Single storey extensions in Sutton
On a house that is not detached, a single-storey rear extension can go back 3 metres as permitted development, or 6 metres through prior approval. Sutton granted 92% of its 601 householder decisions in the four quarters to 2026 Q2 (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).
Fixed fee from £495 drawings + £200 survey (£695 total) · all prices
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How far back can a single-storey extension go?
The starting point is Class A of Part 1, Schedule 2 of the General Permitted Development Order 2015. A single-storey extension to a house other than a detached one may extend beyond the original rear wall by up to 3 metres. A larger home extension, which goes through the prior approval process, may reach 6 metres. Detached houses get a longer allowance on both routes. The full wording is on legislation.gov.uk.
Those rights do not apply to every address. An Article 4 direction can remove them, and the 6 metre route is not available in a conservation area. Our prior approval guide walks through the checks, and the permitted development glossary entry defines the terms.
What Sutton's decisions look like
Sutton decided 601 householder applications in the four quarters from 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2 and granted 92% of them. In the same period it decided 95% of householder applications (excluding prior approvals) within 8 weeks (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2).
Appeals show where schemes go wrong. The Planning Inspectorate decided 139 householder appeals for Sutton between 2021 and 2026 and allowed 41% (our analysis of the Planning Inspectorate Casework Database, release 2609). That is a record of past cases and not a forecast for your house.
The national register lists 15 conservation-area entries for Sutton (our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area dataset), so check the council's own conservation area map for your road before you design anything.
The 6 metre route is harder in Sutton than the headline suggests
Sutton determined 98 larger home extension prior approvals over the eight quarters from 2024 Q3 to 2026 Q2, and 24% were granted (our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS1). Most of them were refused.
Under that route the council looks at the effect on the amenity of adjoining homes, so the drawings need to show the depth, the height and the neighbour's windows clearly. If your plan sits near the 6 metre limit, a householder application can give you more room to negotiate.
Conservation areas and neighbouring schemes
The national register lists 15 conservation-area entries for Sutton (our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area dataset), so check the council's own conservation area map for your road before you design anything.
If you also want to widen the house, a wrap-around scheme joins the rear extension to a side one, and the side part has tighter limits. See our wrap-around extension drawings and the side return extension drawings for Sutton SM1.
What you pay
The national fee for a householder application, paid to Sutton, is £548 from 1 April 2026. DrawingsDirect's starting fixed fee for single-storey rear extension drawings (survey and planning or permitted development drawings) is £695. Loft, side return and Building Regulations fees are listed on the pricing page.
If you want to see what the planning side of the process involves in the borough first, read planning permission in Sutton.
Sources
Every figure on this page, where it comes from and a link to the original.
| Figure | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| £695 | DrawingsDirect starting fixed fee for single-storey rear extension drawings (survey and planning or permitted development drawings), from the published price list | drawingsdirect.co.uk |
| 3 metres | GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class A.1(f)(i): a single-storey rear extension may extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by up to 3 metres, house other than detached (source wording: 3 metres) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 6 metres | GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class A.1(g): larger home extension under the prior approval process (A.4), house other than detached, up to 6 metres beyond the original rear wall (source wording: 6 metres) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 601 | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 92% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 95% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 139 | Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609)) | www.gov.uk |
| 41% | Our analysis of Planning Inspectorate Casework Database (released 1 Oct 2026 (Casework Database 2609)) | www.gov.uk |
| 15 | Our analysis of MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) | www.planning.data.gov.uk |
| 98 | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS1 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 24% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS1 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| £548 | Fees for planning applications in England from 1 April 2026 (MHCLG, SI 2012/2920 as annually indexed), category 6(1): householder application for the enlargement, improvement or alteration of a single dwellinghouse (source wording: £548) | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
Questions people ask
Do I need planning permission for a single storey extension in Sutton?
How much do single storey extension drawings cost in Sutton?
Can I build a wrap around extension in Sutton under permitted development?
Photographs: Christopher Hilton (CC BY-SA 2.0).
