Queen's Park · Greater London

First-floor extensions in Queen's Park

For a first-floor extension in Queen's Park, the first questions are always the same: how big, which approvals, and what it will cost. This page answers all three for Greater London.

Queen's Park: the key facts for this kind of project.

Postcode districts
W10
County / area
Greater London, England
Price region
London
Guide price
£30,000–£43,500 (£2,160–£3,120 per m²)
Approval route
It may be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall (counting any single-storey part) and stays 7 m from the rear boundary; otherwise it needs planning permission.
Nearest towns
Kensal Green (0.7 miles), Maida Hill (0.8 miles), Willesden (1.1 miles)
First visit
Free, no obligation

About a first-floor extension

A first-floor extension is a new upstairs room built on top of an existing single-storey part of your house, such as a rear kitchen extension, a utility or a side annexe. It adds a bedroom, bathroom or study without enlarging the footprint. Whether it works depends mainly on whether the walls and foundations below can carry the extra load.

We cover postcode district W10 in and around Queen's Park, along with neighbouring Kensal Green, Maida Hill and Willesden.

What it costs in Queen's Park

A guide price for Queen's Park: around £30,000–£43,500 for 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²). That works out at £2,160–£3,120 per m² of new floor space, including VAT at 20%. Professional fees for drawings and the structural engineer are listed separately on our prices page.

SpecPer m²4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²)
Essential£1,990–£2,870 per m²£28,000–£40,000
Standard£2,160–£3,120 per m²£30,000–£43,500
Premium£2,590–£3,740 per m²£36,500–£52,500

Planning and building regulations in Queen's Park

In England, adding a first floor turns a single-storey extension into one of more than one storey. To be permitted development, the extension as a whole must go no more than 3 m beyond the rear wall of the original house and stay at least 7 m from the rear boundary, with matching materials and roof pitch. Over a side extension it always needs planning permission, costing £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026).

Approval in England: Householder planning application: £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026). Lawful development certificate: £274 (about £288 for applications from 8 December 2026). Councils should decide householder applications within 8 weeks of validation.

Building regulations: Building regulations approval (full plans recommended) from the council or a registered building control approver, with a completion certificate at the end.

Design points for Queen's Park homes

Tying into the house

The new floor and walls must line up with the existing first floor, often through a new opening in the rear wall above the old one. Floor levels, the position of upstairs windows and the existing roof all affect where the opening can go, so we survey both floors carefully.

Escape and fire safety

A new first-floor bedroom needs an escape window with a clear opening of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm wide and 450 mm high, with the bottom no more than 1,100 mm above the floor, unless there is a protected route to the stairs.

How we'd run your project

  1. Measure and listen

    A visit to Queen's Park to understand how you live in the house now and what the extra rooms need to do, plus a first look at the structure.

  2. Drawings and permission

    Our designers produce plans and elevations, then we take care of planning or permitted development checks with the council covering Queen's Park.

  3. Structure and building control

    A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get building regulations approval before work starts.

  4. On site

    One project lead runs the job, keeps you updated and arranges inspections at each stage until completion.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Queen's Park

How much does a first-floor extension cost in Queen's Park?

Our guide for London, which covers Queen's Park, is £2,160–£3,120 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £30,000–£43,500. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Queen's Park?

We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in England: building regulations approval (full plans recommended) from the council or a registered building control approver, with a completion certificate at the end. We prepare the drawings and the engineer's calculations, book the inspections and pass you the completion paperwork at the end.

Do I need planning permission for a first-floor extension in Queen's Park?

Queen's Park is in England, so England planning rules apply. It may be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the original rear wall (counting any single-storey part) and stays 7 m from the rear boundary; otherwise it needs planning permission. If in doubt, a lawful development certificate or a planning application gives you certainty before you build.

Can I build on top of my existing single-storey extension?

Often yes, but only after the structure has been checked. Foundations, walls and lintels built for one storey may not carry two. We dig trial holes, look for the original building control approval and ask the structural engineer to confirm what can stay, what needs strengthening and what must be rebuilt.

Will the first-floor extension match my house?

It should, and in England matching materials and roof pitch is a condition of permitted development. We match brick, tile, mortar colour and window style where we can, and tell you at the design stage if an exact brick match is not available, so you can choose between the closest match and render or cladding.

Nearby

Other towns near Queen's Park:

Other extensions in Queen's Park

All two-storey extension services in Queen's Park · First-floor extensions across Greater London

Tell us about your house in Queen's Park and we'll call you back to arrange a free, no-obligation visit.

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