Berkshire
Side return extensions in Berkshire
Infilling the narrow passage beside a Victorian or Edwardian back addition. Across Berkshire we handle the whole rear extension: survey, drawings, the planning route, building control and the build. Towns we cover here include Reading, Slough and Bracknell.
Side return projects in Reading usually start with a drainage survey of the side passage. Around Berkshire the housing ranges from inter-war semis to 1960s and 1970s estates with good-sized gardens. Many of the newer estates had permitted development rights removed by condition, so we check the planning history before anything is drawn.
How much does a side return extension cost in Berkshire?
For Berkshire we work from the South East England rate: £2,580–£4,260 per square metre of new floor, including VAT, standard specification. South East prices run above our West Midlands baseline, mainly on labour rates and clay-soil foundations.
| Size | Guide price inc VAT |
|---|---|
| 2 m wide × 6 m deep (12 m²) | £31,000–£51,000 |
| 2.5 m wide × 7 m deep (17.5 m²) | £45,000–£74,500 |
Your written price follows a measured survey and an agreed design, so it reflects your house, not an average.
Do you need planning permission in Berkshire?
Side return infills and the side leg of a wraparound are treated as side extensions in England: single-storey, no more than 4 metres high and no wider than half the original house. They are not permitted development in conservation areas, National Parks or National Landscapes, and a joined wraparound often needs a planning application because the side and rear rules apply together.
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.
Where in Berkshire do we work?
FAQ
Questions people ask
How much space does a side return add?
Typically 8 to 18 square metres, enough to turn a galley kitchen into a kitchen-diner with an island.
Do I need my neighbour's permission?
Not their permission, but in England and Wales you must serve party wall notices, and a neighbour can consent in writing or ask for a surveyor's award.
Can I combine a side return with a rear extension?
Yes; that is a wraparound extension, and it gives the biggest open-plan room a terrace can have.
Do you cover all of Berkshire?
We cover 14 towns and districts in Berkshire, including Reading, Slough and Bracknell.
Who builds the extension?
Vetted building teams working under contract to us; your contract is with S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd.