House Extensions in Kensington, W8
Rear, side-return, wraparound and double-storey extensions for houses in Kensington, designed, approved and built by one team.
Covered under one contract
- Architectural and structural design
- Planning or lawful development certificate
- Foundations, walls, roof and steels
- Glazing, rooflights and doors
- Kitchen designed and fitted
- Building control and party wall handled
House Extensions in Kensington.
An extension is the surest way to get the open-plan kitchen and dining room most families want, and the houses in Kensington generally lend themselves to it: a side return to fill, a rear garden to build into, or on larger plots room for a full-width or double-storey addition.
We design the extension around how you will use it, not around the maximum footprint the rules allow. That means thinking about light, the level change to the garden, where the kitchen sits, how the old and new parts of the house meet and what happens to the rooms you already have. The structural engineering, party wall matters and building control inspections are all handled by us.
Approvals are checked on the first visit. Many single-storey rear extensions fall within permitted development, but the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea applies tighter rules in conservation areas and to flats and listed buildings, so we confirm the route before any drawings are produced and then manage the application if one is needed.
- Area
- Kensington, W8
- Council
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Housing
- Stucco and red-brick Victorian terraces, garden squares, mews houses, mansion flats and large detached villas off Kensington Church Street
- Transport
- High Street Kensington, Gloucester Road
- Rear or side return, on site
- 10 to 16 weeks
- Design and approvals
- 8 to 14 weeks before start
- Glazing lead time
- 6 to 10 weeks, ordered early
- Consent
- Permitted development or householder application
- Party wall
- Notices served by us
Kensington: the houses and the planning rules.
Kensington is one of the most consistently protected residential districts in London: white stucco terraces and garden squares south of the High Street, red-brick Queen Anne revival houses around Kensington Court and Phillimore Gardens, and a scatter of mews behind them. Almost every street is in a conservation area and a large share of the houses are listed.
The projects we see here are deep refurbishments of houses that have been divided and reunited over the years, lateral flats in the mansion blocks, and basements under the larger houses where the borough's policy allows. Design quality is scrutinised closely, so drawings and heritage statements have to be right first time.
The Kensington, Kensington Square, De Vere, Edwardes Square and Kensington Palace conservation areas cover almost the whole district.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
RBKC decides applications and has some of the most detailed conservation area guidance in London, with Article 4 directions on many streets removing permitted development rights.
Basements
The borough's basement policy limits new basements to a single storey under no more than half the garden, with a construction traffic management plan and an impact assessment.
Listed buildings
Many houses are Grade II listed, so internal alterations need listed building consent alongside planning permission.
Approvals for house extensions in Kensington.
Many single-storey rear extensions are permitted development within the 3 or 4 metre limits, or 6 and 8 metres under prior approval. Conservation areas, flats, listed buildings and larger schemes need a householder application, and every extension needs building regulations approval.
RBKC decides applications and has some of the most detailed conservation area guidance in London, with Article 4 directions on many streets removing permitted development rights.
What house extensions in Kensington includes.
- Architectural and structural design
- Planning or lawful development certificate
- Foundations, walls, roof and steels
- Glazing, rooflights and doors
- Kitchen designed and fitted
- Building control and party wall handled
From site visit to handover.
- 01
Site visit & consultation
We visit, listen and measure. Brief, budget and constraints understood before any advice is given.
- 02
Design & itemised quote
Our architects and engineers draw the scheme, and from that we provide a transparent, itemised quotation for your approval.
- 03
Planning & approvals
Planning applications, building control and party wall matters handled for you.
- 04
Build, managed weekly
Our own trades, sequenced by a site manager. Progress reported every week.
- 05
Handover & aftercare
Joint snagging walk-through, documentation, and a guarantee on our workmanship.
House Extensions in Kensington: your questions.
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Kensington?
Not always. Permitted development covers many single-storey rear extensions on houses, but the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea removes those rights in some conservation areas, and flats and listed buildings always need an application. We confirm the route at the site visit.
How long does an extension take to build?
Ten to sixteen weeks on site for a single-storey extension once approvals are in place, plus the design and approval period beforehand. Glazing has the longest lead time, so we order it early.
Which parts of Kensington do you cover?
All of Kensington and W8, including Kensington Church Street, Phillimore Gardens, Kensington Square, Edwardes Square, Victoria Road, Campden Hill Road, and the neighbouring districts. We are based in London and our teams work across central, north, north-west, west and south-west London.
Other services in Kensington.
House Refurbishment in Kensington
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Flat Refurbishment in Kensington
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Structural Alterations in Kensington
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Loft Conversions in Kensington
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Basement Conversions in Kensington
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Kitchen Renovation in Kensington
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Bathroom Renovation in Kensington
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Bespoke Joinery & Fitted Furniture in Kensington
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Architectural & Interior Design in Kensington
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Planning Permission & Building Regulations in Kensington
Read moreHouse Extensions across London.
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We will visit, listen and explain what is possible for your property and how it would be approved. No pressure, no sales pitch.