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Camden, London

House extension drawings in Camden

A Camden house extension is judged on light, not on a stated depth: the council's guidance applies a daylight test of 45 degrees / 25 degrees to the neighbour's windows, and the council publishes 40 conservation areas. Our house extension drawings for Camden start at £695 including VAT.

From £695 (VAT included)

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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on house extension drawings

    Nine steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    8. Building regulations

      Technical drawings are coordinated with the structural engineer's calculations, the drainage and the planning conditions.

    9. Approval and hand-over

      Building control approval, then a next-steps pack covering the commencement notice, party wall timing and CIL.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors

    House extension drawings in Camden: the tests officers apply

    The governing document is the Home Improvements CPG (Camden Planning Guidance), backed by the Design CPG (Camden Planning Guidance), the Amenity CPG (Camden Planning Guidance) and the Camden Local Plan, adopted in 2,017. A rear extension has to be subordinate to the house, follow the pattern of neighbouring extensions and leave a reasonable garden. No metre figure is given for depth.

    In its place sits the daylight test: a rear extension should pass 45 degrees / 25 degrees, or else show compliance with the BRE daylight guide. We draw those sight lines in section and plan, so the officer reads the pass or fail on the sheet.

    Side extensions are narrower still. The guide normally confines them to single storey, set back from the front elevation, with the building line and rear access kept. In conservation areas, side and two-storey extensions have no permitted development right at all, so those need an application.

    Two-storey rear extension under construction on a semi-detached house

    Local figures for Camden

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Rear extensions should pass the 45 degree and 25 degree tests set out in the Amenity CPG, or show BRE daylight compliance.45 degrees / 25 degrees—camden.gov.uk, Home Improvements CPG, p.41, section 2.1.1
    Side extensions should be set back from the main front elevation, keep the front building line and rear access, and be confined to a single storey (taller ones only in some instances).single storey—camden.gov.uk, Home Improvements CPG, pp.42-43, section 2.1.2
    Conservation areas40 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries1,971 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions21 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted89.1 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time77.7 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted2 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused0 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder appeals decided by the Planning Inspectorate76 householder appeals decideddecision dates 1 Jul 2021 to 30 Jun 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder appeals allowed35.5 % of householder appeals alloweddecision dates 1 Jul 2021 to 30 Jun 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)19.1 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Householder: alterations/extensions to a single dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026548 GBP—ribblevalley.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Camden

    Householder applications by street in Camden

    Streets in Camden with the most householder applications, and the share approved
    StreetApplicationsApproved
    Crediton Hill2291%
    Belsize Lane1994%
    Elliott Square17100%
    Constantine Road16100%
    King Henry's Road1691%
    Camden Mews1490%
    Elsworthy Road1477%
    Solent Road1492%
    Sumatra Road1493%
    Goldhurst Terrace13100%
    Dartmouth Park Road1290%
    Hillfield Road1282%
    Hollycroft Avenue1280%
    Meadowbank1282%
    Patshull Road12100%
    Counts of householder applications by street; no individual applications are shown. Streets with fewer than five applications are left out.Source: GLA Planning London Datahub, householder applications, all years held. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
    Single-storey rear extension: the permitted development limitsDepth beyond the original rear wall: 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey. Maximum height: 4 m. Within the zone near the boundary: Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary. Larger extension under prior approval: 6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSIABCD

    Single-storey rear extension: the permitted development limits

    The house in section with a rear extension; the dashed lines mark the zone near the boundary.

    A · Depth beyond the original rear wall
    3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey
    B · Maximum height
    4 m
    C · Within the zone near the boundary
    Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary
    D · Larger extension under prior approval
    6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI

    Drawing the daylight case

    The daylight test is a geometry exercise, so we run it before we draw anything attractive. We plot the neighbour's nearest window, project the lines in plan and section, and note on the sheet whether the extension stays clear. If it clips, we adjust the height or step the flank wall, and only then move on to materials and openings.

    Where the proposal fails the simple lines, the guide allows a fuller daylight study. That is extra work, so we tell you at quote stage when the plot is likely to need one.

    Heritage layers on Camden streets

    Camden holds 1,971 listed entries, plus 40 conservation areas and 21 Article 4 directions. On many streets a rear elevation is visible from the garden behind, so the brickwork, windows and roof line are all part of the case.

    Only 13.3 per cent of households live in a house, so a house extension is the exception here. Our side return extension drawings in Camden take that form in detail.

    Decision times and grant rate

    In the latest year Camden decided 394 householder applications and granted 89.1 per cent. Only 77.7 per cent were decided in time, so plan for a longer wait before work can start.

    The prior approval route for larger home extensions is rarely used: 2 granted and 0 refused in the latest published year. With so few cases, the figure shows the route is seldom used here, not that it is easy.

    Appeals and small gardens

    On appeal the Planning Inspectorate decided 76 householder cases in Camden and allowed 35.5 per cent over the dataset period. So most refusals taken to appeal were upheld. Each appeal still turns on its own facts, so we treat that share as context and not as a forecast for your house.

    Gardens cover only 19.1 per cent of the land, so every square metre of retained garden matters in the case. We plot the garden before and after on the block plan.

    Basements, lofts and what we can combine

    Many Camden owners ask about a basement beside the extension. Basements follow a separate guidance document, the Basements CPG (Camden Planning Guidance), and a separate set of reports, and sit outside this page, which keeps to the extension itself.

    If space can be gained by building up, compare loft conversion drawings in Camden with the ground-floor route before you commit.

    Fees, deliverables and nearby boroughs

    We charge from £695, VAT included, fixed at quote. The set comprises existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, with a location plan and a block plan. The householder application fee is £548, paid to the council, and new fabric must meet New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4.

    Compare the borders at Islington and Haringey, read the architectural drawings overview for Camden, or open the national house extension drawings hub.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    House extension under construction with scaffolding, new glazed doors and building materials
    Every side considered
    Flick across the turntable to spin it.

    Other services in Camden

    House extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    Is there a depth limit for rear extensions in Camden?

    No fixed depth is set. The guidance applies a daylight test of 45 degrees / 25 degrees to the neighbour's windows.

    Do I need planning permission for a side extension in a Camden conservation area?

    Yes. Permitted development rights for side and two-storey extensions do not apply there, per the council's guidance.

    How much do house extension drawings cost in Camden?

    From £695 including VAT, fixed before you commit. The council fee is paid to the council.

    How long does Camden take to decide?

    77.7 per cent of householder applications were decided in time in the latest year, so allow for delay.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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