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Southwark, London

Rear extension drawings in Southwark

Rear extension drawings for a Southwark house start at £695 including VAT. The council's Householder SPD gives clear limits on depth, height and garden coverage, and a long list of Article 4 directions can change the route entirely, so we check the address before we draw.

From £695 (VAT included)

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    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors

    What the Southwark Householder SPD says about rear extensions

    The Householder development SPD is the council's guide for extensions that need permission. For depth and height it says: 6 m depth; 4 m height; 2.4 m at boundary. Anything beyond the stated depth on the boundary is likely to be refused, and the roof must slope down towards the neighbour so the wall on the boundary stays low.

    Garden coverage has its own limit: 50%. The cap is on the share of the total rear garden, and the SPD encourages extensions to be single storey. On a short terrace plot, the garden limit can bite before the depth limit.

    The neighbour test is stated as 45 degrees / 25 degrees: lines up and sideways from the centre of the neighbour's window. We draw both on the plan and the elevation.

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

    Local figures for Southwark

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Rear extensions needing permission should stay below 6m deep on the boundary, at most 4m high, with the roof sloping down to no more than 2.4m at the boundary; over 6m on the boundary is likely to be refused.6 m depth; 4 m height; 2.4 m at boundary—southwark.gov.uk, Householder SPD 2025, p.73, section 3.5.2 and Figure 29
    Rear extensions must not take up more than 50% of the total rear garden and are encouraged to be single storey.50%—southwark.gov.uk, Householder SPD 2025, p.71 (section 3.5); p.73, section 3.5.2
    Extensions are tested with the 45-degree rule (lines up and sideways from the centre of the neighbour's window) and the 25-degree rule.45 degrees / 25 degrees—southwark.gov.uk, Householder SPD 2025, pp.65-66, 45-degree and 25-degree rules
    Article 4 directions480 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Conservation areas53 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation zones724 tree preservation zone polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries919 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions558 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted94.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class A, para A.1(f)(i)3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey—legislation.gov.uk
    Class A, para A.1(g)6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI—legislation.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 Southwark

    Householder applications by street in Southwark

    Streets in Southwark with the most householder applications, and the share approved
    StreetApplicationsApproved
    Ivydale Road6098%
    Upland Road5192%
    Friern Road4695%
    Underhill Road3293%
    Landells Road2996%
    Crystal Palace Road2587%
    Melbourne Grove2491%
    Dunstans Road2391%
    Burbage Road2291%
    Turney Road22100%
    Hollydale Road21100%
    Court Lane1994%
    Harlescott Road19100%
    Henslowe Road19100%
    Barry Road18100%
    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

    Sloping roofs and boundary walls

    The boundary height shapes the design as much as the depth does. A roof that falls towards the neighbour lets the extension reach further without a tall wall on the shared line, and it reduces the loss of light to the garden next door.

    We draw the profile as a section across the boundary, with the neighbour's ground level, because ground levels can differ across a boundary. That section is the sheet an officer reads first.

    Article 4 directions and conservation areas

    Southwark has 480 Article 4 directions on the council's record, and 53 conservation areas. Where a direction applies, permitted development rights are removed for the matters it names, and a householder application replaces the shortcut.

    That is why the first step on every Southwark job is the address check. The borough also has 724 tree preservation zones, and a protected tree near the back wall can alter foundations and position.

    Listed houses and the planning route

    Historic England lists 919 entries in Southwark, and a listed house needs its own consent for work that affects its character. Where permitted development applies, national rules give a baseline: 3 m (attached) / 4 m (detached) beyond the original rear wall, single storey, with prior approval for more: 6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI.

    Everything else goes through a householder application, drawn as in our planning drawings in Southwark. If rights do apply, a Lawful Development Certificate in Southwark proves it.

    Southwark's recent householder record

    Southwark decided 558 householder applications in its latest published year and granted 94.8 per cent. Some 95.3 per cent were decided within eight weeks or an agreed extension. Gardens cover about 17.6 per cent of the borough's land in the Greater London land-use survey, so space is a constant design pressure.

    These are past, borough-wide figures. We use them to set expectations on timing, not to predict an outcome.

    Fixed price and the full set

    Rear extension drawings start at £695, VAT included and fixed before you commit. The set includes existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, the location plan and block plan. A second chartered technologist checks each sheet, and we redraw free if the council asks for changes.

    Our building regulations drawings in Southwark carry the construction detail. Residential extensions can also claim relief from the levy, provided the claim is made before work starts.

    Surveying a Southwark house for the boundary section

    Where a back garden falls away from the house, a flat assumption gives the wrong wall heights. We level the survey to a single datum so the roof profile and boundary wall heights are drawn from real levels, not assumptions.

    That matters because the council assesses the roof as it meets the neighbour's boundary. Where the garden slopes, a boundary wall that looks low from your side can be taller from next door, and the section shows both sides so the officer is not left to guess.

    Related services and nearby councils

    Looking at a side return extension in Southwark or a house extension of another shape? Those follow different rules. For the whole borough, see architectural drawings in Southwark.

    The same service is covered next door in Lambeth, Lewisham and Tower Hamlets. The national limits are set out in our rear extension drawings guide.

    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 Southwark

    Rear extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    How deep can a rear extension be in Southwark?

    The Householder SPD gives: 6 m depth; 4 m height; 2.4 m at boundary. A depth beyond that on the boundary is likely to be refused.

    How much of my garden can I build on?

    The SPD says a rear extension must not take up more than 50% of the total rear garden, and it encourages single-storey designs.

    Will an Article 4 direction affect me?

    Possibly. Southwark has 480 directions on record. We check your address against them before any drawing starts.

    How much do rear extension drawings cost in Southwark?

    From £695 including VAT, fixed up front. The council's householder fee, £548, is separate.

    Sources and dates

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    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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