-price tool to see a range for your own size and finish.
What we take care of
- New boundary wall or raised party wall
- Removal of the side wall and new steelwork
- Survey of the outrigger, boundary wall and drainage
- Kitchen-ready shell or full finish
- Design to keep daylight in the middle of the house
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.
Do I need planning permission in Rayleigh?
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 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.
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).
Covering Rayleigh
Site visits are available across Rayleigh (SS5, SS6, SS7). We also work in nearby Hadleigh (2 miles), Benfleet (3 miles), Wickford (4 miles), Canvey Island (5 miles).
Across the East of England many houses sit on generous plots, and single-storey and wraparound extensions are a natural fit.
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
We visit your Rayleigh home, measure up, talk through what you want and check the planning position.
Design and approvals
We draw the design, agree it with you and handle planning or permitted development checks and building regulations.
Fixed written price
You receive a written, itemised price and programme. Nothing starts until you are happy with it.
Build and sign-off
Work is carried out to the agreed programme, inspected by building control and signed off at the end.
Your questions about a side return extension in Rayleigh
Do you cover all of Rayleigh?
Yes. We cover Rayleigh and the surrounding parts of Essex. Site visits are free and there is no obligation.
Do I need building regulations approval in Rayleigh?
Yes. Almost every extension needs it, whatever the planning route. We prepare the drawings and book the inspections.
Will my neighbours in Rayleigh 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.
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.
How much does a side return extension cost?
Our guide range is about £2,230 to £4,030 per m² including VAT, so a typical 2 m × 5.5 m infill lands around £27,500 to £35,000 at standard spec in Rayleigh, more in London.
Book a free site visit in Rayleigh
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.