Cheam · Greater London

Two-storey wraparound extensions in Cheam

Adding a two-storey wraparound extension in Cheam gives you two new rooms stacked on one footprint. Here's how we'd approach it, what it typically costs and the rules that apply in England.

Quick reference for homeowners in Cheam.

Postcode districts
SM3
County / area
Greater London, England
Price region
London
Guide price
£144,500–£198,000 (£2,580–£3,540 per m²)
Approval route
Planning permission is needed: the side part takes it outside permitted development in England.
Nearest towns
Sutton (1.2 miles), Ewell (1.5 miles), Belmont (Greater London) (1.5 miles)
First visit
Free, no obligation

About a two-storey wraparound extension

A two-storey wraparound extension is an L-shaped addition that extends both the side and the rear of your house, on two floors. It gives one of the largest gains in floor space of any extension, typically a big open-plan kitchen and living area below and two or more bedrooms or bathrooms above. In England it needs planning permission, because the side part is more than one storey.

Around Cheam we also work in Sutton, Ewell and Belmont (Greater London), and across the rest of Greater London. Postcode district in and near Cheam: SM3.

What it costs in Cheam

For budgeting in Cheam, allow around £144,500–£198,000 for a two-storey wraparound extension with an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). That's based on £2,580–£3,540 per m² including VAT for London. Steelwork for wide openings is the item most likely to move the figure; we'll know once the engineer has designed it.

SpecPer m²An L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space)
Essential£2,370–£3,260 per m²£133,000–£182,500
Standard£2,580–£3,540 per m²£144,500–£198,000
Premium£3,100–£4,250 per m²£173,500–£238,000

Planning and building regulations in Cheam

In England, a two-storey wraparound extension needs householder planning permission, because any extension beyond a side wall must be single storey to be permitted development. The application costs £548 (or £575 for applications made from 8 December 2026). Councils weigh the side part against the street scene and the rear part against neighbours' light and outlook, and should decide within 8 weeks of validation.

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 Cheam homes

Daylight to the middle

A deep L-shaped plan can leave the middle of the ground floor dark, because the old rear rooms are now enclosed. We use wide rear openings, a well-placed stair and, where part of the extension is single storey, roof lights, while keeping total glazing within the Part L allowance.

Two roofs that meet

A wraparound needs the side roof and rear roof to join cleanly, often with a valley or hip where they meet. Getting pitches and ridge heights right keeps rainwater moving and avoids a bulky mass at the back corner, which neighbours and planners notice.

How we'd run your project

  1. Free site visit

    We visit your home in Cheam, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.

  2. Design and approvals

    We draw the extension and check it against the rules for England, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.

  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

    Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Questions about two-storey wraparound extensions in Cheam

How much does a two-storey wraparound extension cost in Cheam?

Our guide for London, which covers Cheam, is £2,580–£3,540 per m² including VAT. A typical project with an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space) comes to about £144,500–£198,000. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.

How long does a two-storey wraparound 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.

Who handles building regulations for a project in Cheam?

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.

Does a wraparound extension need steel?

Almost always. Opening the corner of the house and the old rear wall to make one open-plan space means steel beams, and often a steel post or frame at the outside corner. The structural engineer sizes these, and the steel is ordered once the design is fixed, which is one reason a wraparound needs careful sequencing.

Is a wraparound extension better than separate side and rear extensions?

Building both at once usually costs less than two separate projects, because you pay for one set-up, one scaffold, one roof junction and one set of approvals. It also lets the layout be designed as a whole. The trade-off is a larger single outlay and a longer build, often 16 to 24 weeks at this size.

Nearby

The same service in neighbouring towns:

Other extensions in Cheam

All two-storey extension services in Cheam · Two-storey wraparound extensions across Greater London

Book a free site visit in Cheam and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.

CallGuide price