House Extensions Catford
Single storey rear and double storey extensions in Catford, 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
GS Renovation builds extensions across Catford, working with the bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces that shape SE6. We have added rear, side-return and wrap-around extensions, handling the foundations, steel, roof and full fit-out as a single project managed by one accountable team.
In Catford, 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 Catford: 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 Catford
Catford range: choose above
Side-return and rear extensions in Catford
The classic Catford project fills in the side return, that narrow strip of yard beside the rear closet wing, to widen a cramped galley kitchen into a bright kitchen-diner. We dig and pour foundations sized to the ground conditions, install a steel goalpost frame where the old external wall comes out, and tie the new roof, often with rooflights, back into the existing terrace. A rear extension can be added at the same time to push into the garden.
Because these SE6 homes sit in terraces, we plan for the party walls on both sides and the drainage that runs along the rear. We build up from a damp-proofed floor, match or complement the London stock brick where it shows, and fit out the inside completely, so you move from a dated back addition to a proper open family space in one continuous programme.
Housing in Catford
Roughly 7,650 dwellings sit on the valuation list for Catford. 34% are houses and 66% flats, and by age 61% predate 1919, 4% are interwar and 33% post-war. A flat in Catford has no householder permitted development rights, so extending one needs planning permission and the freeholder's consent, which matters here because most homes are flats.
Side returns, wrap-arounds and scale on Catford houses
28% of Catford homes are terraced houses and only 6% are semi-detached or detached. For a Catford house owner the extension choice is therefore usually about the side return and the back addition, not a side extension along a driveway. The Lewisham Local Plan says extensions to residential buildings should normally be subordinate in scale to the original building. A wrap-around that fills the side return and runs across the full rear of a Catford terrace has to be drawn with that in mind. Stepping down in height or setting back helps it read as an addition to the house rather than a new rear elevation.
Once drawn, the build runs on inspections. Lewisham Building Control's typical inspection stages include commencement of work, excavation, foundations, damp-proof course, drains inspection and testing, insulation and completion of building. On a Catford side return the foundations run along the boundary with next door and the drains can pass under the new floor, so two of those visits can fall within the first weeks. We programme the dig, the drainage and the slab around them, so the trench and the pipework are open when the inspector arrives and closed quickly once they are seen.
Planning permission versus permitted development in Catford
Not every Catford extension needs a planning application. A modest single-storey rear extension often falls under permitted development, provided it stays within the size, height and boundary limits and the house has not already used up those rights. We assess your specific property first, because many terraces have been extended before and end conditions vary street to street across SE6.
Larger, double-storey or wrap-around schemes usually need a full planning application to Lewisham Council, and in a conservation area a side, wrap-around or two-storey extension needs planning permission, while a single-storey rear extension within the limits can still be permitted development unless an Article 4 direction removes it. Whichever route applies, the structural work still needs building regulations approval and building control inspections. We guide you through both, arrange the drawings and manage the submissions so you know exactly what consent your project requires.
Kitchen extensions in Catford
66% of homes in Catford are flats, and a flat has no householder permitted development, so a ground-floor flat's kitchen extension needs planning permission from Lewisham Council and the freeholder's consent. Most kitchen extensions here are on the 34% of homes that are houses. The fit-out is priced on its own page, kitchen renovation in Catford; the build figures are in the table above.
Double storey extensions in Catford
Under permitted development a two-storey rear extension can go no more than 3 metres beyond the original rear wall and must stay at least 7 metres from the rear boundary, and in a conservation area it is not permitted development at all. Many gardens are too short for the 7 metre rule, so a double storey extension in Catford often needs planning permission from Lewisham Council. It is a job for the 34% of homes that are houses; a flat cannot add a storey this way. Lewisham's list of Article 4 directions includes a Catford Bridge Tavern article 4 direction (council source). Our double storey extension page explains the build, at £1,800 to £2,600 per m² across both floors.
- Full fit-out, finishing and making good
- Drawings and the structural engineer's design coordinated for you
- Levels, drainage and landscaping made good around the new build
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for Catford East & Mountsfield Park and Catford Bridge. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Trusted House Extensions in Catford
GS Renovation gives Catford homeowners one team for the whole extension, from foundations and steel to roof, brickwork and finish. We know how SE6 terraces are built, we advise honestly on permitted development versus a Lewisham planning application, and we give you what your party wall notices need and handle building control throughout. Our founder's 30+ years of experience means fewer surprises and a build that respects the character of your period home.
- Garden levels and access made good where the build meets outside
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Permitted development checked before you pay for a planning application
Reviewed jobs near Catford
1 MyBuilder review from Crofton Park, with each customer's own job title:
- Replace small section of wooden worktop, sink, tap and gas hob, Crofton Park, 17 Apr 2024 (5 out of 5)
Read all 31 on our reviews page.
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 Catford
Does the cost of house extensions rise in a Victorian or Edwardian Catford property?
The cost of house extensions in a Victorian or Edwardian Catford property can rise a little within £2,000 to £2,800 per m² for a rear extension (indicative), mostly in making good rather than the structural work. Making good cornice, floors and plaster takes longer than the structural work at an SE6 address. GS Renovation allows for that in the quotation, and for the fact that the width of the opening into the house decides the steel.
When does building control inspect an extension in Catford?
At defined stages, and the first is the excavation before any concrete is poured. On a Catford extension the inspector sees the foundation trench to confirm the depth and the ground it is bearing on, then returns for the damp proof course, the drainage, the structural elements and completion. Those visits are booked into the programme. Concrete poured before the trench has been seen may have to be broken out.
Where does rainwater from a Catford extension go?
To a designed outlet rather than onto the garden. A Catford extension adds roof area, and the water coming off it has to reach a surface water drain or a soakaway sized for the volume and the ground conditions. Connecting it to a foul drain is not acceptable. Where a soakaway is used, it is positioned a suitable distance from the building so it does not saturate the new foundations.
Will an extension make the middle of a Catford house dark?
It can, and it is the most common regret with a deep rear extension. Building out from the back of your Catford terrace puts the original rear rooms further from any window, and the space between can become a corridor with no daylight. Rooflights over the junction, a glazed link or a shallower plan all address it. The daylight is considered at design stage rather than afterwards.
What roof suits a Catford rear extension?
The one that gives the head height the plan needs. A flat roof on a Catford extension allows the maximum internal height under a given external height and takes rooflights easily. A pitched roof suits the existing house better in some settings and reduces height at the eaves. The choice affects permission, drainage and how much light reaches the original rooms behind.
What happens to the boundary fence during a Catford extension?
It usually has to come down and go back, and who owns it is established first. Building near the boundary at your Catford property means removing the fence for access and reinstating it afterwards, and the deeds decide whose it is. Where the neighbour owns it, their agreement is obtained rather than assumed. The reinstatement standard is written into the scope so there is no argument later.
Which building control fee line applies to a plain Catford rear extension?
Lewisham says that in most cases small domestic projects, extensions among them, fall under schedule 1 of its building control fees chart. A single storey extension with no alterations has its own total building notice charge in that chart, including VAT. Taking out a chimney breast or adding a new toilet or bathroom moves the job to a different line, so a Catford owner who settles the scope first applies once, on the right line.
Who handles the party wall when a Catford side return extension is built?
The building owner does, and building control does not. Lewisham Building Control says the Party Wall Act is a civil matter and it is not involved in the Act's administration. A side return on a Catford terrace often builds on or against the boundary with next door, and the new foundations sit close to theirs, so notices are usually needed. Serve them while the drawings are being finished, so consent or an award is in place by the start date.
Does a Catford extension need a heritage statement if the house is locally listed?
Yes, if it needs a planning application. Lewisham requires a heritage statement for all planning applications affecting buildings in conservation areas and listed buildings, both nationally listed and locally listed. Lewisham's Local List has over 250 entries, with the most recent additions made in March 2020, so check it even if nobody has mentioned it. Local listing on its own does not remove permitted development rights, so the statement arises only when an application does. Check the list before the architect draws, not after.
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