House Extensions Tower Hamlets
Single storey rear and double storey extensions in Tower Hamlets, 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 house extensions across Tower Hamlets, working with the Victorian terraces of Bow and Bethnal Green as well as the warehouse-conversion and new-build stock around Wapping and Canary Wharf. We take extensions from foundations and steel to full fit-out.
In Tower Hamlets, 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 Tower Hamlets: 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 Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets range: choose above
Rear and side-return extensions in Tower Hamlets
On the Victorian terraces of Bow and Bethnal Green, a minority among the borough's flats, the classic extension fills in the side return and pushes back into the garden to create a bright kitchen-diner. Most of what we are asked for here is a kitchen extension, so the sink position, the drain run to the existing gully and the rooflights over the worktop are fixed at design stage alongside the steel, rather than fitted round it afterwards. We handle the groundworks and foundations first, checking for the drains and shallow footings common in E3 terraces, then set the steel beams that carry the existing rear wall once the old back addition comes down.
On tighter plots and in conservation areas near Victoria Park the scheme is drawn to suit the space you have, matching brick and detailing to the original house. Every extension is built to current building regulations for structure, insulation, drainage and ventilation, and we sequence the trades so the shell, roof, glazing and internal finishes follow on without gaps or delays.
Housing in Tower Hamlets
Of the 149,830 homes the valuation list records in Tower Hamlets, 12% were built before 1919, 4% between the wars and 83% since 1945; 90% are flats and 10% are houses. Where most homes are flats, a flat in Tower Hamlets has no householder permitted development rights, so extending one needs planning permission and the freeholder's consent.
Flood risk, the old back addition and CIL for Tower Hamlets extensions
Tower Hamlets Council's 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. Parts of the borough sit beside the Thames and the old docks, so check the Environment Agency flood map for the address before the drawings are finished. An assessment can change the finished floor level, the height of the threshold, where sockets are placed and which wall and floor finishes are used. Each of those is easier to decide on paper than to change once the slab is poured.
The old back addition needs its own question. Tower Hamlets Council says anyone intending to demolish a building must notify its building control at least six weeks before starting any works, and a fee is payable with the notice. Whether taking down an old outrigger or a rear outbuilding counts is a question to put to building control while the programme is still flexible, not after the scaffold is up. The levy is the last check: a development is potentially liable for CIL if it contains at least 100 square metres of new build floor space or creates one or more new dwellings. An extension to your own home that crosses that line can usually claim the exemption for residential extensions, which must be claimed before work starts.
Planning and permitted development in E1 to E14
Whether your extension is permitted development or needs a full planning application depends entirely on the property. A single-storey rear extension on a Bow terrace may fall under permitted development rights, in a conservation area too unless an Article 4 direction removes them, while flats, side extensions, two-storey additions in a conservation area and anything larger need permission from Tower Hamlets Council. Leasehold apartments in Wapping and Canary Wharf conversions almost always require freeholder consent as well, since structural change to a flat is tightly limited.
We assess your title, your postcode and the council's rules before committing to a route, and we are honest when planning permission is the sensible path. Where the extension affects a shared boundary you serve the party wall notices as the building owner, we give you the drawings and programme they need and build to any award, and we deal with building control separately for the structural and regulation sign-off. One team keeps planning, party wall and building regs moving together.
Kitchen extensions in Tower Hamlets
90% of homes in Tower Hamlets 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 Tower Hamlets homes is a better layout inside the flat rather than an extension. The fit-out is priced on its own page, kitchen renovation in Tower Hamlets; the build figures are in the table above. Double storey extensions belong to the few houses here.
- Steel goalpost frames where the rear wall opens up
- Roof works and structural alterations at roof level
- Party wall process explained, and the extension built to the award
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for all 34 statistical areas in Tower Hamlets. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Why Choose GS Renovation in Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets homeowners choose GS Renovation because we manage the whole extension, the foundations, steel, roof, glazing and fit-out, under one roof. We are straight about whether you need planning permission or permitted development, we explain the party wall process, build to any award and handle building control, and we bring our founder's 30+ years of building to every project.
- Neighbours given notice before the noisy stages
- Building control inspected at foundation, damp course and steel stages
- 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…
George always kept to commitments and arrived on time. He offered helpful suggestions during his initial visit and promptly provided a reasonably…
Saaid is the best craftsman I have worked with. He knows what he is doing from the very beginning. He has a great knowledge of construction…
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about House Extensions Tower Hamlets
Which parts of a house extensions project in Tower Hamlets cost the most?
Labour and the making good usually cost the most on a house extensions project in Tower Hamlets, within £2,000 to £2,800 per m² for a rear extension (indicative). The days on site at E1 depend on access, condition and how many trades must follow each other: drainage under the footprint is diverted before foundations are poured. GS Renovation sequences them to avoid idle time, which is the practical way to control cost.
Will my rear extension in Bethnal Green need planning permission?
A modest single-storey rear extension on a Bethnal Green house may be permitted development, including in a conservation area unless an Article 4 direction removes the right, but flats, side extensions and double-storey builds need a planning application to Tower Hamlets Council. Leasehold flats in E2 also need freeholder consent. We check your specific address and rights before starting, and see the application and building control through if permission is required.
What happens to the drains when a Tower Hamlets house in Bow is extended at the back?
They are located and planned round before footings are dug. Victorian houses in Bow can have drains running close to the surface behind the house, and where a run is shared with neighbours it is usually a public sewer, needing the water company's consent before building over or near it. A private run can be diverted or bridged, with building control approving the Part H falls.
How does extending a Tower Hamlets terrace house affect the house next door?
Through the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 wherever the extension sits on or near the boundary. A trench that goes deeper than next door's footing within 3 metres of their house triggers a one month notice; pocketing a beam into the shared wall triggers a two month one. On tight E2 and E3 terraces both can apply together, so the notices go out as soon as the design is fixed.
Where does an extension to a Victorian Tower Hamlets house get its daylight?
Mostly from the roof, because the plot is narrow and the side walls sit close to neighbours. Rooflights or a lantern are framed in as the roof is built, with trimmers sized for each opening, while windows on a boundary wall are limited. Each rooflight counts in the Part L insulation calculation, so the amount of glass is balanced against how well the walls and roof perform.
When is the back wall of a Tower Hamlets house taken down for an extension?
Near the end, once the extension is built and weathertight. Foundations, walls and roof go up against the existing back wall, which keeps the house closed. Then the engineer's steel replaces the wall or the old back addition: props in, wall down, beam set on padstones, building control inspection before it is boxed. Leaving it late shortens the time the kitchen is out of use.
Is full plans or a building notice better for a Tower Hamlets single storey extension?
For a single storey extension with a floor area exceeding 10m2 but not exceeding 40m2, the council's standard plan charge and inspection charge add up to its building notice charge. Tower Hamlets Council states the total is the same on either route. The difference is timing and certainty. Full plans splits payment into a plan stage and an inspection stage, and gives approved drawings before the footings are dug, which gives a lender or a later buyer something firm to rely on.
Is there free advice before applying for a house extension in Tower Hamlets?
Yes, on both sides of the process. The duty planner service at Tower Hamlets Council gives free advice on small proposals, including householder applications for a single dwelling. On the building regulations side, the duty building control officer service gives pre-application advice on extensions to houses through its Building Control Free Advice Form. Use the planning service for the size and shape of the extension, and the building control form for foundations, drainage and the demolition question.
What does the Tredegar Square conservation area guidance say about the size of a rear extension?
The Tredegar Square Conservation Area management plan says the scope for rear extensions to be altered is often greater than for roof extensions, and an extension should always be subordinate to the main building. Subordinate usually means lower and smaller than the house it serves. That test applies where planning permission is needed; a single storey rear extension within permitted development limits needs none unless a planning direction has removed that right. Each conservation area has its own guidelines, so read yours first.
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