England
Rear extensions in Essex
Rear extensions in Essex: we cover 32 towns including Southend-on-Sea, Basildon and Colchester, with design, approvals and the build under one contract.
What are homes in Essex like to extend?
Essex mixes Victorian terraces with 1930s semis, so both side returns and full-width kitchen extensions suit houses here.
Rear extension prices in Essex
East of England prices run slightly above our West Midlands baseline; clay soils near trees are the main foundation variable. Per square metre including VAT, standard specification:
| Extension | Per m² |
|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | £2,010–£3,290 |
| Two-storey (per m² across both floors) | £1,910–£2,860 |
| Side return | £2,440–£4,030 |
| Wraparound | £2,330–£3,820 |
| Glass-led | £2,970–£5,090 |
Planning and building rules in Essex
English permitted development (Class A) allows a single-storey rear extension of 3 metres on a terraced or semi-detached house and 4 metres on a detached one, measured from the original house, with a maximum height of 4 metres and eaves of no more than 3 metres within 2 metres of a boundary.
England also has the larger home extension route: a single-storey rear extension of up to 6 metres on an attached house or 8 metres on a detached house, after prior approval from the council. The council notifies your neighbours and has 42 days to decide; the fee is £249 (£310 for applications made from 8 December 2026). The route is not available on designated land such as conservation areas.
Every rear extension in England needs Building Regulations approval, whether or not planning is needed. You can use the council's building control service or a registered building control approver, by full plans (checked before work, usually within five weeks) or a building notice, and you get a completion certificate at the end.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England: you serve notice two months before work to a shared wall, and one month before digging foundations within 3 metres (or 6 metres for deeper foundations) of a neighbour's building. Neighbours can agree in writing; if they dissent, surveyors agree an award.
Conservation areas, National Parks, National Landscapes and the Broads restrict permitted development, and listed buildings always need listed building consent.
Rear extensions we build in Essex
- Rear extension plans and planning applications
- Building Regulations for rear extensions
- Single-storey rear extensions
- Two-storey rear extensions
- Kitchen-diner rear extensions
- Side return extensions
- Wraparound extensions
- Glazed and glass-box rear extensions
- Rear extensions for terraced houses
- Rear extensions for semi-detached houses
- Rear extensions for detached houses
- Rear extensions for bungalows
- Flat-roof rear extensions
- Pitched and lean-to roof rear extensions
- Knocking through to a rear extension
- Roof lanterns and rooflights for rear extensions
- Permitted development rear extensions
- Larger home extension prior approval (England)
Towns and districts in Essex
The main places we cover in Essex include Southend-on-Sea, Basildon and Colchester, across postcode areas CB, CM, CO, EN, IG, RM and SS.
| Town | Postcode districts | Nearest town we also cover |
|---|---|---|
| Southend-on-Sea | SS0, SS1, SS2 | Rochford (3.1 miles) |
| Basildon | SS13, SS14, SS15 | Pitsea (2.2 miles) |
| Colchester | CO1, CO2, CO3 | Halstead (11.9 miles) |
| Chelmsford | CM1 | Billericay (7.7 miles) |
| Harlow | CM17, CM18, CM19 | Hoddesdon (5.4 miles) |
| Grays | RM16, RM17, RM20 | Chafford Hundred (1.6 miles) |
| Braintree | CM7, CM77 | Halstead (5.9 miles) |
| Brentwood | CM13, CM14, CM15 | Harold Wood (3.6 miles) |
| Clacton-on-Sea | CO15 | Frinton-on-Sea (4.7 miles) |
| South Benfleet | SS7, SS8, SS13 | Hadleigh (2.2 miles) |
- Southend-on-Sea
- Basildon
- Colchester
- Chelmsford
- Harlow
- Grays
- Braintree
- Brentwood
- Clacton-on-Sea
- South Benfleet
- Canvey Island
- Billericay
- Rayleigh
- Stanford-le-Hope
- Wickford
- Witham
- Pitsea
- Maldon
- Waltham Abbey
- South Ockendon
- Harwich
- Hadleigh
- Walton-on-the-Naze
- Frinton-on-Sea
- Rochford
- Saffron Walden
- Tilbury
- Chafford Hundred
- Chigwell
- Halstead
- Buckhurst Hill
- Epping
Areas near Essex
FAQ
Questions people ask
How much does a rear extension cost in Essex?
As a guide, £2,010–£3,290 per square metre including VAT for a standard single-storey extension at East of England rates.
Do I need planning permission in Essex?
Often not for a single-storey rear extension of up to 3 metres (4 metres on a detached house) under permitted development, or up to 6 or 8 metres with prior approval, unless the house is in a conservation area or its rights have been removed.
Which towns in Essex do you cover?
32 towns and districts, including Southend-on-Sea, Basildon and Colchester.
Do you handle building control?
Yes. We apply to the council or a registered building control approver and hand over the completion certificate.