Boston · Lincolnshire

Two-storey rear extensions in Boston

Homes in Boston with a bit of space to the side or rear can often take a two-storey rear extension. We'll tell you honestly whether yours can, and what approvals it needs.

The basics for Boston at a glance.

Postcode districts
PE20, PE21 and PE22
County / area
Lincolnshire, England
Price region
East Midlands
Guide price
£55,000–£74,000 (£1,960–£2,650 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
Spalding (14.1 miles), Sleaford (16 miles), Skegness (19 miles)
Distance to Lincoln
about 27.4 miles
First visit
Free, no obligation

About a two-storey rear extension

A two-storey rear extension is a new two-floor addition built onto the back of your house, usually giving a larger kitchen or living space on the ground floor and one or two bedrooms or a bathroom above. Because both floors share one set of foundations and one roof, it adds a lot of floor space for the garden it uses. In some cases it can be built under permitted development, depending on where you live.

Boston sits about 27.4 miles from Lincoln. Closer to home, Spalding is 14.1 miles away and Sleaford 16.0 miles.

What it costs in Boston

Most of the cost of a two-storey rear extension is set by its size and specification. For Boston and the rest of the East Midlands, our guide is £1,960–£2,650 per m² including VAT, so about £55,000–£74,000 for a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space). Steelwork for wide openings is the item most likely to move the figure; we'll know once the engineer has designed it.

SpecPer m²A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space)
Essential£1,800–£2,430 per m²£50,500–£68,000
Standard£1,960–£2,650 per m²£55,000–£74,000
Premium£2,350–£3,180 per m²£66,000–£89,000

Planning and building regulations in Boston

In England, a two-storey rear extension can be permitted development if it goes no more than 3 m beyond the rear wall of the original house, stays at least 7 m from the rear boundary and matches the house's materials and roof pitch. It is not permitted development in conservation areas, National Landscapes, National Parks, World Heritage Sites or the Broads. Otherwise a householder application costs £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 Boston homes

Opening up the ground floor

Knocking through the old rear wall means steel beams to carry the first floor and roof above. The structural engineer sets the beam sizes, padstones and any posts, and we plan them early so the open-plan layout you want is the one that gets built.

Depth and neighbours' light

Councils check that a two-storey rear extension does not take too much light or outlook from neighbouring windows, and many use a 45-degree line drawn from the nearest habitable window. We test this at sketch stage, so the depth you are shown is one that can realistically be approved.

How we'd run your project

  1. Start at your house

    We come to your home in Boston, measure up, check the ground floor walls and roof structure, and note anything near the boundaries.

  2. Get it approved

    Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for Boston and deal with any questions from the planning officer.

  3. Fixed price in writing

    With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.

  4. Build and hand over

    We manage the build from groundworks to decoration-ready finish and hand over with the completion paperwork.

Questions about two-storey rear extensions in Boston

How much does a two-storey rear extension cost in Boston?

Our guide for the East Midlands, which covers Boston, is £1,960–£2,650 per m² including VAT. A typical project with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) comes to about £55,000–£74,000. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

Which postcodes do you cover around Boston?

We cover Boston (PE20, PE21 and PE22) and nearby places including Spalding, Sleaford and Skegness, plus the rest of Lincolnshire. The first site visit is free.

How long does a two-storey rear extension take?

Allow 4 to 8 weeks for survey and design, then the approval period (councils should decide householder applications within 8 weeks of validation), then 4 to 8 weeks of technical design, which can overlap. The build itself usually takes 14 to 20 weeks, longer for large or complex designs.

Will a two-storey rear extension block my neighbour's light?

It can if it is too deep or too close to the boundary, which is why councils look closely at its effect on neighbouring windows and gardens. We test the design against light and outlook early, keep the first floor shorter or set in where needed, and use a hipped roof to reduce bulk on the boundary side.

Can I have a balcony on a two-storey rear extension?

In England, balconies, verandas and raised platforms are not permitted development, so a balcony on a two-storey rear extension needs planning permission. A Juliet balcony, a guard rail across full-height doors with no platform to stand on, is often a practical alternative, but it still needs checking against the rules and the council's approach to overlooking.

Nearby

The same service in neighbouring towns:

Other extensions in Boston

All two-storey extension services in Boston · Two-storey rear extensions across Lincolnshire

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