Loft conversions and house extensions in Tooting
Design, planning drawings and planning applications for Tooting homes, from a dormer loft to a side return or rear extension.
- CouncilWandsworth
- PostcodeSW17
- We designDormer lofts, rear, side return and wraparound extensions
- FeesFixed, agreed before we start
Designing for Tooting homes
Much of Tooting is terraced houses, which suit the two projects that add the most space: a dormer loft on top and an extension at the back. Many of these can be built without full planning permission, which keeps the process quicker and simpler.
Our studio is in Clapham, a short trip down the Northern line. We survey your home, design around how you want to live in it, and prepare drawings that suit Wandsworth's requirements from the start. If you want us to, we submit the application or Lawful Development Certificate and deal with the council until a decision is made.
- Measured survey of your home
- Planning drawings: existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections
- Planning application or Lawful Development Certificate, submitted for you
- Photoreal 3D visuals, so you can see the space before you build
Loft conversions in Tooting
We design rear dormer and L-shaped dormer lofts, the two most common ways to add a bedroom and bathroom to a Tooting terrace. The L-shaped dormer runs across the main roof and over the back addition, which gives more usable floor space than a rear dormer alone.
On many houses, either can be built under permitted development, within size and design limits. We confirm this with a Lawful Development Certificate before building starts, so you have it in writing from the council.
of small-scale planning applications approved, including householder applications.
Source: MHCLG planning statistics, via PlanWatch.
Planning in Tooting
What you can build without full planning permission depends on where your home is. There are four situations to check.
- Most housesMany rear extensions and dormer lofts can be built under permitted development, confirmed with a Lawful Development Certificate
- FlatsEvery extension needs full planning permission, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's consent
- Conservation areasPermitted development rights are reduced, and a dormer loft needs full planning permission
- Article 4 estatesOn the Totterdown Fields and Heaver estates, roof changes and alterations visible from the street need planning permission
Source: Wandsworth Council, Article 4 directions. We check your address before any design work starts.
Tooting conservation areas
If your home is in one of Tooting's conservation areas, permitted development rights are reduced, and Wandsworth looks more closely at how your loft or extension fits the street. The Totterdown Fields and Heaver estates also have Article 4 directions, which bring roof changes under planning control.
- Totterdown Fields Estate (Article 4)
- Heaver Estate (Article 4)
- Mellison Road
Tooting questions
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Tooting?
Often not. On many Tooting houses, a rear dormer or L-shaped dormer can be built under permitted development, within size and design limits, and confirmed with a Lawful Development Certificate. You will need full planning permission if your home is a flat, is in a conservation area, or is on the Totterdown Fields or Heaver estates, where any change to the roof is controlled.
Do I need planning permission for a rear extension in Tooting?
It depends on the home. Many single-storey rear and side return extensions on houses can be built under permitted development, within size and design limits. Flats don't have these rights, so any extension to a flat needs full planning permission. We check which route applies before any design work starts.
What does the Article 4 direction mean on the Totterdown Fields and Heaver estates?
It brings work that would normally be permitted development under planning control. On both estates that includes changes to the roof, external alterations visible from the street (including replacement windows and doors), front porches, hard surfacing in front gardens, and front walls, fences and gates. On the Heaver Estate it also covers painting the outside walls.
Is it hard to get planning permission in Wandsworth?
Wandsworth approves most applications. In 2025 it approved 91% of small-scale applications, which include householder applications. A clear, well-prepared application still matters, especially in conservation areas, where the council looks more closely at how a design fits the street.
How much do planning drawings cost in Tooting?
It depends on your property, the type of project and how much support you need. Every package is fixed-fee, so you know the full price before we start. Our design cost calculator gives you an instant quote.
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