Double Storey Extension Drawings in Camden
Fixed-fee, MCIAT-chartered double storey extension drawings for Camden homeowners — London Borough of Camden validation and local constraints handled from the start.
Camden is one of London's most heritage-dense and design-scrutinised boroughs: much of its housing sits within conservation areas such as Hampstead, Belsize, Primrose Hill, Fitzroy Square, Bloomsbury and Dartmouth Park, or is listed outright, and the council applies detailed control to rear extensions, dormers, materials and — above all — basements. The stock ranges from Georgian and early-Victorian townhouses and stucco-fronted terraces to Hampstead's Arts-and-Crafts housing, mansion blocks and the Victorian terraces of Kentish Town and Gospel Oak. In Hampstead, Belsize Park and Primrose Hill especially, applications reward drawings that respond precisely to the local townscape rather than a standard template.
Because near-borough-wide conservation coverage sits alongside a high density of listed buildings in Hampstead, Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia, permitted development cannot be assumed for roof alterations, front elevations or many rear works — a full householder application, and often listed-building consent, is usually needed. Camden also operates one of the most rigorous basement policies in London: any basement or lower-ground extension generally requires a Basement Impact Assessment addressing structural stability, drainage and groundwater. We take a validation-first approach, screening the conservation-area, listing and basement position for your exact address before a line is drawn, and coordinating the Basement Impact Assessment where a below-ground scheme is involved.
We prepare Camden planning and listed-building submissions to the council's validation and design standards across Camden Town, Kentish Town, West Hampstead and the wider borough, producing the same council-accepted drawings an architect would — usually at around 30% less. The fee is agreed up front and fixed, drawings typically turn around in about seven days, and we redraw free until Camden approves. Most householder applications are determined within the statutory eight-week period once validated, though basement, conservation and listed-building cases can attract additional consultation, so a complete, correctly scaled submission is the best defence against delay.
Planning in Camden: what to know before you apply
Camden operates one of the most rigorous basement policies in London: schemes involving a basement or lower-ground extension generally require a Basement Impact Assessment addressing structural stability, drainage and groundwater. Add near-borough-wide conservation coverage and a high proportion of listed buildings, and permitted development cannot be assumed — we confirm the exact constraints before drawing.
Typical Camden housing stock
Georgian and early-Victorian townhouses, Hampstead's historic and Arts-and-Crafts housing, stucco-fronted terraces and mansion blocks, and Victorian terraces across Kentish Town and Gospel Oak.
Areas we regularly draw for in Camden
Hampstead · Camden Town · Kentish Town · Belsize Park · Primrose Hill · Bloomsbury · Gospel Oak · West Hampstead
Double Storey Extension Drawings for Camden homes: the package and the process
Every double storey extension drawings we prepare for a Camden property is drawn to London Borough of Camden’s validation standards and tuned to the local 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 across Camden
Double Storey Extension Drawings in Camden — 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 a rear extension in Camden?+
What is a Basement Impact Assessment and will I need one in Camden?+
Can I make changes to a listed building in Camden?+
How long does Camden take to decide an application?+
How much do planning drawings cost in Camden?+
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Tell us your Camden address and ambition — we'll confirm feasibility, local constraints and a fixed fee within one working day.