Covering Leicestershire
Our coverage across Leicestershire includes Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley and Coalville.
Homes in the East Midlands
The East Midlands combines red-brick terraces in the cities with a lot of post-war and modern estate housing, so rear extensions, garage conversions and loft conversions are all common.
What goes into a side return extension?
Side returns are small in area but heavy in detail: party walls, a glazed roof, and steelwork to take out the original back wall. We design the roof for light and drainage, agree the party wall process early, and keep the work tidy because access is often through the house.
- Party wall notices and surveyor liaison
- Drainage and new gully positions
- Plastering and making good to the old house
How much should I budget for a side return extension?
Indicative costs for side return extensions. London and the South East usually sit towards the top of each range.
| Side return extensions | Guide price incl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Standard specification | £3,350 to £3,700 per m² |
| Good specification | £3,700 to £4,150 per m² |
| High specification | £4,150 to £4,550 per m² |
Planning and building rules in Leicestershire
Projects in England go through two separate checks. Planning (or confirmation that the work is permitted development) comes from the district, borough or unitary council, and building regulations approval comes from the council’s building control team or a registered building control approver. Where work touches a shared wall or digs near a neighbour’s foundations, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies.
In England a single-storey rear extension can often go ahead under permitted development: up to 3 m deep on an attached house or 4 m on a detached one, no higher than 4 m, with eaves no higher than 3 m within 2 m of a boundary.
What should Leicestershire homeowners check first?
- Most side returns touch a shared boundary, so the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 usually applies in England and Wales.
- Access is often through the house, so we plan deliveries and protect floors.
From first call to completion
- Send us the details. Give us a postcode, a rough idea of size and some photos, by phone, form or the guide price tool.
- Free site visit. We measure up, look at access, drains and the structure, and talk through options and budget.
- Drawings, approvals, written quote. We prepare the design, apply for the approvals it needs, and give you a fixed price in writing.
- We build it. Work follows an agreed programme, with inspections at each stage and a final sign-off.
What people ask before starting
Does a side return need planning permission?
In England it can be permitted development if it is single storey, no higher than 4 m and no wider than half the original house. Conservation areas are the main exception.
How long does a side return take?
About 10 to 14 weeks on site.
Can you visit a house in Leicestershire to quote?
Yes. After a short call we arrange a site visit to measure up and agree what the design needs to do, then send a written price.
Other towns nearby
- Side return extensions in Leicester
- Side return extensions in Loughborough
- Side return extensions in Hinckley
- Side return extensions in Coalville
- Side return extensions in Wigston
- Side return extensions in Melton Mowbray
- Side return extensions in Market Harborough
- Side return extensions in Oadby
Learn more about side return extensions, or see every project we cover in Leicestershire.

