Double Storey Extension Drawings in Eltham SE9
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Eltham (SE9) homeowners — Royal Borough of Greenwich validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Eltham (SE9) sits in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and is best known for the Progress Estate at Well Hall — a 1915 Arts-and-Crafts garden suburb that inspired much interwar housing and has been a conservation area since 1971. An Article 4 direction covers the estate, so on those streets even small external changes need consent, and rear and loft projects have to be handled with real care for the original detailing.
Away from the estate, much of Eltham is consistent interwar semi-detached and terraced housing where side-return, rear and loft projects are the staple. The district also carries the setting of Eltham Palace and its listed gardens. We check where an Eltham property sits relative to the Progress Estate Article 4 area and the palace setting before recommending a permitted-development or full-application route under Greenwich's guidance.
Planning in Eltham (SE9): what to know before you apply
Eltham's Progress Estate at Well Hall carries a conservation-area designation and an Article 4 direction (1973), so permitted-development rights are removed across the estate and external changes need planning permission. Elsewhere in SE9 many interwar houses retain PD rights for rear and loft work, but the consistent frontages and the setting of Grade I listed Eltham Palace mean elevation and roof changes are assessed closely. We confirm which controls apply to a specific address before drawing.
Typical Eltham housing stock
The 1915 Arts-and-Crafts cottages and greens of the Progress Estate around Well Hall Road, interwar semi-detached and terraced housing across much of Eltham, and later post-war housing toward Mottingham and New Eltham.
Streets we regularly draw for in Eltham
Well Hall Road · Court Road · Eltham High Street · Ross Way
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Eltham (SE9) homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for an Eltham property is drawn to Royal Borough of Greenwich’s validation standards and tuned to the SE9 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.
A double storey extension builds a second floor above a single-storey side or rear addition, typically adding a bedroom and bathroom upstairs over a widened kitchen or reception room below. Because the foundations and roof of a single-storey extension already carry most of the fixed cost of building, adding a floor on top is often the most cost-effective way to gain two rooms rather than two separate projects. The trade-off is scrutiny: a two-storey addition sits closer to eye level with neighbouring windows and gardens, so councils examine massing, roofline and boundary distance more closely than they would a single-storey extension.
DrawingsDirect draws double storey side and rear extensions for full planning and building regulations, with structural calculations for the additional floor load and foundations produced in-house by our MCIAT-chartered team, on a fixed fee. If a single storey is enough, see our Rear Extension and Side Return Extension pages, or combine both with a Wraparound if you are extending sideways as well as up.
Do I need planning permission for a double storey extension in London?
Almost always. Permitted development rights for two-storey extensions are far more restrictive than for single-storey work, particularly on how close the new structure can come to a boundary and how closely its roof pitch and eaves height must match the existing house, so most double storey projects are drawn and submitted as full householder planning applications rather than relying on permitted development.
Where the property sits in a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, any remaining permitted development allowance for a second storey is typically removed entirely, reinforcing the need for a full application. We check your property's status and your borough's design guidance before drawing.
How do councils control the impact of a double storey extension on neighbours?
Because a second storey introduces new windows and massing at first-floor level, London boroughs apply design guidance aimed specifically at protecting neighbouring light, privacy and outlook.
- The 45-degree rule, tested at neighbouring windows, to check the extension does not block an unreasonable amount of daylight
- A common design expectation that a two-storey side extension is set in roughly 1 metre from the shared boundary, rather than built hard against it
- A first floor commonly set back from the ground floor front elevation, so the upper storey reads as subordinate to the main house from the street
- Obscure or high-level glazing on flank walls facing directly into a neighbour's garden or windows, to limit overlooking
| Option | What it adds | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | A ground-floor kitchen-diner only, may qualify for permitted development | see Rear Extension Drawings, from £1,100 |
| Double storey side or rear extension | Two rooms across two floors, usually needs full planning | Full Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400 |
| Double storey + Building Regulations (structural) | Combined pack including structural calculations for two-floor loads and foundations | Planning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850 |
| Wraparound (rear + side return) | Combines two single-storey extensions into one L-shaped ground floor | see Wraparound Extension Drawings, from £2,200 |
Double Storey Extension Drawings in Eltham SE9 — FAQs
How much does a double storey extension cost to design in London?+
Do I need planning permission to add a second storey?+
Will a double storey extension overlook my neighbour's garden?+
Do I need an architect for a double storey extension?+
How long does it take to get double storey extension drawings?+
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Greenwich?+
How does the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site affect my project?+
Can I extend a home in Blackheath or Westcombe Park?+
How long does the Royal Borough of Greenwich take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Greenwich?+
Get your free Eltham planning assessment
Tell us your Eltham (SE9) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.