Get quotes to build a side return extension from £26880

Side return extension cost guide 2022

If you need some extra space in your home but you don’t want to eat into your garden, have you considered a side return extension? If you live in a terraced house or another type of property that has a small amount of space at the side that goes widely unused, this type of extension could be the perfect answer for you. But how much does it cost?

The average cost of a side return extension is £46,000 excluding VAT. Expect it to take anywhere up to 4 months to complete, assuming you have any planning or party wall applications agreed already. But the size of the extension, what you want to use the extension for and the complexity of the job will impact the final cost. Make sure you get a range of quotes from different size companies to ensure you’re getting a fair price for your side return extension.

What is a side return extension?

A side return extension makes use of the space that you commonly see at the side of terraced and semi-detached houses. They’re small alleys that people often use for storing bikes and bins, but otherwise go unused - so it’s the perfect way to add space to your home without eating into your garden.

Often, side return extensions are the ideal solution to making your kitchen bigger, but that means knocking through the external supporting wall, which will increase the cost. Some people opt to have the side return extension added to the outside wall, making it more like a lean-to conservatory.

Will I need building planning permission?

Usually, you won’t need planning permission for a side return extension as it falls under permitted development rights. There are a few criteria that your side return extension needs to meet to be within permitted development rights:

  • It must not exceed more than 4 metres high
  • It must be single storey
  • It must be no more than half the width of the original house

It’s also worth bearing in mind how much your property has been extended in the past. You may only extend up to half of the area around the original house.

Conservation areas

Another thing to watch out for is whether you live in a conservation area. If you do, you’ll need to apply for planning permission. Since side return extensions are common in Victorian terraced houses, there’s a higher chance that your home is in a conservation area. Make sure you do research into this before engaging any tradespeople.

Party Wall Act

You’ll also need to consider the Party Wall Act. This is a piece of legislation that requires that you notify your adjoining neighbour of any ‘notifiable’ works that you wish to undertake. The adjoining neighbour may then consent or dissent to the notice. It’s worth speaking to your neighbours about your side return extension, well in advance of serving any notices, so they know what to expect.

Uses for your side return extension

Kitchen

The most common use for side return extensions is to make the kitchen larger. Lots of terraced houses have narrow galley kitchens and even a narrow side return extension can make the kitchen feel much larger and make it easier to move around in.

Lots of people opt to have high ceilings and roof lights in the extension to improve the light and general feel of the kitchen. People that have the room for a larger side return kitchen extension may also opt to turn it into a kitchen diner to make use of the space.

Shower room

Homes with one bathroom may use their side return extension to add an extra shower room to the property. Bathroom designers are used to maximising space in their designs, so speak to one to see what they suggest for adding a shower room into your side return extension.

Cost breakdown for a side return extension

Although a relatively small type of extension, there is still a lot to think about when it comes to building a side return extension. Here’s a breakdown of the costs involved and the percentage you can expect to spend on each area:

Cost breakdown of a side return extension as a percentage

Area

Percentage of budget

Architect

4%

Admin fees

1%

Structural engineers

3%

Surveyors

2%

Tradespeople

30%

Materials

20%

Fittings

5%

Glazing

15%

VAT

20%

If an average side return extension costs £46,000 excluding VAT, you should expect to spend around £18,500 on admin fees, fittings and materials. Labour and service costs will vary depending on your location, with London seeing the highest prices.

Is it worth building a side return extension?

Some people wonder whether it’s worth building a side return extension, especially if it’s narrow. The main thing to consider is how much value it will add to your life - and to the property itself.

Side return extensions give you more room without sacrificing garden space, and will often improve the indoor-outdoor connection of your property. These benefits will add value to your property as buyers look for homes that have made the best use of the space available, rather than taking the most expensive option.

Although side return extensions are often small, they can improve the quality of your life in your home by much more than you think. Adding that extra bit of space to your kitchen to allow you to move around more freely or reducing bathroom queues in the morning can make a huge impact on your family’s wellbeing. It might even mean that you decide to stay in your home longer than you originally planned, which makes it even more cost-effective.

Get competitive quotes from builders near you

There are lots of different costs involved in a side return extension, so make sure you get a range of quotes from builders, architects and structural engineers to get an accurate representation of how much a side return extension will set you back.

Post a job on HaMuch to get quotes from reputable builders in your area.


Estimates for common builder jobs;

Job Estimate
Cost to fit windows, doors and conservatories £160
Cost to build a side return extension £61000
Cost to repoint or repair brickwork £405
Cost to remove a chimney breast £800
New fitted kitchen cost £19500
Cost to lay a new driveway £3400
Cost to fit a new bathroom £8000
Cost of a loft conversion £49900
Cost of home insurance £20.00 per month
Cost of contents insurance £12.00 per month
Cost of building insurance £10.00 per month
Cost to build a retaining wall £320
Basement conversion cost £43000

Rates for other trades

Side return extension cost in the UK
Side return extension cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKSide return extension cost
Side return extension near Aberdeen£37500
Side return extension near Amber Valley£33360
Side return extension near Angus£32550
Side return extension near Arun£34530
Side return extension near Ashfield£33720
Side return extension near Aylesbury Vale£34350
Side return extension near Barnsley£35970
Side return extension near Basildon£34890
Side return extension near Basingstoke & Deane£35160
Side return extension near Bassetlaw£33540
Side return extension near Bath & North East Somerset£34710
Side return extension near Bedford£36780
Side return extension near Belfast£26880
Side return extension near Birmingham£32460
Side return extension near Blackburn£32370
Side return extension near Blackpool£31020
Side return extension near Bolton£32370
Side return extension near Bournemouth£34890
Side return extension near Bracknell Forest£36420
Side return extension near Bradford£32910
Side return extension near Braintree£34170
Side return extension near Breckland£31020
Side return extension near Bridgend£31290
Side return extension near Brighton£34350
Side return extension near Bristol£34620
Side return extension near Broadland£30390
Side return extension near Broxtowe£33360
Side return extension near Bury£32910
Side return extension near Caerphilly£31740
Side return extension near Calderdale£31920
Side return extension near Cambridge£35610
Side return extension near Canterbury£32010
Side return extension near Cardiff£31740
Side return extension near Carmarthenshire£31110
Side return extension near Charnwood£31290
Side return extension near Chelmsford£34530
Side return extension near Cheltenham£34800
Side return extension near Cherwell£34980
Side return extension near Chester£32010
Side return extension near Colchester£33720
Side return extension near Conway£31110
Side return extension near Coventry£32100
Side return extension near Crewe & Nantwich£34080
Side return extension near Dacorum£35880
Side return extension near Derby£33360
Side return extension near Doncaster£33450
Side return extension near Dover£32010
Side return extension near Dudley£32370
Side return extension near Dumfries & Galloway£29400
Side return extension near Dundee£33360
Side return extension near East Ayrshire£31920
Side return extension near East Devon£29760
Side return extension near East Dunbartonshire£34260
Side return extension near East Hampshire£34800
Side return extension near East Hertfordshire£36420
Side return extension near East Lindsey£32550
Side return extension near East Riding£33540
Side return extension near Eastleigh£34800
Side return extension near Edinburgh£35880
Side return extension near Elmbridge£36240
Side return extension near Epping Forest£35700
Side return extension near Erewash£33180
Side return extension near Exeter£29670
Side return extension near Falkirk£33090
Side return extension near Fife£34800
Side return extension near Flintshire£32370
Side return extension near Gateshead£34260
Side return extension near Gedling£33450
Side return extension near Glasgow£36240
Side return extension near Gloucester£33540
Side return extension near Guildford£36960
Side return extension near Gwynedd£28770
Side return extension near Halton£31830
Side return extension near Harrogate£32190
Side return extension near Havant & Waterloo£34350
Side return extension near Highland£32100
Side return extension near Horsham£34980
Side return extension near Huntingdonshire£36690
Side return extension near Ipswich£32370
Side return extension near Isle of Wight£34530
Side return extension near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£31290
Side return extension near Kingston-upon-Hull£32640
Side return extension near Kirklees£33180
Side return extension near Knowsley£31110
Side return extension near Lancaster£32460
Side return extension near Leeds£32730
Side return extension near Leicester£30750
Side return extension near Lisburn£26970
Side return extension near Liverpool£31380
Side return extension near London£35880
Side return extension near Luton£35340
Side return extension near Macclesfield£33180
Side return extension near Maidstone£35610
Side return extension near Manchester£32820
Side return extension near Mid Bedfordshire£36330
Side return extension near Mid Sussex£34350
Side return extension near Middlesbrough£33270
Side return extension near Milton Keynes£35790
Side return extension near Neath Port Talbot£31650
Side return extension near New Forest£35250
Side return extension near Newbury£34890
Side return extension near Newcastle-under-Lyme£32370
Side return extension near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£34440
Side return extension near Newport£32640
Side return extension near North Ayrshire£33720
Side return extension near North East Lincolnshire£33540
Side return extension near North Hertfordshire£36330
Side return extension near North Lanarkshire£33630
Side return extension near North Lincolnshire£31110
Side return extension near North Somerset£34620
Side return extension near North Tyneside£34890
Side return extension near North Wiltshire£33630
Side return extension near Northampton£34440
Side return extension near Norwich£30660
Side return extension near Nottingham£33540
Side return extension near Nuneaton & Bedworth£32190
Side return extension near Oldham£33090
Side return extension near Oxford£35430
Side return extension near Pembrokeshire£27600
Side return extension near Perth & Kinross£34080
Side return extension near Peterborough£36240
Side return extension near Plymouth£33360
Side return extension near Poole£35160
Side return extension near Portsmouth£34260
Side return extension near Powys£32100
Side return extension near Preston£32370
Side return extension near Reading£36330
Side return extension near Redcar & Cleveland£33540
Side return extension near Reigate & Banstead£36330
Side return extension near Renfrewshire£37140
Side return extension near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£31650
Side return extension near Rochdale£32820
Side return extension near Rotherham£35700
Side return extension near Salford£32640
Side return extension near Salisbury£39570
Side return extension near Sandwell£32280
Side return extension near Scarborough£32370
Side return extension near Scottish Borders£37680
Side return extension near Sefton£31560
Side return extension near Sevenoaks£35700
Side return extension near Sheffield£36330
Side return extension near Slough£36600
Side return extension near Solihull£32100
Side return extension near South Ayrshire£32370
Side return extension near South Bedfordshire£36780
Side return extension near South Cambridgeshire£36060
Side return extension near South Gloucestershire£34440
Side return extension near South Kesteven£31740
Side return extension near South Lanarkshire£31290
Side return extension near South Oxfordshire£35700
Side return extension near South Somerset£37410
Side return extension near South Tyneside£34620
Side return extension near Southampton£34710
Side return extension near Southend-on-Sea£33900
Side return extension near St Albans£36060
Side return extension near St Helens£31200
Side return extension near Stafford£33180
Side return extension near Stockport£33270
Side return extension near Stockton-on-Tees£33450
Side return extension near Stoke-on-Trent£32460
Side return extension near Stratford-on-Avon£32460
Side return extension near Stroud£33450
Side return extension near Suffolk Coastal£31560
Side return extension near Sunderland£34170
Side return extension near Swale£33630
Side return extension near Swansea£32910
Side return extension near Tameside£33270
Side return extension near Teignbridge£31830
Side return extension near Tendring£32910
Side return extension near Test Valley£33720
Side return extension near Thamesdown£33630
Side return extension near Thanet£30390
Side return extension near The Wrekin£34710
Side return extension near Thurrock£35160
Side return extension near Torbay£33360
Side return extension near Trafford£33090
Side return extension near Vale of Glamorgan£32370
Side return extension near Vale of White Horse£34800
Side return extension near Vale Royal£32730
Side return extension near Wakefield£33000
Side return extension near Walsall£32370
Side return extension near Warrington£32820
Side return extension near Warwick£32280
Side return extension near Waveney£32550
Side return extension near Waverley£36960
Side return extension near Wealden£33990
Side return extension near West Lancashire£31380
Side return extension near West Lothian£35160
Side return extension near West Wiltshire£33630
Side return extension near Wigan£31920
Side return extension near Windsor & Maidenhead£36600
Side return extension near Wirral£31470
Side return extension near Wokingham£36240
Side return extension near Wolverhampton£32370
Side return extension near Wrexham Maelor£33450
Side return extension near Wychavon£32640
Side return extension near Wycombe£36060
Side return extension near York£31740