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The rear of a brick terrace of houses, with the narrow side returns between the back wings and the next house visible

Side return extension drawings from £665

The lean-to strip beside a Victorian kitchen is easy to overlook and fussy to draw. We measure it, check the drain beneath it and submit the right application for you.

£665 £515 drawings + £150 survey (£665 total), no VAT to add

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We check conservation areas and other limits for this address.

In a sentence or two: your plans, and any feedback from the council so far.

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The short answer

A side return extension fills the narrow passage between the back wing of a terraced house and the boundary, so the kitchen widens into one room. Our fee is £515 drawings + £150 survey (£665 total), no VAT to add; the council’s own fee is separate. The drawings must settle the drain, the boundary wall and the neighbour’s window before anything is built.

Side return extension drawings

from £665

Drawings
£515
Measured survey
£150
Total you pay
£665
VAT
None to add
  • A measured survey of the side return, the back wing, the boundary wall and the neighbour’s side window
  • Existing and proposed plans, elevations and a section through the new roof and rooflight
  • A check of the sewer records and manholes, because side returns often sit over a drain
  • The Lawful Development Certificate or householder application, submitted for you
  • A list of the party wall notices to serve, and the notices if you want us to prepare them
  • An independent check of every sheet, and free redraws of our drawings until approval

£515 drawings + £150 survey (£665 total). A starting fee: we confirm one fixed figure after checking your address. The council’s own fee, where there is one, is paid to the council.

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How a side return job runs with us

  1. Rights and drains

    We check the address for permitted development rights and read the water company’s sewer records for the side return.

  2. Survey the passage

    We measure the strip, the boundary wall height, the neighbour’s side window and the levels.

  3. Options

    Side return alone, or joined to a rear extension as a wraparound, drawn side by side with the glazing.

  4. Drawings and route

    We draw the chosen scheme and submit it as a certificate, prior approval or householder application.

  5. Notices and technical set

    We list the party wall notices and draw the technical set with the engineer’s beam sizes.

Is a side return extension permitted development?

It can be. A side extension is permitted development if it is single storey, no higher than 4 metres and no wider than half the width of the original house. A typical side return is a metre or two, well inside half the width. The limits are in Class A of the permitted development order.

The catch is conservation areas and other article 2(3) land: there, an extension beyond a side wall is not permitted development at all, so a householder application is needed. Many of London’s Victorian terraces sit in conservation areas, which is why we check the address first.

  • Single storey, no higher than 4 metres
  • No wider than half the width of the original house
  • Eaves no higher than 3 metres within 2 metres of the boundary
  • Not permitted beyond a side wall in a conservation area

The drain under the passage

Side returns are where the house’s drains leave it, and a public sewer often runs along the back of a terrace. Approved Document H applies to building over or within 3 metres of the centre line of a sewer shown on the water company’s records, and you may need the sewerage undertaker’s agreement before you build.

That is why the sewer search is the first thing we do. A manhole in the middle of the planned kitchen changes the design, and it is far cheaper to learn that on paper.

The boundary wall and the glass roof

The new side wall is usually built on or against the boundary, which means the neighbour gets a party wall notice. Two months’ notice is needed for work to a party structure (section 3), and deep foundations within 3 metres of the neighbour’s foundations need a month’s notice (section 6).

The glazed roof most side returns have must meet the building regulations: a new rooflight in an existing dwelling should reach a U-value of 2.2, and new walls 0.18, in Approved Document L.

Wraparound extensions · Party wall notices

Side returns in numbers

Questions about side returns

Can I extend into the side return and the back at once?

Yes, and that is a wraparound. If the rear part goes past the permitted depth, or you want both under one application, we draw it as a single scheme. See wraparound extensions.

My neighbour has a window onto the side return. What happens?

A new wall in front of that window can be refused because it removes light. We measure the window, draw the effect and, if it matters, lower the wall or set it back.

Does a glass roof need planning permission?

Not on its own. It is part of the extension, so it is judged with it, and we draw it to the rooflight limits.

What if there is a sewer under the side return?

You can often still build, with the water company’s approval and a design that protects the pipe. We check the records before drawing so the answer is known up front.

Make the strip beside the kitchen count

Send the address and a photo of the side return. We reply with the route and a fixed fee, from £515 drawings + £150 survey (£665 total).

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