Loft conversion bedroom with skylights, typical of a Wandsworth Victorian terrace conversion

Wandsworth · London

Rear Extension Drawings in Wandsworth

Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered rear extension drawings for Wandsworth homeowners — London Borough of Wandsworth validation and local constraints handled from the start.

Wandsworth is defined by its long Victorian and Edwardian terraced grids — the 'between the commons' streets — where the side-return and rear extension is the obvious route to more space. These are consistent house types repeated street after street, so the borough has clear views on rear depth, roof form and side-return design, and a technologist who knows the local pattern can draw to them from the start rather than discovering them through revisions.

Where you are in the borough shapes the route. Conservation areas such as Wandsworth Common, Tonsley, Nightingale Lane, Clapham Common and Battersea Park tighten control over rooflines, materials and side-return design, and the council applies Article 4 directions to basement development in parts of the borough, requiring a Basement Impact Assessment covering structural stability, drainage and groundwater. Near the riverside, Thames flood-zone considerations also come into play, while much of Battersea and the streets around the commons is Edwardian mansion blocks and converted flats where ownership, lease and party-wall context matters as much as the planning route.

We prepare Wandsworth planning drawings to the borough's residential extension and basement guidance, checking permitted development eligibility and any conservation-area or basement Article 4 constraint for your exact address before design begins, and drawing the engineer's structural calculations onto the set so these party-wall-sensitive terraces are handled cleanly. The fee is fixed and agreed up front — taken from our published price list — with free redraws until Wandsworth approves. We draw to the validation checklist and turn the drawings around in about seven days. The council's eight weeks begin the day after it receives a valid application, unless a longer period is agreed in writing.

Proposed floor plan

Wandsworth

Planning in Wandsworth: what to know before you apply

Wandsworth applies Article 4 directions to basement development in parts of the borough, requiring a basement impact assessment, and several conservation areas control roof and side-return design. Terraced side-returns recur across the borough, so we draw them to the council's residential extension guidance.

Typical Wandsworth housing stock

Long grids of Victorian and Edwardian terraces — the 'between the commons' streets — plus Edwardian mansion blocks and riverside conversions.

Areas we regularly draw for in Wandsworth

Clapham · Balham · Putney · Tooting · Battersea · Earlsfield · Southfields

What the numbers say about Wandsworth planning decisions

These are London Borough of Wandsworth’s own reported figures, published by government rather than estimated by us. They are what we design against — a borough that refuses one householder application in five needs a different drawing package from one that refuses one in twenty.

Permitted development in Wandsworth

Larger householder extensions put to London Borough of Wandsworth under the prior-approval route, and lawful-development certificates decided, over eight quarters.

Prior approval not requiredWent ahead without a full application	56
Prior approval granted	31
Prior approval refused	25
Granted where a decision was neededFrom 56 determinations	55%
Building upwards, prior approval refused	2
Certificates of lawful development decided	695

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (PS1 district planning application statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-10-18.

What removes permitted development in Wandsworth

Live entries on the national planning registers for London Borough of Wandsworth. Article 4 directions withdraw permitted development rights, so a project inside one needs a full application rather than prior approval. Revoked and expired entries are excluded.

Conservation areasPermitted development is already narrower inside one	47

Source: MHCLG Planning Data Platform. Open Government Licence v3.0 Extracted 2026-10-19.

Rear Extension Drawings for Wandsworth homes: the package and the process

Depth is the number the application turns on, and it has to be measured from the original rear wall of the house rather than from whatever is there now. The drawings carry that dimension, the eaves and ridge heights, the position of any rooflight, and the boundary distances on both sides.

Where the scheme goes beyond the standard allowance and relies on the larger home extension route, the drawings serve a second purpose: they are what the council sends to the neighbours during the consultation. A clear, dimensioned proposed elevation answers the objection about overshadowing before it is made.

Depth is limited by the plot as much as by the rules. A long garden behind a terrace can take the full allowance, while a short one runs out before the rules do — and on a semi or detached house the same depth reads very differently from the boundary.

Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in London?

Many single-storey rear extensions qualify as permitted development, meaning no planning application is needed, provided depth, height and materials stay within set limits. That changes if your property sits in a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, both of which can remove permitted development rights across a street or borough — in that case a full householder planning application is required regardless of size.

Even where an extension qualifies, most homeowners obtain a Lawful Development Certificate to confirm that status in writing before building — useful for mortgage lenders, buyers and Building Control. We check your property against your borough's constraints before recommending a route.

How deep can a single-storey rear extension go?

Depth is the main constraint on a rear extension, and it depends on your house type and whether you use standard permitted development or the larger home extension scheme.

Permitted development

Standard permitted development allows a single-storey rear extension up to 3 metres deep for terraced and semi-detached houses, or 4 metres for detached houses, generally with eaves height limited to match or stay close to the existing house.

Larger home extension scheme

The prior-approval scheme extends this to 6 metres for terraced and semi-detached houses and 8 metres for detached houses. Your council writes to affected neighbours; if none object within the notification period, approval follows without a full planning application. If an objection is raised, the council assesses the impact on neighbouring light and outlook itself, rather than automatically refusing, so a well-considered design still has a good chance of approval.

Designing the kitchen-diner: rooflights, bi-folds and daylight

Most rear extensions exist to create one open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, so the drawing work focuses on getting light and flow right within the depth you are allowed.

Structural opening sized for bi-fold or sliding doors across most of the rear elevation
Rooflights or a roof lantern positioned to light the centre of the room, away from the shadow line of the main house
Open-plan layout tested against the 45-degree rule, which protects daylight to your neighbours' windows and can limit how close a flank wall or roof comes to the boundary
Floor build-up and threshold detail coordinated so the new floor meets the existing one without a step

Rear extension routes at a glance
Route	When it applies	Typical fee
Permitted development (Lawful Development Certificate)	Depth within 3m (terraced/semi) or 4m (detached), height and materials within PD limits	PD/LDC pack ~£645–£995
Larger home extension (prior approval)	Depth up to 6m (terraced/semi) or 8m (detached), with neighbour notification	from £695
Full householder planning permission	Extension exceeds PD/larger-home limits, or the property is in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction	Full Planning pack ~£745–£1,495
Planning + Building Regulations (structural)	All-inclusive planning and construction-ready pack, structural calculations for the opening and roof included	Planning + Building Regs pack ~£1,845–£3,145

Example rear extension drawings sheet, drawn to the standard London Borough of Wandsworth validates against — Example sheet showing how we draw rear extension drawings to London Borough of Wandsworth's validation standards.

Local Areas

Rear Extension Drawings across Wandsworth

Battersea SW11
Wandsworth Earlsfield SW18
Wandsworth Southfields SW18
Wandsworth

Also in Wandsworth

Planning Permission Planning Drawings Architectural Drawings Building Regulations Drawings Loft Conversion Drawings Rear Extension Drawings across London

FAQ

Rear Extension Drawings in Wandsworth — FAQs

How much does a rear extension cost to design in London?+

Rear extension drawings start from £695, with the final fee set by the route your extension takes — permitted development, prior approval or full planning. Building regulations drawings and structural calculations are extra unless you take the all-inclusive package from £1,845. The fee is fixed and agreed upfront.

Do I need an architect for a rear extension?+

No. DrawingsDirect is an MCIAT-chartered architectural technologist practice, producing the same council-accepted drawings as an architect for a fixed fee agreed upfront.

How long does it take to get rear extension drawings?+

Drawings are typically ready around 7 days from survey. Once submitted, councils have a statutory 8-week period to determine a standard householder planning application.

What is the 45-degree rule?+

It is a daylight test many London councils apply to check that a rear extension does not block too much light to a neighbour's nearest window, measured as a line drawn at 45 degrees from that window. We check it before submission, not after a refusal.

Will I need a Party Wall Agreement for a rear extension?+

Only if your foundations or new walls sit on or near the boundary with a neighbouring property. A straightforward rear extension set within your own plot often does not trigger the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, unlike a Side Return or Wraparound extension, which usually does.

Do I need planning permission for a side-return extension in Wandsworth?+

On many of Wandsworth's Victorian terraces a single-storey side-return or rear extension can fall within permitted development, so a full application isn't always required. In a conservation area such as Wandsworth Common or Nightingale Lane, dormers and other roof enlargements, side extensions, rear extensions over one storey and cladding are not permitted development. We check your street's designation first and can secure a Lawful Development Certificate where the work is permitted development.

What does Wandsworth's basement Article 4 direction mean for me?+

In parts of Wandsworth an Article 4 direction removes permitted development for basement works, and the council requires a Basement Impact Assessment covering structural stability, drainage and groundwater. If you are considering a basement or lower-ground extension we flag whether the direction applies to your address early, and coordinate the structural input so the application is complete when submitted.

How long will Wandsworth take to decide my application?+

Once Wandsworth holds a valid application it has eight weeks, counted from the next day; only a written agreement can lengthen that. The party-wall-sensitive terraces around the commons are why we build each package to the validation checklist before it goes in.

Can you design an extension for a converted flat near the commons?+

Yes. Much of Battersea and the streets around Clapham and Wandsworth Commons are mansion blocks and converted flats, where ownership, lease and party-wall considerations shape what is deliverable alongside the planning route. We confirm the ownership and structural context before drawing, and coordinate the engineer's calculations with our sheets so party-wall-sensitive schemes are handled cleanly.

How much do Wandsworth planning drawings cost?+

We agree a fixed fee before starting, taken from our published price list, with free redraws until Wandsworth approves. The price depends on the scheme — a side-return differs from a mansard loft or a basement — so we quote once we have seen your project rather than charging by the hour.

Free Fixed Quote

Get your free Wandsworth planning assessment

Tell us your Wandsworth address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.