Double Storey Extension Drawings in Hackney
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Hackney homeowners — London Borough of Hackney validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Hackney runs from the Georgian and Victorian terraces of De Beauvoir and Stoke Newington through dense flat-conversion streets to the warehouse quarters of Shoreditch and Hackney Wick, so the right route for an extension or loft depends heavily on both the building type and its conservation designation. A rear extension in Clapton is a very different application from a roof alteration in the De Beauvoir conservation area, and the borough's tight urban plots with shallow rear gardens shape what is realistically achievable on the terraced streets.
Conservation control is unusually far-reaching here: a very high proportion of streets fall within designated areas such as De Beauvoir, Clapton Square, London Fields, Stoke Newington Church Street, Mapledene and Broadway Market, where permitted development for many external works is removed. On top of that, the London Borough of Hackney operates a borough-wide Article 4 direction removing permitted development for change of use to an HMO, and further directions strip rights across many conservation areas. Because so many homes across Hackney Central, Dalston and Hoxton are converted flats, ownership, lease and shared-structure considerations often matter as much as the planning route itself.
We prepare Hackney planning drawings to the council's validation and design standards, screening the conservation-area status and any flat-conversion ownership context for your exact address before recommending a route to consent. You get a fixed fee agreed up front, the same council-accepted drawings an architect would produce for usually around 30% less, a roughly seven-day drawing turnaround and free redraws until Hackney approves. Most householder applications are determined within the statutory eight weeks once validated, so a validation-first submission is the surest way to avoid the drawing queries that cause delay.
Planning in Hackney: what to know before you apply
Hackney operates a borough-wide Article 4 direction removing permitted development rights for HMO conversions, and its numerous conservation areas — De Beauvoir, Clapton Square and London Fields among them — remove permitted development for many external works. Because so many properties are converted flats, ownership and shared-structure considerations often matter as much as the planning route. We confirm both before drawing.
Typical Hackney housing stock
Victorian and Georgian terraces across Stoke Newington, Clapton and De Beauvoir, dense purpose-built and converted flats, and former warehouse and light-industrial buildings converted to housing around Shoreditch, Hoxton and Hackney Wick.
Areas we regularly draw for in Hackney
Hackney Central · Stoke Newington · Clapton · Dalston · Shoreditch · Hoxton · De Beauvoir Town · Hackney Wick
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Hackney homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for a Hackney property is drawn to London Borough of Hackney’s validation standards and tuned to the local 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 across Hackney
Double Storey Extension Drawings in Hackney — 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 Hackney?+
My Hackney property is a converted flat — can I still extend?+
What does Hackney's borough-wide HMO Article 4 direction cover?+
How long does Hackney Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Hackney?+
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