GS Renovation designs and builds extensions across Bow, from single-storey rear additions to double-storey and wrap-around projects on the borough's Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Backed by 30+ years in E3 and the wider Tower Hamlets area, we handle foundations, steelwork, roofing and the full fit-out as one managed job.
Side-return extensions in Bow terraces
The side return, that narrow strip beside the rear closet wing, is the classic space to reclaim on a Bow terrace. Filling it turns a dark galley kitchen into a wide, light kitchen-diner that runs the full width of the house. The work involves new foundations along the boundary, a steel beam to carry the existing rear wall, and a roof that often includes rooflights or glazing to draw daylight deep into the plan.
Because the extension sits against the boundary with your neighbour, party wall matters almost always apply and we coordinate around the party wall award as part of the project. We match new brickwork sympathetically to the original Victorian stock and tie the groundworks in around the closet wing drainage. Every element, from the footings to the final plaster, is inspected under the Building Regulations so your E3 extension is properly certified.
Planning and permitted development in Bow
Whether your extension is permitted development or needs a full planning application depends on the property, the size and any restrictions on it. Many single-storey rear extensions on Bow terraces fall under permitted development, but larger projects, most double-storey work, and homes in a conservation area or with an Article 4 direction will need permission from Tower Hamlets Council. We assess this at the outset so there are no surprises later.
We prepare and submit the drawings, liaise with the council's planning team, and separately arrange building control, keeping the two processes clearly distinct. Planning governs what you may build and how it looks from outside; building regulations govern that it is structurally and thermally sound. On Bow's period terraces we design extensions that respect the streetscape while giving you the open, modern living space these homes often lack at the rear.
- Wrap-around extensions and infills
- Levels, drainage and landscaping made good around the new build
- Flat and pitched roofs with rooflights or lanterns
- Full fit-out, finishing and making good
- Steel goalpost frames where the rear wall opens up
The GS Renovation Difference in Bow
For a Bow extension you want one team carrying the whole job, and that is what we do: foundations, steel, roof, services and finish, plus the planning and party wall coordination around it. Thirty years on E3 terraces means we know how these houses are built, where the drains run and how Tower Hamlets Council assesses applications. Fixed scope, tidy site, certified result.
- Permitted development checked before you pay for a planning application
- Garden levels and access made good where the build meets outside
- Building control inspected at foundation, damp course and steel stages
- Dust screens and floor protection in occupied homes
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople
- Neighbours given notice before the noisy stages