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Wandsworth, London

Side return extension drawings in Wandsworth

A terraced house in Wandsworth averaged £970,844 in the latest Land Registry figures, so the widened kitchen from a side return has to be drawn well. We prepare side return extension drawings in Wandsworth from £745 including VAT, after checking your address against 46 conservation areas.

From £745 (VAT included)

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  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, 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 side return 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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    Brick house being extended, with a wide new opening supported over the ground floor

    What Wandsworth's Housing SPD asks of a side extension

    The council's Housing SPD (covers rear extensions, basements, roof extensions and loft conversions) sets the tests. For a single-storey side extension it asks that the extension is set back from the front facade, uses a pitched roof and matching materials, and does not create a terrace effect between detached or semi-detached houses. The council states these as design rules without a measured limit, so we do not quote a figure.

    The terrace-effect point matters wherever pairs of semis sit close together, as they do on some streets in Putney and Southfields. A full-height side extension that fills the gap turns two houses into a terrace in the eyes of the officer. Single storey and set back is the form the guide asks for.

    For a classic Victorian terrace with a side return behind the outrigger the front set-back is rarely an issue, and the roof and materials are what we focus on. The borough's adopted plan is the Wandsworth Local Plan 2023-2038, and the council also issues Basement extensions guidance (non-statutory) for any scheme that goes below ground.

    Finished white-rendered rear house extension with large glazed doors

    Local figures for Wandsworth

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Average price, terraced970,844 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Conservation areas46 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries312 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Heritage at Risk entries8 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions977 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted91.9 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time92.4 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted13 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused12 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Households living in a house31.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Owner-occupied households42.5 % of households owner-occupied (owned outright or with mortgage/loan)Census 2021nomisweb.co.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 Wandsworth

    Householder applications by street in Wandsworth

    Streets in Wandsworth with the most householder applications, and the share approved
    StreetApplicationsApproved
    Earlsfield Road2889%
    Dover House Road2774%
    Broomwood Road2692%
    Sutherland Grove2682%
    Elborough Street2592%
    Elsenham Street2591%
    Elsley Road24100%
    Wakehurst Road2490%
    Deodar Road2289%
    Huntingfield Road2291%
    Mallinson Road2291%
    Thurleigh Road22100%
    Engadine Street21100%
    Magdalen Road2180%
    Burntwood Lane2089%
    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.
    The 45-degree test in planTest used in daylight assessments: 45 degrees (plan and elevation)A

    The 45-degree test in plan

    A line from the middle of the neighbour's nearest window: the extension should stay behind it.

    A · Test used in daylight assessments
    45 degrees (plan and elevation)

    Conservation areas and the permitted route

    Wandsworth has 46 conservation areas, and Historic England lists 312 buildings in the borough, with 8 on the Heritage at Risk Register. In a conservation area the national rule is: No side extensions under PD on article 2(3) land (conservation areas etc.).

    Outside those areas a side extension can be permitted development, within this limit: Side extension: single storey, max 4 m high, max half the width of the original house. Near the boundary, eaves are limited too: Eaves no higher than 3 m where within 2 m of the curtilage boundary.

    If you are unsure, a lawful development certificate puts the council's answer in writing. A householder application costs £548 in fees, paid to the council.

    How Wandsworth decides householder applications

    In the latest published twelve months the council decided 977 householder applications, granted 91.9 per cent and decided 92.4 per cent within eight weeks or an agreed extension.

    The neighbour-consultation route for larger rear extensions was balanced: 13 granted and 12 refused. If your side return belongs to a bigger scheme, the choice of route is a real decision, and we explain it before you spend on design.

    Those are borough-wide records for every type of household job, so they say little about a single house.

    Housing mix and levy in Wandsworth

    Only 31.4 per cent of households live in a house, and 42.5 per cent own their home. Flats make up the rest and have no householder rights, so a side return is a project for house owners in streets like those off Wandsworth Common or in Tooting.

    The borough's levy varies by area. The rates are £1,031.39/m² (Nine Elms Residential Area A); £475.34/m² (Nine Elms Residential Area B); £0 (Roehampton Charging Area); £448.43/m² (all other areas).

    Glass, party walls and the service

    The simple energy route caps glazing: Windows, roof windows, rooflights and doors in an extension should not exceed 25% of the extension floor area plus the area of openings removed or covered. A glazed roof and sliding doors may exceed that, which our SAP calculations service resolves.

    The new boundary wall needs notice: Line-of-junction (new wall) notice at least 1 month before work. Our party wall notices service prepares it from the drawings. The beam where the old flank wall comes out is sized through our structural calculations service.

    Side return extension drawings in Wandsworth start at £745 including VAT, covering plans, elevations, sections, location plan and block plan, checked by a second chartered technologist.

    Further reading for Wandsworth

    The borough summary is at architectural drawings in Wandsworth. For a bigger plan, compare wraparound extension drawings in Wandsworth and rear extension drawings in Wandsworth.

    Next door the guidance changes. See side return extension drawings in Lambeth, Merton and Richmond upon Thames. The national rules are on the side return extension drawings page.

    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.
    Two-storey rear extension under construction on a semi-detached house
    Every side considered
    Flick across the turntable to spin it.

    Other services in Wandsworth

    Side return extension drawings nearby

    Questions

    What does Wandsworth require of a single-storey side extension?

    The Housing SPD (covers rear extensions, basements, roof extensions and loft conversions) asks for a set-back from the front facade, a pitched roof, matching materials and no terrace effect between detached or semi-detached houses.

    Do I need permission for a side return in Wandsworth?

    Often, if the house is in one of the 46 conservation areas. Elsewhere it can be permitted development, which we confirm from the address.

    How much do side return extension drawings cost in Wandsworth?

    From £745 including VAT. The council fee of £548 is separate.

    Can a flat have a side return in Wandsworth?

    Flats have no householder permitted development rights, and only 31.4 per cent of households here live in a house. A flat needs an application and usually the freeholder's consent.

    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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