Double Storey Extension Drawings in Barnes SW13
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Barnes (SW13) homeowners — London Borough of Richmond upon Thames validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Barnes (SW13) is an unusually intact riverside village in Richmond, and it is heavily conservation-controlled: four conservation areas — Barnes Common, Barnes Green, Castelnau and Madrid Road — cover most of the housing. Whether a property sits inside one of those boundaries, and often it does, is the single biggest factor in how an extension, loft or elevation change is designed and assessed.
The Thames wraps the neighbourhood on two sides, so riverside houses along Lonsdale Road and the Terrace also carry flood-zone considerations, and Barnes Common is protected metropolitan open land. We map a Barnes property against the conservation, flood-zone and open-land boundaries first, then design the drawings to Richmond's residential and conservation guidance so the application is validated without a query.
Planning in Barnes (SW13): what to know before you apply
SW13 has no householder Article 4 direction, but its four conservation areas mean permitted development cannot be assumed across most of Barnes, and riverside properties along Lonsdale Road sit within the Thames flood zone — both are checked before we recommend a route.
Typical Barnes housing stock
Victorian and Edwardian terraces and cottages around Barnes Green and the village, the grand Italianate semi-detached villas along Castelnau toward Hammersmith Bridge, and riverside houses fronting the Thames on Lonsdale Road.
Streets we regularly draw for in Barnes
Church Road · Castelnau · White Hart Lane · Lonsdale Road
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Barnes (SW13) homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for an Barnes property is drawn to London Borough of Richmond upon Thames’s validation standards and tuned to the SW13 constraints above. Here is what the drawing package covers and how the process runs from first survey to approval.
A double storey extension builds a second floor above a single-storey side or rear addition, typically adding a bedroom and bathroom upstairs over a widened kitchen or reception room below. Because the foundations and roof of a single-storey extension already carry most of the fixed cost of building, adding a floor on top is often the most cost-effective way to gain two rooms rather than two separate projects. The trade-off is scrutiny: a two-storey addition sits closer to eye level with neighbouring windows and gardens, so councils examine massing, roofline and boundary distance more closely than they would a single-storey extension.
DrawingsDirect draws double storey side and rear extensions for full planning and building regulations, with structural calculations for the additional floor load and foundations produced in-house by our MCIAT-chartered team, on a fixed fee. If a single storey is enough, see our Rear Extension and Side Return Extension pages, or combine both with a Wraparound if you are extending sideways as well as up.
Do I need planning permission for a double storey extension in London?
Almost always. Permitted development rights for two-storey extensions are far more restrictive than for single-storey work, particularly on how close the new structure can come to a boundary and how closely its roof pitch and eaves height must match the existing house, so most double storey projects are drawn and submitted as full householder planning applications rather than relying on permitted development.
Where the property sits in a conservation area or is subject to an Article 4 direction, any remaining permitted development allowance for a second storey is typically removed entirely, reinforcing the need for a full application. We check your property's status and your borough's design guidance before drawing.
How do councils control the impact of a double storey extension on neighbours?
Because a second storey introduces new windows and massing at first-floor level, London boroughs apply design guidance aimed specifically at protecting neighbouring light, privacy and outlook.
- The 45-degree rule, tested at neighbouring windows, to check the extension does not block an unreasonable amount of daylight
- A common design expectation that a two-storey side extension is set in roughly 1 metre from the shared boundary, rather than built hard against it
- A first floor commonly set back from the ground floor front elevation, so the upper storey reads as subordinate to the main house from the street
- Obscure or high-level glazing on flank walls facing directly into a neighbour's garden or windows, to limit overlooking
| Option | What it adds | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension | A ground-floor kitchen-diner only, may qualify for permitted development | see Rear Extension Drawings, from £1,100 |
| Double storey side or rear extension | Two rooms across two floors, usually needs full planning | Full Planning pack ~£1,600–£2,400 |
| Double storey + Building Regulations (structural) | Combined pack including structural calculations for two-floor loads and foundations | Planning + Building Regs pack ~£2,200–£3,850 |
| Wraparound (rear + side return) | Combines two single-storey extensions into one L-shaped ground floor | see Wraparound Extension Drawings, from £2,200 |
Double Storey Extension Drawings in Barnes SW13 — FAQs
How much does a double storey extension cost to design in London?+
Do I need planning permission to add a second storey?+
Will a double storey extension overlook my neighbour's garden?+
Do I need an architect for a double storey extension?+
How long does it take to get double storey extension drawings?+
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Richmond?+
My Richmond home is near the river — does flood risk affect my application?+
What does Richmond's Article 4 coverage mean in practice?+
How long does Richmond Council take to decide?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Richmond?+
Get your free Barnes planning assessment
Tell us your Barnes (SW13) address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.