House Extensions Enfield
Single storey rear and double storey extensions in Enfield, 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 Enfield, working with the generous plots typical of its 1930s and interwar suburban houses in EN1, EN2, EN3, N9, N13, N14 and N21. We handle everything from foundations to final fit-out, whether the project runs as permitted development or needs a full planning application to Enfield Council.
In Enfield, 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 Enfield: 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 Enfield
Enfield range: choose above
Rear and wrap-around extensions in Enfield
The wide plots of Enfield's interwar semis, especially around Southgate, Palmers Green and the streets near Trent Park, suit rear and wrap-around extensions that a tighter inner-London terrace could never take. A single storey rear extension can create a large open-plan kitchen-diner, usually needing a steel beam where the old back wall is removed, while a wrap-around picks up the side passage as well for extra width. A kitchen extension in Enfield usually follows that pattern: the old back wall comes out on a steel beam, the kitchen moves into the new space and the former kitchen becomes the dining end, kept within the three metres DMD 11 allows beyond the original rear wall of a semi or terrace.
We start with foundations and groundworks sized for the ground conditions and any nearby trees, then build the shell, install the steelwork, and form the roof, whether flat with a lantern rooflight or pitched to match the house. Building regulations govern the structure, insulation, drainage and glazing, and Enfield Council building control inspects the works at each stage through to completion.
Housing in Enfield
About 128,360 homes are listed for Enfield, and the mix is 59% houses to 41% flats, with 41% built after 1945, 35% in 1919 to 1939 and 23% earlier. 37% of homes here are terraced; a rear extension on a terrace in Enfield digs foundations close to both neighbours, so notices to both are normal.
Extension routes that close in Enfield conservation areas
Enfield's conservation areas include Winchmore Hill Green, designated in 1968, and Grange Park, designated in 2008, and designation removes more permitted development than a simple house extension might suggest. A side extension, a rear extension of more than one storey and any cladding of the outside are not permitted development on conservation area land, and the prior approval route for a larger single storey rear extension is unavailable there as well. So a scheme drawn to the limits that apply on an ordinary Enfield street can need a planning application once the address is checked. Confirm designation before the architect sets the depth.
Big extensions also meet the Mayor's levy. Under the Mayor of London's MCIL2 charging schedule, Enfield is in Band 2 alongside Barnet, Brent, Bromley and Ealing. A householder extension large enough to fall within the levy can normally claim the exemption for residential extensions, but the claim has to be made, and a commencement notice submitted, before work starts on site. Starting the groundworks first can lose the exemption. Ask your architect whether the new floor area brings the levy into play, and file the forms before the first trench is dug.
Permitted development or planning in Enfield
Many single storey rear extensions on Enfield's suburban houses fall under permitted development, meaning no planning application is needed provided the size, height and materials stay within the limits and your rights have not been removed. Double storey extensions, anything to the front, side extensions in a conservation area and any extension to a flat need a planning application to Enfield Council, as does work covered by an Article 4 direction on your address, and we help you establish which route applies before you commit.
Because these are semi-detached and terraced houses, a side or rear extension near the boundary normally triggers the Party Wall Act, so you serve notice on your neighbour in good time as building owner, or your surveyor does. We can arrange drawings and the planning submission, manage building control, give you the drawings and programme the party wall notice needs, build to any award, and then complete the full fit-out, from plastering and electrics to the kitchen, so one team carries the whole project.
Kitchen extensions in Enfield
63% of the houses in Enfield are terraced. On a terrace the kitchen extension is built out from the back, into the side return where the house has one or across the full rear width, and a steel beam takes the old back wall so the kitchen and the new room become one space. The fit-out is priced on its own page, kitchen renovation in Enfield; the build figures are in the table above.
Side return extensions in Enfield
37% of homes in Enfield are terraced houses and 23% of all homes were built before 1919; side returns are found on the older terraces, beside the back addition. A side extension is not permitted development in a conservation area, and elsewhere is limited to one storey, 4 metres high and half the house's width, so many go to Enfield Council as an application. Our side return extension page covers the build in detail, with build rates of £2,400 to £3,200 per m².
Double storey extensions in Enfield
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 Enfield often needs planning permission from Enfield Council. On the 37% of homes that are terraced, the neighbours' windows usually decide the depth. Planning Data gives the Trent Park conservation area in Enfield a designation date of 1973 (council source). Our double storey extension page explains the build, at £1,800 to £2,600 per m² across both floors.
- Foundations, groundworks and steel frames
- Steel goalpost frames where the rear wall opens up
- Building control inspections at foundation, damp course and steel stages
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for all 36 statistical areas in Enfield. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Trusted House Extensions in Enfield
Enfield owners come to GS Renovation because we run the extension end to end: foundations, steel, roof and a full internal finish. We know which projects on these interwar plots are permitted development and which need an application to Enfield Council, and we keep the site tidy and the timeline honest across our founder's 30+ years on the tools.
- Permitted development checked before you pay for a planning application
- Fully insured, with cover in place on every site
- Brick and mortar matched to the existing elevation
Reviewed jobs near Enfield
6 MyBuilder reviews from Enfield and Lower Edmonton, with each customer's own job title:
- Bathroom refurb, Enfield, 7 Mar 2023 (5 out of 5)
- Bathroom PVC cladding + Painting + Lino fitting, Enfield, 20 Dec 2022 (5 out of 5)
- Kitchen worktol, Enfield, 8 Dec 2022 (5 out of 5)
- Shower screen installation, Enfield, 16 Feb 2022 (5 out of 5)
- Replacing integrated fridge freezer, Enfield, 17 Jun 2021 (5 out of 5)
- Fit a new bathroom suite, Lower Edmonton, 19 May 2017 (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 a great find. The job required re-plastering the walls before fitting acrylic panels. He also re-plumbed the shower waste under the solid…
I am very happy to recommend George after he completed the work on my 2 bathrooms. He worked very hard to make sure everything was completed and even…
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about House Extensions Enfield
Are there hidden costs with house extensions in Enfield?
Every extra cost on house extensions in Enfield needs your written agreement, and the foreseeable ones are already priced within £2,000 to £2,800 per m² for a rear extension (indicative). Work in interwar and post-war housing around EN1 occasionally reveals something behind plaster; when it does, GS Renovation stops, costs it and waits for your decision. The sequence of work stays fixed: drainage under the footprint is diverted before foundations are poured.
How deep a rear extension will Enfield Council accept?
Three metres beyond the original rear wall for a terraced or semi-detached house, and four metres for a detached one, under Policy DMD 11 of Enfield's adopted Development Management Document. A flat roofed single storey extension should not exceed three metres to the eaves, with 3.3 to 3.5 metres allowed to the top of a parapet. A pitched roof is limited to four metres at the ridge and three at the eaves.
Does an extension already built next door allow a deeper one in Enfield?
No. Enfield's Development Management Document states that where adjacent properties already have extensions, built as permitted development or with permission, the criteria apply as measured from the original dwelling regardless of the depth of the adjoining extensions. A first floor extension must also stay behind a 30 degree line from the mid-point of the nearest original first floor window next door, and the policy adds that there should be no chamfering of edges to avoid it.
Does a side extension in Enfield have to be set off the boundary?
Yes, Policy DMD 14 asks for a minimum distance of one metre from the boundary with the adjoining property. The same policy refuses side extensions that create a continuous facade of properties, the terracing effect, where that is out of character with the locality. For a loft dormer, Policy DMD 13 wants the dormer inset from the eaves, ridge and edges of the roof, with insets of 500 to 750mm.
Are side extensions and garages in Bush Hill Park judged more strictly?
Yes, side extensions and garages are the pressure point there. The Bush Hill Park conservation area appraisal states that development pressure in that area largely takes the form of small side extensions and garages, and it names examples. It praises a modern contextual side extension at 89 Wellington Road on the Dryden Road boundary, and criticises a 2012 garage at 57 Wellington Road with a crude parapet imitating a pitched roof. Design quality is being watched closely.
Does scaffolding for an Enfield extension need a licence?
Yes, if the scaffold stands on the public highway or footway, Enfield requires a licence before it goes up. There is a non-refundable application fee, a licence covering up to 30 days charged by the square metre, and a refundable deposit against damage to the highway. The application form warns that unlicensed works risk prosecution under Section 169 of the Highways Act 1980, and the insurance must meet the council's stated minimum cover. Scaffold on private ground needs no licence.
Which Enfield plan is a householder extension application judged against?
The development plan in force when the decision is made. Planning Data records The Enfield Plan: Core Strategy 2010-2025 as an Enfield local plan with a start date of 10 November 2010. Its title runs to 2025, so before the drawings are finalised, ask Enfield Council which plan documents it is applying to householder schemes now. A design tested against the wrong policy can be refused on grounds the architect never checked.
How does an extension join a Victorian Enfield house built on shallow footings?
With a movement joint or a tied detail, chosen by the engineer. 23% of homes in Enfield were built before 1919, and houses of that age can stand on shallow brick footings while the new extension goes down to a modern depth. The two parts then move differently through the seasons. Expect the engineer to specify how the new wall meets the old one, and have building control inspect the trench before concrete goes in.
Does the Hadley Wood Article 4 direction affect a rear or side extension?
Check the schedule before assuming permitted development. Planning Data records an Enfield Article 4 direction area covering the Hadley Wood Conservation Area under the Enfield Borough Conservation Areas Article 4(1) Direction 2003, and gives the area a designation date of 1989. Conservation area status already rules out side extensions as permitted development, so a side extension needs a planning application in any case. A single storey rear extension can still be permitted development, unless the direction withdraws that right at your address, so check the schedule before relying on it.
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