North London·N1 · N5 · EC1V

House Extensions · Islington

House extensions in Islington — designed, engineered and built by RCB.

Single-storey rear, side-return, wrap-around and double-storey extensions — full design, structural engineering, planning and build under one roof. Trusted by homeowners across Islington and the wider North London area.

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House Extensions specialists serving Islington

RCB Design & Build is an Checkatrade-accredited, TrustATrader-endorsed principal contractor based at 347 Barking Road in East London. We deliver house extension projects across Islington and the surrounding North London catchment — covering everything from initial feasibility through to final sign-off, under one contract, with one accountable team.

Islington is a dense inner-north London borough with one of the highest concentrations of period Georgian and Victorian townhouses in the capital, many subject to conservation area and Article 4 constraints. Georgian townhouses and Regency terraces in Canonbury and Barnsbury. Victorian stock across Highbury and Finsbury Park. Significant conservation area coverage — pre-application planning advice is standard for most extension or alteration projects. That mix of housing styles is exactly the kind of stock our team has been working on for more than 20 years — we know what is structurally possible, what planning will actually approve, and where surprise costs typically appear.

Why Islington homeowners choose RCB for house extension projects

Most local builders we meet on rescue jobs share the same pattern: a low headline price, a partial scope, no proper structural engineering input, and stage payments that aren’t tied to defined deliverables. We do the opposite. Every project starts with a written scope, a fully costed schedule of works, a structural design from a qualified engineer, and a programme you can hold us to.

For house extension work in Islington specifically: Approx 25–35 minutes from our East London base via the A10 or City route. That short travel time means a senior member of our team is on site quickly when decisions need making, not booked in for the following week.

Indicative house extension costs in Islington

Pricing always depends on size, specification, structural complexity and condition of the existing property — but for genuine planning purposes, the ranges below are honest starting points.

From

£40,000

Typical range

£75,000£180,000

Up to

£250,000+

A 25–30 m² single-storey rear extension with reasonable specification typically sits in the £75,000–£140,000 range. Larger wrap-arounds, structural steel-heavy schemes and high-specification glazing push beyond that. We give you an honest range at survey, not a low headline number that creeps later.

Islington commands premium London pricing. Conservation-area requirements, basement extensions, and high-specification interior expectations are common — RCB has the design-and-build experience to navigate all three. For a written, area-specific estimate based on your actual property and brief, the next step is a free project review.

What’s included in a house extension project with RCB

Free initial project review
Architectural drawings tailored to your layout
Structural engineering and steel design
Planning permission or Lawful Development Certificate
Building Regulations submission and inspection management
Groundworks, foundations and structural shell
Glazing, roofing, insulation and internal fit-out
Final decoration, snagging and handover

Working in Islington: what to expect from us

Our team operates across N1, N5, EC1V and the immediately surrounding postcodes including Highbury, Finsbury Park, Angel, Canonbury, Barnsbury. We handle parking permits, skip licences, party wall coordination and neighbour notification as part of the standard contract — those are project costs we own, not items you discover halfway through.

Where conservation-area, listed-building or Article 4 restrictions apply locally, we factor heritage compliance into the design from day one. Where the local council has known quirks — particular pre-app processes, validation requirements or favoured materials — we use them to your advantage rather than discover them after a refusal.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a house extension cost per square metre?

Realistic mid-spec rates currently run from around £2,800–£3,800 per m² for single-storey work and £2,400–£3,200 per m² for double-storey, before glazing and specification uplifts. Anyone quoting much lower is almost always missing scope.

How long does an extension take?

Typical single-storey rear extensions complete in 12–18 weeks on site. Larger wrap-arounds and double-storey schemes run 18–28 weeks. We give you a written programme before signing.

Will I need to move out?

In most cases no — we install temporary kitchens where needed and stage the work to keep at least one bathroom and the upstairs in use throughout.

Do you handle the planning side as well?

Yes. We can run architectural drawings, planning submissions, structural calcs and Building Regulations as a single integrated package. You speak to one team end-to-end.

Trusted. Accredited. Verified.

Independently vetted and reviewed by real clients

Checkatrade

114 Reviews · 9.96/10

TrustATrader

Trusted Trader Listed

CHAS

Health & Safety Accredited

Constructionline

Verified Contractor

Fully Insured

Public & Employer Liability

CSCS

Certified Site Workers

Planning a house extension in Islington?

Send us your address, your timeline and the basics of your idea. We will respond within one working day with an honest assessment, a sensible cost range and the next step that makes sense for your project.

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