House Extensions Havering
Single storey rear and double storey extensions in Havering, 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 Havering, working with the generous plots that come with its post-war houses and 1930s semis. From Romford to Upminster, drawing on our founder's 30+ years on the tools, our team adds rear, side, wrap-around and double-storey space in RM1 to RM14, handling the groundworks, the steel and the fit-out.
In Havering, 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 Havering: 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 Havering
Havering range: choose above
Rear and side extensions in Havering
The interwar semis that line Havering's streets usually sit on wider plots than inner London terraces, with side access down one flank and a good depth of rear garden. That makes side extensions and single-storey rear kitchen extensions particularly rewarding here, squaring off the kitchen and creating a large open-plan family space. A kitchen extension of this kind carries the old back wall on a steel beam, so the new room and the existing kitchen read as one space rather than two. We start with proper foundations, matched to the ground conditions, then build up in blockwork or brick to blend with the original 1930s elevations.
Double-storey extensions suit the generous semis of RM11 and RM14, adding a bedroom and often an en-suite above an enlarged ground floor. Where the new opening joins the existing house, we install steel beams sized by a structural engineer, and the whole build is inspected by building control at foundation, damp-proof, structural and completion stages. Because many of these homes are semi-detached, we also give you the drawings for any Party Wall Act notice you serve on the adjoining owner before groundworks begin, and build to any award.
Housing in Havering
On the valuation list Havering counts about 108,680 homes, 26% flats and 74% houses; 5% predate 1919, 36% are interwar and 59% post-war. 29% of homes here are semi-detached; a rear extension on a semi in Havering digs beside the attached neighbour, so one party wall notice is usual.
Sizing a Havering extension around prior approval and floor area
Havering's prior approval route is for larger single storey rear extensions of up to 6m for an attached property or up to 8m for a detached property. The route is not available in a conservation area, where only the ordinary single storey rear allowance applies. On a deep Havering garden the limit is rarely the plot. It is the neighbours, the drains and the ground. Prior approval gives adjoining neighbours a chance to comment, so show them the plans before the application goes in. A deeper extension can also mean a longer opening into the house, and the structural engineer we appoint sizes that steel once the depth is settled.
Havering's building control charges step up by floor area: one band for an extension not exceeding 30 square metres, the next for over 30 but not over 60 square metres, and another for over 60 but not over 100 square metres. Know which band the design falls in before it is frozen, so a late change in size does not push the job into the next band. In a Havering conservation area, pruning or felling trees with a trunk diameter of more than 7.5 cm has to be cleared with Havering first, so check the garden trees before any foundation line is drawn near them.
Planning and permitted development in Havering
Not every extension in Havering needs planning permission. Many single-storey rear and side additions fall under permitted development rights, provided they stay within the limits on depth, height and materials. Larger schemes, double-storey work, front extensions, side extensions in a conservation area, or anything on a listed property will usually need a full planning application to Havering Council. We assess your specific house early, so you know from the outset whether you are working under permitted development or applying for permission.
Separate from planning, every structural extension must meet the Building Regulations, so building control signs off the foundations, insulation, drainage and steelwork regardless of the planning route. We manage both strands together, submitting drawings, liaising with the council and booking inspections at each stage. Once the shell is weathertight, the same team carries on through plastering, electrics, plumbing, flooring and decoration, so your new Havering extension is finished and ready to use rather than left as a bare box.
Kitchen extensions in Havering
49% of the houses in Havering are semi-detached or detached, which usually leaves room for a kitchen extension across the full rear width, with a steel beam over the opening into the house. The fit-out is priced on its own page, kitchen renovation in Havering; the build figures are in the table above.
Side return extensions in Havering
Side returns belong to Victorian and Edwardian terraces, and only 5% of homes in Havering predate 1919, so they are the exception here; most extensions run across the full rear width instead. 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 Havering
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 Havering often needs planning permission from Havering Council. With 36% of homes here semi-detached or detached, the side of the house is often an option too. There are 11 designated conservation areas in Havering (council source). Our double storey extension page explains the build, at £1,800 to £2,600 per m² across both floors.
- Steel goalpost frames where the rear wall opens up
- Roof works and structural alterations at roof level
- Bi-fold, sliding and French door openings to the garden
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for all 30 statistical areas in Havering. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Why Choose GS Renovation in Havering
Havering homeowners choose GS Renovation because one team takes an extension from the planning and building control route through groundworks, steel and full fit-out. With our founder's 30+ years on the tools, we understand how the borough's interwar semis and their generous plots behave, we advise honestly on permitted development versus planning, and we keep the site tidy while you live alongside the work.
- Insulation and thermal detailing to current regulations
- Dust screens and floor protection in occupied homes
- Weathertight shell reached before the fit-out begins
Built a new extension at rear of property. Laid foundations, drainage, raised floor, new roof and completed all fixtures and interior decoration…
Giorgio is an excellent and intelligent workman, and with very reasonable prices! He installed a kitchen extractor fan in a complicated situation…
George was very friendly and helpful from start to finish. He worked really hard to ensure our kitchen was installed to a high standard and was…
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about House Extensions Havering
What should I budget for house extensions in Havering?
Budget for house extensions in Havering as three amounts inside £2,000 to £2,800 per m² for a rear extension (indicative): the structural element, the finishing trades and the approvals. Approvals belong in the budget wherever the job includes a Havering Council building control inspection of the foundations before concrete is poured. GS Renovation lays the RM1 quotation out the same way, so each element can be checked or deferred.
Will my Havering extension need planning permission or is it permitted development?
It depends on your house and the size of the extension. Many single-storey rear and side projects on Havering's semis fall within permitted development, while double-storey, front or larger schemes generally need a planning application to Havering Council. Either way the work still needs Building Regulations approval. We check your property first and guide you down the right route.
Can my Havering extension be built close to the boundary with next door?
Yes, but digging foundations near the neighbour's house brings in the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. If your excavation is within 3 metres of their building and goes below its foundations, you serve one month's notice. They may agree in writing, or dissent and have surveyors settle an award. Serve it early, since groundworks cannot start without it.
Can we stay in our Havering house while the extension is built?
Usually, because most of the work happens outside. The foundations, walls and roof go up with the old rear wall still in place, so the house stays sealed. The disruptive stretch is when that wall comes out and steel goes in, which is when the kitchen is out of action and dust is at its worst. Plan a temporary kitchen for that stage.
What does building control inspect on a Havering extension?
The key stages, before each is covered. That means the foundation trench before concrete, the damp proof course and oversite, drainage before backfilling, the steel and its bearings, and insulation before plasterboard. A final inspection leads to the completion certificate. Havering Council or a registered building control approver carries this out, and every extension needs it, whichever planning route applies.
Will a rear extension make the middle room of my Havering semi dark?
It can, because the old rear windows now look into the extension. Rooflights or a lantern over the join usually solve it by bringing daylight into the deepest part of the plan. Glazing is limited by Part L, so a large lantern may need better insulation elsewhere. Placing the rooflight close to the old wall line is often more effective than a bigger one further back.
Does a Havering extension near a public sewer change the approval route?
Yes. In Havering a full plans application is required, not a building notice, where the work is near a public sewer. Rear extensions often meet the drain run where it leaves the kitchen or bathroom, so trace it before the footprint is fixed. The sewerage company may also need to agree the work, on its own timetable. Knowing this at the design stage lets the structural engineer we appoint shape the foundations around the pipe instead of redesigning them later.
Which Havering conservation areas add extra rules for extensions to the front or side?
Havering has 11 designated conservation areas, and in any of them a side extension already needs planning permission. In Gidea Park the Article 4 Direction goes further. It removes Class A permitted development rights to enlarge, improve or otherwise alter a dwellinghouse to the front and sides, so smaller changes on those elevations, such as new windows or doors, need it too. In Cranham, an Article 4 Direction brings gates, walls, fences and other enclosures into planning, which catches a new side gate or boundary wall. Since 17 January 2018 such applications have carried a fee.
Does Havering charge an extension differently when the garage is converted as well?
Havering has a separate building control charge for a garage conversion not exceeding 30 square metres, set lower than the charge for an extension of the same size. Where a project converts the garage and adds a rear extension, ask Havering building control whether the two go in as one application or two, and have the structural engineer we appoint cover both on one set of calculations. The garage's new floor, infill wall and insulation are inspected just as an extension's would be.
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