Side return extension with dark cladding and sliding glass doors

House Extensions in Wandsworth

House extensions across Battersea, Balham, Tooting and Putney from £34,000 inc. VAT.
Side return, kitchen and rear extensions for Wandsworth's Victorian and Edwardian terraces — with conservation area checks, planning, party wall notices and building control managed for you.

A bigger kitchen without leaving the Commons.

Vita Modular builds house extensions in Wandsworth — side returns, kitchen extensions, rear extensions and wrap-arounds for the terraced streets of Battersea, Balham, Tooting, Earlsfield, Putney and Southfields — from £34,000 inc. VAT. The borough is dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, from the streets "Between the Commons" and around Northcote Road in SW11 to the Toast Rack in SW18 and the cottage estates of Tooting. Most share one layout: a narrow kitchen in the rear outrigger, a dark strip of side alley beside it and a garden beyond.

That layout is what a side return extension is built to fix, usually by creating a family kitchen-diner across the full width of the house. The planning route depends on your address. As at 2026 the borough has 46 conservation areas, and 8 of them carry householder Article 4 directions. Those directions mainly control changes facing the street, so rear side return work often remains feasible with a planning application. We check your property against the council's records before any design work begins.

Every extension is 100% bespoke and sold at a fixed, all-inclusive price. The structural steel frame and insulated panels are made at our Warwickshire facility while your foundations go in, then carried through and assembled on site by our own teams — no crane and no heavy plant on a busy Battersea or Balham street, and most builds finished on site in 4–6 weeks.

Open-plan kitchen extension with roof windows and doors to the garden

House Extensions in Wandsworth — at a glance

Planning authority
Wandsworth Borough Council (Local Plan 2023–2038)
Conservation areas
46, incl. Wandsworth Common and Clapham Common
Householder Article 4
8 conservation areas, mainly street-facing changes
Average terraced price
£971,000 (ONS HPI, July 2026, provisional)
Prices from
£34,000 inc. VAT (from £3,000 per m² all-in)
Side return
12 m² from £36,000 inc. VAT
Postcodes
SW11, SW12, SW15, SW17, SW18, SW8, parts of SW4 and SW19

Last updated October 2026. Planning information is general guidance, not legal advice — we confirm the rules for your exact address.

Why Extend Rather Than Move in Wandsworth

In Wandsworth, extending a terrace is usually far cheaper than trading up. Terraced houses in the borough averaged £971,000 in July 2026 (ONS HPI, provisional), so the stamp duty and fees on a move can exceed the cost of a new kitchen extension.

The numbers favour staying. Moving from a Battersea or Balham terrace to a semi means bridging a large price gap — semi-detached homes in Wandsworth averaged £1,345,000 in July 2026 — plus stamp duty, legal and agent fees and removals. A 12 m² side return starts from £36,000 inc. VAT and a 15 m² rear extension from £45,000, adding the kitchen-diner families want without changing schools or streets.

Nappy Valley runs on the family kitchen. The terraces off Northcote Road and Between the Commons in SW11 are family streets, and a family house works best with one open room for cooking, eating and keeping an eye on the children in the garden. Infilling the side return and squaring off the back of the house turns a galley kitchen into that room.

The ground floor is where the space is. Wandsworth's basement guidance limits basements to a single storey and requires at least half the rear garden to be kept, and street-facing changes in Article 4 areas are tightly controlled. The rear of the ground floor is usually the most practical place to add floor area on a Wandsworth terrace.

Built for terraces with no side access. Most terraces in Battersea, Earlsfield and Tooting have no rear access and resident parking fills early. Our panels are prepared off-site and carried through the house by hand, so there is no crane, no heavy plant and far fewer deliveries on the street.

One fixed price. Our price covers foundations, the structural steel frame, external walls, render, roof, glazing, electrics, lighting, flooring and decoration, agreed before work starts. Items outside the standard specification — drainage, demolition, a new structural opening — are itemised separately at quote stage rather than arriving later as variations.

Flood risk checked at survey. Low-lying riverside areas such as Nine Elms, York Road, Wandsworth Town and Putney Embankment are partly in Flood Zones 2 and 3, and the River Wandle runs through Earlsfield. We check your address against the flood maps at the start, so any flood risk assessment or resilient detailing is part of the design.

Wandsworth Planning, Conservation Areas & Article 4

The planning authority is Wandsworth Borough Council, working to its Local Plan 2023–2038, adopted on 19 July 2023, with a partial review of its housing policies adopted on 4 March 2026. Whether an extension needs full permission depends mainly on your address.

46 conservation areas across the borough

As at 2026, Wandsworth has 46 conservation areas. They include Clapham Common (which crosses into Lambeth), Wandsworth Common (which takes in the Toast Rack streets), Nightingale Lane, Heaver Estate, Totterdown Fields, Shaftesbury Park Estate, Latchmere, Park Town and Three Sisters around Sisters Avenue. In Putney there are separate East Putney, West Putney, Putney Lower Common and Putney Heath conservation areas, alongside Dover House Estate and Magdalen Park, and Clapham Junction, Old York Road and Wandsworth Town nearer the river. There is no conservation area called "Northcote Road", and none simply called "Putney".

Inside a conservation area, side extensions — which is how most side return infills are classed — need a full planning application, and the larger home extension route is not available.

Article 4 directions: 8 areas, mostly street-facing

Householder Article 4 directions apply in 8 conservation areas: Dover House Estate, Heaver Estate, Latchmere Estate, Putney Lower Common (15–36 Commondale only), Roehampton Village, Shaftesbury Park Estate, Totterdown Fields Estate and parts of Wandsworth Common (parts of Westover Road, Rosehill Road and Wandsworth Common Westside). They mainly control changes visible from the street — windows, doors, roofs, porches, front walls, hardstanding and painting. There is no borough-wide householder Article 4, so a rear side return in these areas often remains feasible with permission.

What the Housing SPD looks for

Wandsworth's Housing SPD (November 2016) is qualitative and sets no fixed depths. It asks for rear extensions that are subservient rather than over-dominant, keep a substantial depth of garden and minimise height and bulk on the boundary, especially to the south. It advises against two-storey extensions on the boundary, applies BRE daylight guidance and prefers side extensions set back with a pitched roof.

Permitted development and prior approval

Outside conservation areas, and where no Article 4 direction or condition applies, a single-storey rear extension to a terrace or semi can generally project 3m without an application, or up to 6m through prior approval with neighbour consultation. The larger route is not automatic: a 6m prior approval application in Tooting was refused in June 2026. Building control approval is needed in every case, and we manage it to sign-off.

Basements

Wandsworth's Basement Extensions Guidance (2015) allows a single storey only, requires at least half the rear garden to be kept with at least 1m of soil, and expects front lightwells to leave at least half the front garden. A Construction Method Statement is strongly encouraged and independently verified at the applicant's cost. We build above-ground extensions, and for most families a side return gives the kitchen space with a simpler route.

Wandsworth: when you will usually need full planning permission

  • Your home is in one of the borough's 46 conservation areas, such as Wandsworth Common or Heaver Estate
  • You are building a side return infill or wrap-around in a conservation area
  • An Article 4 direction or planning condition covers the work at your address
  • Your rear extension goes beyond permitted development limits, or prior approval is refused
  • The extension is two storey, or exceeds permitted height limits
  • The property is listed, or is a flat or maisonette

Conservation area and Article 4 boundaries follow individual properties, so we confirm your address with Wandsworth Borough Council and check the Environment Agency flood map before you commit. We then prepare the application, manage building control and serve party wall notices as part of the turnkey service. Planning information is accurate as at 2026 and is general guidance, not planning advice. Read more in our guide to planning permission and Article 4 in London .

Wandsworth Homes We Extend

Victorian and Edwardian terraces make up much of Wandsworth's housing, but each estate and neighbourhood extends differently.

Battersea and Clapham terraces — SW11. The streets Between the Commons and in Nappy Valley off Northcote Road are classic period terraces with a rear outrigger and side return. A side return extension or wrap-around creates a full-width kitchen, dining and family room. Some streets may fall within the Clapham Common or Wandsworth Common conservation areas, so we check the route first.

The Toast Rack and Earlsfield — SW18. The Toast Rack streets sit within the Wandsworth Common conservation area, and parts of the wider conservation area — Westover Road, Rosehill Road and Wandsworth Common Westside — carry an Article 4 direction controlling street-facing changes. Rear side returns here are designed for a planning application, with materials chosen to suit the terrace.

Shaftesbury Park cottages. The Shaftesbury Park Estate is a planned estate of 1870s artisan cottages, covered by a conservation area and an Article 4 direction. Plots are compact, so neat, well-proportioned rear infills work best.

Balham and Tooting Bec — SW12 and SW17. The Heaver Estate in Tooting Bec and the streets around Nightingale Lane are larger Victorian and Edwardian houses that suit a generous kitchen extension with roof glazing and wide sliding doors. The Heaver Estate has an Article 4 direction, so front changes are controlled but rear work is assessed on design.

Totterdown Fields, Tooting — SW17. One of the London County Council's early cottage estates, now a conservation area with an Article 4 direction. Small rear additions are designed to sit below the first-floor windows and respect the uniform terrace.

Putney and Southfields — SW15 and SW18. Period terraces and larger houses across East and West Putney, with Dover House Estate and Magdalen Park among the conservation areas. Ground-floor flats have no permitted development rights, so any extension needs full planning.

What a House Extension Costs in Wandsworth

Our house extensions in Wandsworth start from £34,000 inc. VAT, or from £3,000 per m² all-inclusive. A 12 m² side return starts from £36,000 and an 18 m² rear extension from around £54,000. Traditional London builders typically reach £3,800 per m² or more once VAT, glazing, electrics, flooring and decoration are included — around £68,400 or more for the same 18 m².

What adds cost in Wandsworth. Homes in conservation areas need a planning application and drawings prepared for design review, and specification choices such as a brick system matched to the existing house or crittall-style aluminium glazing add to the build. Riverside and Wandle-side homes may need a flood risk assessment and resilient detailing. Parking bay suspensions and skip licences are often needed in SW11 and SW18.

What keeps it efficient. A rear-only extension on an undesignated street can often use permitted development, avoiding the application fee and wait. Our no-crane method keeps access costs down on terraces where every component goes through the front door.

The value case. Industry analysis puts a quality extension at around £1.50 of added value for every £1 spent, typically £1.40–£1.60, with side returns to period terraces among the strongest performers. With the borough's all-types average at £686,000 and terraces at £971,000 (ONS HPI, July 2026, provisional), extra ground-floor space in Wandsworth converts well into value.

What our price includes. Foundations, structural steel frame, external walls and silicone render, flat roof, painted walls and ceilings, electrics and lighting, flooring and up to 3m-wide aluminium or uPVC doors and windows. Demolitions, ground preparation, drainage, professional fees, statutory approvals and new structural openings are quoted separately. See our side return extension cost guide for more detail.

Figures are indicative and vary by size, specification, access and finish. Vita Modular prices are fixed and all-inclusive of our standard specification. Get an itemised figure in minutes with our instant fixed price quotation form — and our Price Beat Guarantee means we will better any genuine like-for-like quote.

Instant Price EstimateNo contact details needed

Choose the type and size of extension to see our from-price for an extension in Wandsworth, at our all-inclusive rate of £3,000 per m², next to what a traditional London builder typically charges.

12 m²

Typical side return: 12–18 m².

Every price includes VAT, foundations, structural steel frame, external walls and render, flat roof, painted walls and ceilings, electrics and lighting, flooring, and up to 3m-wide aluminium or uPVC doors or windows.

Your from-price
£36,000
inc. VAT · standard specification
  • Traditional London builder (from £3,800 per m²)£45,600+
  • Difference£9,600+
  • Lead timeGuaranteed 4-week lead time to start on site
  • Time on siteTypically 4–6 weeks

Quoted separately as required: structural openings, drainage, demolition and ground preparation, professional fees and statutory approvals. Extras such as roof glazing and underfloor heating are added in your fixed quote.

Vita ModularTraditional London builder
Price per m² (all-in, inc. VAT)From £3,000£3,800 and up
Price certaintyFixed, all-inclusiveVariable; extras and variations common
Lead timeGuaranteed 4-week lead time to start on siteVaries by builder
Time on siteOn average 6 weeksOften 10–16+ weeks
Street disruptionMinimal — no cranes, fewer deliveriesProlonged; skips, deliveries, dust
Warranty10-year structuralVaries by builder

Estimates use our from-rate of £3,000 per m² (minimum £34,000) and a typical traditional all-in rate of £3,800 per m². Your fixed, itemised price comes with your quote.

Builds That Suit Wandsworth TerracesFixed prices, inc. VAT

These completed Vita builds come from projects across the UK and show the sizes and fixed prices behind a Wandsworth extension. Between the Commons, the Toast Rack and the Tooting cottage estates, the side return is the usual starting point.

21 m² Wrap-Around Extension

A single-storey wrap-around built on a tight-access site — the full-width kitchen-diner many Battersea and Balham families want, finished in silicone thin-coat render and anthracite grey glazing.

Size · 7m × 3m (21 m²)£63,000inc. VAT
Get a fixed price →

18 m² Rear Extension

An 18 m² rear extension with a choice of bi-fold, sliding or French doors. Wandsworth's guidance asks for rear extensions to stay subservient and keep a substantial depth of garden, and we size the extension to suit your plot.

Size · 6m × 3m (18 m²)£54,000inc. VAT
Get a fixed price →

15 m² Rear Extension

A fully glazed 15 m² rear extension with significant structural alteration works, built in Cheltenham — a compact option for the cottage houses of Shaftesbury Park and Totterdown Fields.

Size · 5m × 3m (15 m²)£45,000inc. VAT
Get a fixed price →

See all our builds, full prices and what every price includes on our London house extensions page.

Recent Vita Extensions in South London

Our nearest completed London projects to Wandsworth, shown with their real locations, sizes, build times and prices.

Rear Extension & Structural Remodel by Vita Modular in Dulwich
Dulwich · Southwark

Rear Extension & Structural Remodel

Size 60 m²Build 12 weeksPrice £197,000

A large rear extension with structural steel, vaulted ceilings, upgraded glazing and remodelled interiors.

View the case study →
Kitchen Diner Extension by Vita Modular in Surbiton
Surbiton · Kingston upon Thames

Kitchen Diner Extension

Size 16.3 m²Build 4 weeksPrice £56,000

A clear-span kitchen-diner with a wide aluminium bi-fold door system, silicone render and herringbone flooring.

View the case study →
Modular House Extension by Vita Modular in Sutton
Sutton · Sutton

Modular House Extension

Size 14.3 m²Build 30 daysPrice £49,000

A living-space extension on galvanised steel ground screws, with silicone render, LED downlights and external lighting.

View the case study →

Project prices are as built and include each client's chosen extras, such as structural openings, kitchens and flooring upgrades. Find more London case studies on our case studies page →

Cover of The London Extension Guide 2026 by Vita Modular
Free download · 48 pages

The London Extension Guide — plan, approve and build.

Everything in one guide: prices, planning, design, glazing, structural openings, party wall, build over agreements, building control and a real on-site programme. Every approval in it is managed by Vita as part of our turnkey service.

  1. 01Costs and prices
  2. 02Planning permission in London
  3. 03Side return and kitchen design
  4. 04Two-storey extensions
  5. 05Glazing and roof lights
  6. 06New structural openings
  7. 07Party wall
  8. 08Build over agreements and drainage
  9. 09Building control approval
  10. 10Your build, step by step
Download the free guide (PDF)

Wandsworth Areas We Build In

We build across the whole borough — SW11, SW12, SW15, SW17, SW18, SW8 and the Wandsworth parts of SW4 and SW19. Every project starts with an address-specific planning and flood check.

Battersea
Clapham Junction
Between the Commons
Northcote Road
Shaftesbury Park
Latchmere
Clapham Common
Nine Elms
Balham
Nightingale Lane
Tooting
Tooting Bec
Heaver Estate
Totterdown Fields
Earlsfield
Wandsworth Common
The Toast Rack
Wandsworth Town
Southfields
Putney
East Putney
Roehampton

Clapham Common straddles Wandsworth and Lambeth, so we confirm which council covers your address before applying. We also build across neighbouring Richmond , Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea.

House Extensions in Wandsworth — Frequently Asked Questions

What homeowners in Battersea, Balham, Tooting and Putney ask most about planning, cost and building on a terrace.

Do I need planning permission for a house extension in Wandsworth?

It depends on your address. As at 2026 Wandsworth has 46 conservation areas, and inside them side return infills and wrap-arounds need a full planning application. Outside them, a single-storey rear extension on a terrace or semi can usually project 3m under permitted development, or up to 6m with prior approval, though a 6m prior approval application in Tooting was refused in June 2026. Building control approval is needed in every case. We check your property against Wandsworth Borough Council's records before design starts.

Is Northcote Road or Putney a conservation area?

No conservation area in Wandsworth is called "Northcote Road", and none is simply called "Putney". Streets around Northcote Road and Between the Commons may fall within nearby designations such as Wandsworth Common or Clapham Common, while Putney is covered by separate areas including East Putney, West Putney, Putney Lower Common and Putney Heath. Boundaries follow individual properties, so we confirm your exact address with Wandsworth Borough Council rather than relying on the neighbourhood name.

Can I build a side return extension in an Article 4 area in Wandsworth?

Often, yes, with planning permission. Wandsworth's householder Article 4 directions apply in 8 conservation areas, including Heaver Estate, Shaftesbury Park Estate, Totterdown Fields Estate and parts of Wandsworth Common. They mainly control changes visible from the street, such as windows, doors, roofs, porches and front walls. A rear side return still needs a planning application because it is in a conservation area, but it is judged on design rather than ruled out. We check the direction covering your address first.

How much does a side return extension cost in Battersea?

Our side return extensions in Battersea start from £36,000 inc. VAT for 12 m², at £3,000 per m² all-inclusive — covering foundations, steel frame, walls, roof, glazing, electrics, lighting, flooring and decoration. Traditional builders in Battersea and across Wandsworth typically reach £3,800 per m² or more once those items are added. Drainage, demolition and any new structural opening are quoted separately. Our instant quotation form gives a fixed, itemised price for your house in minutes.

What size of kitchen extension can I build in Balham?

In Balham, size depends on your house and its planning status. Wandsworth's Housing SPD sets no fixed depth; it asks for extensions that are subservient, keep a substantial depth of garden and limit height and bulk on the boundary, especially to the south. Outside conservation areas, permitted development generally allows 3m for a terrace or semi. Our price guide starts at 12 m² for side returns and 15 m² for rear extensions, but every build is bespoke to any size and every Balham kitchen extension is designed for its plot.

Does flood risk affect an extension in Wandsworth?

It can. Low-lying riverside parts of Wandsworth, including Nine Elms, Battersea, York Road, Wandsworth Town and Putney Embankment, are partly in Flood Zones 2 and 3, with York Road and Lombard Road in Flood Zone 3a. The River Wandle flood warning area includes King George's Park and Earlsfield, and Beverley Brook affects Putney Vale and Roehampton. In July 2021 flash flooding hit Clapham Junction around St John's Road and Falcon Road. We check your flood zone at survey.

Can I build a basement instead of an extension in Wandsworth?

Wandsworth's Basement Extensions Guidance (2015) allows a single-storey basement only, with at least half the rear garden retained over at least 1m of soil and front lightwells leaving at least half the front garden. A Construction Method Statement is strongly encouraged and independently verified at the applicant's cost. Vita Modular builds above-ground extensions, and for most Wandsworth families a side return or rear kitchen extension adds the space they want faster, with a simpler planning route.

How quickly can work start on an extension in Wandsworth?

Once your order is placed we offer a guaranteed 4-week lead time to start on site, subject to planning or prior approval being in place where needed. Where an application is required, planning and design usually take 8–10 weeks first. While foundations go in, the frame and panels are made at our Warwickshire facility, so most Wandsworth extensions are built on site in 4–6 weeks, compared with the 10–16 weeks or more a traditional build often takes.

Related Pages

We build in every London borough. If your home is just across the border, start here.

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Richmond upon Thames

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Hammersmith & Fulham

Fulham and Hammersmith terraces — 44 conservation areas, basement Article 4 and Thames flood zones.

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Kensington & Chelsea

Mews and townhouse extensions where 70% of the borough is a conservation area.

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Side Return Extensions London

Side return and wrap-around extensions for Victorian terraces, with costs per m² and a worked 12 m² example.

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