House Extensions Canary Wharf
Single storey rear and double storey extensions in Canary Wharf, planning, structure and build under one contract.
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder
- Single-storey rear extension from £40,000
- Free site survey, itemised quote
House extensions are less common than remodels in Canary Wharf, where E14 housing is mostly leasehold apartments in older Docklands blocks and new-build riverside developments. Where a suitable ground-floor or duplex property allows, GS Renovation brings our founder's 30+ years of experience to foundations, steelwork and full fit-out, always checking the lease and Tower Hamlets Council rules first.
In Canary Wharf, a single-storey rear extension typically starts from £40,000, or £2,000 to £2,800 per m² (indicative London ranges, Architecture for London, Resi, MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026). GS Renovation Ltd, a building contractor based in Potters Bar, does the work in Canary Wharf: the structural engineer we appoint designs the structure, we build it, and building control signs it off.
Price guide
| Work | Indicative London range |
|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | from £40,000 |
| Rear extension, per m² | £2,000 to £2,800 |
| Side return, per m² | £2,400 to £3,200 |
| Wraparound, per m² | £2,400 to £3,200 |
| Double storey, per m² | £1,800 to £2,600 |
| Basement extension | see the basement page |
Indicative London ranges (Architecture for London, Resi, MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026), not a quotation. Prices checked September 2026. Full breakdown: Extension Costs & Planning.
Quick estimate for Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf range: choose above
What extensions suit Canary Wharf properties
Apartments high in a block cannot be extended outward, so genuine extension work in E14 tends to involve ground-floor units with a terrace or courtyard, duplex conversions gaining a mezzanine, or the pockets of lower-rise terraced housing in Millwall, Cubitt Town and neighbouring Poplar. We start by reading the lease and the building management rules, because in a leasehold setting the freeholder's consent matters as much as any council decision.
For the right property we handle foundations and groundworks, install steel beams where openings are formed, carry out the roof works and manage the full internal fit-out. Whether the aim is a small single-storey addition or reworking a duplex, we plan around the contemporary riverside character of Canary Wharf and the practical limits of building within an occupied, managed development.
Housing in Canary Wharf
For the Canary Wharf, Millwall and Cubitt Town statistical areas the Council Tax list gives about 22,070 homes; by type 92% flats and 8% houses, by age 95% post-war, 2% interwar and 2% older than 1919. Where most homes are flats, a flat in Canary Wharf has no householder permitted development rights, so extending one needs planning permission and the freeholder's consent.
Flood risk and the first checks for a Canary Wharf extension
Extensions in Canary Wharf are a question for the houses, which are 8% of homes here, and for ground floor flats with their own outside space. A flat has no householder permitted development rights, so a ground floor flat extension needs planning permission whatever its size. Before any design, look up the address on the Environment Agency flood map. The Tower Hamlets householder planning application checklist requires a Flood Risk Assessment for applications in Environment Agency Flood Zone 2 or 3 relating to basement or ground floor extensions. Beside the river and the docks that check matters, and the assessment has to be commissioned early enough to go in with the planning application.
Two points from the building control side help the budget. A structural opening into a new extension is ancillary to the extension and is included in the council's Table B extension charge, so the steel that opens up the back of the house is not a second application. And a development in Tower Hamlets is potentially liable for CIL if it contains at least 100 square metres of new build floor space or creates new dwellings. A single storey rear extension on a Canary Wharf terrace is unlikely to reach that threshold.
Planning and party walls in Tower Hamlets
An extension may fall under permitted development or it may need a full planning application to Tower Hamlets Council, and which route applies depends entirely on the property, its position in the block and any local restrictions. We assess this honestly at the outset rather than assuming, because near the Docklands and the river, conservation and design controls can be tighter than homeowners expect.
Separately from planning, the structural build is governed by the building regulations, so foundations, beams and drainage are all inspected and signed off by building control. Where new structure meets a neighbour's wall, you may need to serve Party Wall Act notices as building owner, using the drawings we give you. We coordinate the council application and the building control inspections so the leasehold and legal side stays as tidy as the build.
Kitchen extensions in Canary Wharf
92% of homes in Canary Wharf are flats, and a flat has no householder permitted development, so a ground-floor flat's kitchen extension needs planning permission from Tower Hamlets Council and the freeholder's consent. With so few houses here, the realistic kitchen gain in most Canary Wharf homes is a better layout inside the flat rather than an extension. The fit-out is priced on its own page, kitchen renovation in Canary Wharf; the build figures are in the table above. Side return and double storey extensions belong to the few houses here.
- Insulation, airtightness and thermal detailing to regulations
- Side-return and rear extensions
- Drawings and the structural engineer's design coordinated for you
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for the Canary Wharf, Millwall and Cubitt Town statistical areas, which together cover the Isle of Dogs. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Why Choose GS Renovation in Canary Wharf
GS Renovation gives Canary Wharf owners a realistic view of what is possible in E14 before any money is spent. We know most flats cannot extend, and where a property genuinely can, we manage foundations, steel, roof and fit-out with the lease, Tower Hamlets Council and building control all handled together. Our founder's 30+ years on the tools means no surprises halfway through.
- Site left safe and secure at the end of every day
- Foundation depth set after trial holes, drains and trees are checked
- Programme planned around party wall notice periods before excavation near a neighbour
Built a new extension at rear of property. Laid foundations, drainage, raised floor, new roof and completed all fixtures and interior decoration…
George was brilliant. Lovely bloke, very reasonably priced and a perfectionist to boot. He completed our small kitchen renovation with care and great…
Giorgio is an excellent and intelligent workman, and with very reasonable prices! He installed a kitchen extractor fan in a complicated situation…
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about House Extensions Canary Wharf
How much should a Canary Wharf homeowner set aside for house extensions?
A Canary Wharf homeowner should set aside the scoped figure for house extensions, typically within £2,000 to £2,800 per m² for a rear extension (indicative), plus an allowance for the unseen. GS Renovation prices what the E14 survey shows and names what could change once the structure of a converted or modern home is opened. The cost of building regulations approval from foundations to completion belongs in the same budget.
Do I need planning permission to extend a property in Canary Wharf?
Some extensions are permitted development, while others need a full planning application to Tower Hamlets Council, especially near the Docklands and river where design controls can be stricter. On top of that, any leasehold flat usually needs the freeholder's consent, and the structural build always needs building regulations sign-off. We assess all three routes before you commit.
Can a Canary Wharf apartment be extended at all?
Rarely. Permitted development rights for extensions apply to houses, not flats, so any addition, such as enclosing a balcony, needs planning permission from Tower Hamlets and the freeholder's consent. With 92% of homes here recorded as flats, extensions are the exception, and internal remodelling is usually the practical way to gain space.
What limits a rear extension on a Canary Wharf house?
Only 8% of homes here are houses, and for those the permitted development limit on a one-storey rear addition is 3 m deep if attached and 4 m if detached, with a larger allowance through prior approval. Conservation areas restrict the larger and side extension routes, and Article 4 can remove those rights, so the address is checked with Tower Hamlets first. Building regulations apply to every extension regardless.
What has to be checked below ground before a Canary Wharf extension?
The drains and the neighbours' foundations. A public sewer under or near the new footprint needs the water company's consent before building over it, under Part H. Digging within 3 metres of next door and below its foundations needs one month's notice to the neighbour under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Can we stay in our Canary Wharf house while an extension is built?
Usually. The new shell is built while the existing rear wall stays, keeping the house secure. The difficult period comes when the wall is opened, steel goes in and the kitchen and heating are connected into the new space. Planning a temporary kitchen for that stretch keeps the house liveable.
What pre-application options does Tower Hamlets offer for a Canary Wharf house extension?
Under the council's Scale A householder pre-application service there is a confirmation of advice letter (planning only), charge A1, an officer site visit, charge A3, and a householder pre-application meeting, charge A4a. There is also a duty planner service offering free advice on small scale proposals such as householder applications for single dwellings. For a straightforward rear extension in Canary Wharf the duty planner is the first call, and the site visit earns its place where the plot is awkward.
Can the structural side of a Canary Wharf extension be discussed with building control first?
Yes. Tower Hamlets Council's duty building control officer service gives pre-application advice for application types including extensions to houses, through its Building Control Free Advice Form. For a Canary Wharf terrace, send the form with a sketch of the footprint, any drainage runs you know about and the opening into the house. The answers shape the brief the structural engineer we appoint works to, before the drawings are finished rather than after.
What does digging a basement under a Canary Wharf house involve with Tower Hamlets?
More than an extension does. The explanation to Policy D.ES4 Flood risk in the Tower Hamlets Local Plan requires all basement developments to conduct a basement impact assessment, showing the proposal safeguards structural stability and is safe from a flood risk perspective. Close to the docks and the river that assessment carries real weight. A basement also has its own building notice charge line, separate from the extension charges, so budget the two apart.
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