Better HomesUpdated 30 October 2026 · London price list
London renovation prices 2026
In London in 2026, a finished 20 m² rear extension costs about £101,000 all-in, a rear dormer loft £80,000, a mid-range fitted kitchen £25,500 and a family bathroom £13,900. A whole-house refurbishment runs about £1,330 per m². These include design, fees, contingency and VAT.
Rear extension, 20 m²
£101,000
finished, all-in
Side return, 10 m²
£64,500
finished, all-in
Rear dormer loft, 25 m²
£80,000
all-in
Mansard loft, 32 m²
£116,000
all-in
Mid-range kitchen
£25,500
fitted, 12 m²
Family bathroom
£13,900
mid-range, 5.5 m²
Refurbishment
£1,330/m²
whole house
Planning fee
£548
householder, England
How to read these prices
Every London figure on this page is the full cost of the project, not the builder's headline. That means design, engineer, building control, planning, party wall, a contingency and 20% VAT, for an outer London (zone 3) home.
Most price guides quote the build alone, before VAT, for the UK as a whole. That's useful, but it isn't what you'll pay in Walthamstow or Hackney. A London rear extension that a national guide prices at £48,000 ends up nearer £101,000 once London rates, fees, contingency and VAT are in. The national vs London table shows the sum line by line.
The London figures come from the 2026 price book behind our cost calculators, which we keep in line with the prices we quote. Next to them you'll see what the biggest national publishers say, linked so you can check them yourself.
House extension prices in London
A finished single-storey rear extension costs about £5,000 to £5,400 per m² all-in in London. Smaller jobs cost more per m², because the fees and steelwork don't shrink with the room.
| Project | New floor | Typical all-in | Likely range | Per m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side return | 10 m² | £64,500 | £59,000–£74,500 | £6,450 |
| Rear extension, 3 m deep | 13.5 m² | £72,500 | £66,000–£84,000 | £5,370 |
| Rear extension | 20 m² | £101,000 | £92,500–£117,000 | £5,070 |
| Rear extension | 30 m² | £136,000 | £124,000–£157,000 | £4,530 |
| Wraparound | 25 m² | £131,000 | £120,000–£151,000 | £5,240 |
| Double storey | 40 m² | £154,000 | £141,000–£178,000 | £3,850 |
| Add a new mid-range kitchen | +£21,000 to £22,000 |
| Source | Single storey | Side return | Double storey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkatrade | £1,800–£3,000/m²; 20 m² average £48,000 | £1,500–£4,500/m² (Checkatrade side return guide) | £108,000–£180,000 for 60 m² |
| Homebuilding & Renovating | £2,200–£3,300/m² | £2,800–£3,800/m² | £2,000–£3,200/m² |
| HomeOwners Alliance | £2,300–£3,400/m² in London | From £1,900/m² |
Homebuilding & Renovating adds 25 to 35% for London and the South East (20 to 25% for side returns). Our build cost for a 20 m² rear extension works out at £3,371 per m² before VAT and fees, inside that adjusted range.
Loft conversion prices in London
Budget £50,000 for a Velux loft and £80,000 to £116,000 for a dormer, hip-to-gable or mansard, all-in. The roof you start with decides which of those you can build.
| Loft type | New floor | Typical all-in | Likely range | Weeks on site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velux (rooflight) | 22 m² | £50,000 | £45,000–£58,000 | 6–8 |
| Rear dormer | 25 m² | £80,000 | £72,000–£93,000 | 8–10 |
| Hip-to-gable (semi) | 30 m² | £88,000 | £79,000–£102,000 | 9–11 |
| L-shaped dormer | 32 m² | £95,000 | £85,500–£110,000 | 10–12 |
| Mansard | 32 m² | £116,000 | £104,000–£134,000 | 12–16 |
| Add an en-suite | +£12,500 |
| Source | Velux | Dormer | Hip-to-gable | Mansard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkatrade | £27,500 | £50,000 | £60,000 | £65,000 |
| Homebuilding & Renovating | £30,000–£45,000 | £45,000–£75,000 | £55,000–£85,000 | £70,000–£120,000+ |
Checkatrade's figures are for 30 m² and say London homeowners should expect the upper end of each range. Its own breakdown of a £50,000 dormer includes £6,000 of steelwork and £4,750 of scaffolding.
Kitchen prices in London
A fitted mid-range kitchen costs about £25,500 in London. The range you choose moves the price more than anything else: £17,400 for flat-pack, £55,000 for bespoke.
| Kitchen range | Typical all-in | Likely range |
|---|---|---|
| Value (IKEA and flat-pack, laminate worktops) | £17,400 | £15,100–£20,500 |
| Mid-range (Howdens, Wren, Magnet, quartz) | £25,500 | £22,000–£30,000 |
| Premium (German and high-end British) | £37,000 | £32,500–£44,000 |
| Bespoke, hand-painted | £55,000 | £47,500–£64,500 |
| Source | Figure |
|---|---|
| Checkatrade | New kitchen average £10,550 (£5,250 small to £28,400 large) |
| Checkatrade | Bespoke kitchen £20,000–£75,000, average £47,500 |
| Checkatrade | Fitting an average family kitchen £2,000–£6,000; fitter £280–£360 a day |
| Homebuilding & Renovating | New kitchen £10,000–£15,000; basic £8,000; high-end £25,000+ |
Bathroom prices in London
A family bathroom with mid-range products costs about £13,900 all-in in London, keeping the layout. Labour is most of it.
| Room | Typical size | Essential products | Mid-range products | Premium products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloakroom | 2.5 m² | £5,100 | £6,200 | £8,400 |
| En-suite | 4 m² | £9,100 | £12,000 | £17,700 |
| Family bathroom | 5.5 m² | £10,800 | £13,900 | £20,000 |
| Wet room | 5 m² | £13,200 | £16,800 | £24,000 |
| Source | Figure |
|---|---|
| Checkatrade | Renovation with materials £5,500–£8,000, average £7,000; high end £14,000+ |
| Homebuilding & Renovating | Bathroom £5,000–£7,500; en-suite £4,000–£6,000 |
Whole-house renovation prices in London
Renovating a London house costs about £566 per m² for a cosmetic refresh, £1,330 for a mid-range refurbishment and £2,600 for a full renovation, all-in. On a 100 m² three-bed terrace, that's £56,500 to £260,000.
| Level | What's included | Typical all-in | Per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | Decoration and new floors | £56,500 | £566 |
| Mid-range refurbishment | New kitchen and bathroom, rewire, heating, plastering, decoration | £133,000 | £1,330 |
| Full renovation | Everything above plus replumbing and new doors throughout | £260,000 | £2,600 |
| Back to brick | Strip to the shell and rebuild inside, with damp and repairs | £346,000 | £3,460 |
Item by item: Homebuilding & Renovating's 2026 figures
| Job | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Full renovation, three-bed semi | £70,000–£110,000 |
| Rewiring | £4,000–£6,500 |
| New heating system | £5,000–£7,000 |
| Replastering | £4,500–£7,000 |
| New windows, uPVC | £6,000–£8,000 |
| New windows, aluminium or timber | £9,000–£14,000 |
| New main roof | £8,000–£12,000, plus £1,500–£3,000 scaffolding |
| Flooring | £4,000–£6,500 |
| Damp proofing | £2,000–£5,000 |
| Painting and decorating | £3,000–£5,000 |
Source: Homebuilding & Renovating. With a 30% London premium and VAT, their full-renovation range becomes about £109,000 to £172,000, which brackets our £133,000 refurbishment.
Basement and cellar prices
A new basement under a London terrace costs about £207,000 all-in for 30 m², or £6,900 per m². Converting a cellar you already have costs far less: £1,000 to £2,200 per m² nationally, before VAT.
| New floor | Typical all-in | Likely range | Per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 m² | £154,000 | £140,000–£180,000 | £7,680 |
| 30 m² | £207,000 | £188,000–£242,000 | £6,900 |
| 40 m² | £270,000 | £246,000–£316,000 | £6,760 |
| Work | Homebuilding & Renovating | Checkatrade |
|---|---|---|
| Convert an existing cellar | £1,275–£1,600/m² | £1,000–£2,200/m², average £1,600 (plus VAT) |
| Lower the floor and reinforce | £1,650–£2,250/m² | |
| Underpin and dig a new basement | £2,250–£4,250/m² | £1,920–£3,680/m², average £2,800 (plus VAT) |
| New basement under the garden | £1,950–£2,500/m² | |
| Lightwell or external access | £6,100–£10,500 | |
| Typical 40 m² basement | £100,000–£160,000 |
Sources: Homebuilding & Renovating, Checkatrade, Checkatrade. Our build cost works out at about £4,200 per m² before VAT and fees, inside the national new-basement range once you add 25 to 35% for London. Basements also need party wall awards with both neighbours, structural design and often a construction management plan, so we fix every basement price after a survey; see how we work.
Day rates and smaller jobs
Trades charge about £235 to £400 a day on national averages, from a decorator to an electrician. Expect more in London.
| Trade or job | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician | £400 a day | Homebuilding & Renovating |
| Plumber | £350 a day | Homebuilding & Renovating |
| Tiler | £300 a day | Homebuilding & Renovating |
| Decorator | £235 a day | Homebuilding & Renovating |
| Kitchen fitter | £280–£360 a day | Checkatrade |
| New gas combi boiler, fitted | £3,000 average | Checkatrade |
| Wet underfloor heating in a renovation | £95–£110 per m² | Checkatrade |
| Bathroom wall tiling | £950–£1,250 | Checkatrade |
| Skip hire for a kitchen strip-out | £200–£250 a week | Checkatrade |
Homebuilding & Renovating quotes the day rates from Checkatrade. These are national averages: expect the top of each range, or above it, in inner London.
Professional and council fees in 2026
Fees add £6,000 to £11,000 to a typical extension or loft before VAT. The council's householder planning fee is £548 from 1 April 2026.
| Fee | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Householder planning application (England) | £548 | Planning Portal |
| Lawful development certificate, proposed | £274 (half the householder fee) | Planning Portal |
| Building control, extension | £600–£1,200 | Homebuilding & Renovating |
| Architect, planning drawings, single storey | £1,000–£2,500 | Checkatrade |
| Architect, building regs drawings, single storey | £3,000–£5,000 | Checkatrade |
| Structural engineer | £750–£2,500 | Homebuilding & Renovating |
| Party wall award, loft | £1,575 | Checkatrade |
| Party wall award, extension | £2,025 | Checkatrade |
| Party wall award, basement | £3,375 | Checkatrade |
Planning fees in England rose 3.8% on 1 April 2026 and are due to rise again from 8 December 2026, once the legislation is approved, so that councils recover at least 90% of their costs (Planning Portal). Some guides still quote the old £258 fee.
From a national average to a London quote
A national average and a London quote can both be right and still be £50,000 apart. Here's where the gap comes from.
| Project | UK average (Checkatrade, before VAT) | Plus 30% for London | Our London build cost (before VAT and fees) | Our London all-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear extension, 20 m² | £48,000 | £62,400 | £67,420 | £101,000 |
| Dormer loft, 30 m² | £50,000 | £65,000 | £58,200 | £89,000 |
| Mid-range kitchen | £10,550 | £13,700 | £19,260 | £25,500 |
| Family bathroom | £7,000 | £9,100 | £10,740 | £13,900 |
The first two columns are the market. The third is what we'd charge to build it in London before VAT, and it lands close to the national figure plus a London premium. The last column is what you actually pay, once the architect, engineer, building control, party wall surveyors, a 10% contingency and VAT are added.
Our kitchen and bathroom figures sit higher than the adjusted national ones because they include things national averages leave out: quartz worktops, strip-out, electrics, flooring and making good. When you compare quotes, compare the last column.
Where London building prices are heading
Up, but slowly. Tender prices rose 3.2% in the year to mid-2026, and BCIS expects about 15.5% over the next five years.
| Indicator | Latest figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BCIS All-in Tender Price Index, annual change | +3.2% (Q2 2026) | BCIS five-year forecast |
| BCIS General Building Cost Index, annual change | +3.8% (Q2 2026) | BCIS five-year forecast |
| BCIS tender price forecast, rest of 2026 | +2.9% | BCIS five-year forecast |
| BCIS tender price forecast, five years to Q2 2031 | +15.5% | BCIS five-year forecast |
| Repair and maintenance output, three months to August 2026 | −0.3% | ONS |
| Householder planning fee | +3.8% on 1 April 2026; rising again 8 December 2026 | Planning Portal |
What this means for you: a quote you get today will probably cost 3% more if you wait a year. Building costs are rising faster than tender prices because builders are absorbing some of it while work is quiet. BCIS expects more of that to reach clients later. If your plans are ready, a quiet market is a good time to get fixed prices.
What adds value
A loft or extension that adds a double bedroom and a bathroom can add up to 24% to a three-bed home, according to Nationwide.
| Change | Added value |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom and bathroom on a three-bed, one-bath house | Up to 24% |
| Extra double bedroom on a two-bed house | Up to 13% |
| 10% more floor space | About 5% |
Source: Nationwide research via The Intermediary (October 2025). These are upper bounds, not promises. On a £650,000 terrace, 5% more value for 10% more floor is about £32,500, so plan for the space and the layout, not the profit. Our guide to what adds value has the detail.
How we put this together
The London prices come from the Better Homes 2026 price book, the same one behind our calculators. Each figure assumes an outer London (zone 3) terraced house, a standard finish, access through the house and the professional fees a project of that size needs. Ranges show a sensible low and high for the same scope, not best and worst cases.
The national figures were read directly from each publisher on 30 October 2026, with the date they show. We've kept their numbers as published and said where they exclude VAT. We update this page when our price book or a major source changes.
Better Homes has built London homes for 12+ years, with a 5.0 rating on Houzz. Every price here is a planning figure: your quote will be fixed once a survey and drawings are done.
Better Homes (2026). London renovation prices 2026. https://bhstudio.co.uk/prices. Updated 30 October 2026.
London renovation price FAQs
How much does a house extension cost in London in 2026?
About £101,000 all-in for a finished 20 m² single-storey rear extension in outer London, including design, fees, party wall, a 10% contingency and VAT. A 3 m deep rear extension of 13.5 m² is about £72,500, and a 10 m² side return about £64,500.
What is the cost per square metre to extend a house in London?
About £3,370 per m² to build a finished single-storey rear extension before VAT and fees, or £5,000 to £5,400 per m² all-in. National guides quote £1,800 to £3,300 per m² before VAT, and Homebuilding & Renovating adds 25 to 35% for London.
How much does a loft conversion cost in London?
About £50,000 for a Velux loft, £80,000 for a rear dormer, £88,000 for a hip-to-gable and £116,000 for a mansard, all-in for a standard finish in outer London.
How much does a new kitchen cost in London?
About £25,500 fitted for a 12 m² mid-range kitchen such as Howdens with quartz worktops, including electrics, flooring, contingency and VAT. Flat-pack is about £17,400 and bespoke about £55,000.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in London?
About £13,900 all-in for a 5.5 m² family bathroom with mid-range products, keeping the layout. A cloakroom is about £6,200, an en-suite £12,000 and a wet room £16,800.
How much does it cost to renovate a house in London per m²?
About £566 per m² for a cosmetic refresh, £1,330 per m² for a mid-range refurbishment with a new kitchen and bathroom, and £2,600 per m² for a full renovation with rewiring, replumbing, new heating and replastering, all-in.
How much more expensive is building work in London?
Homebuilding & Renovating puts the London and South East premium at 25 to 35% for extensions. Within London, the same loft costs about 19% more in zone 1 than in zones 5 to 6.
How much does a basement cost in London?
About £207,000 all-in for a new 30 m² basement dug under an outer London terrace, or £6,900 per m², including fees, contingency and VAT. Converting an existing cellar costs much less.
Are building costs still rising in 2026?
Yes, slowly. BCIS recorded tender prices up 3.2% in the year to the second quarter of 2026 and building costs up 3.8%. It forecasts tender prices up 15.5% over the five years to 2031.
Sources
- Checkatrade, house extension costs (June 2026)
- Checkatrade, loft conversion costs (March 2026)
- Checkatrade, new kitchen costs (March 2026)
- Checkatrade, bespoke kitchen costs (October 2026)
- Checkatrade, kitchen fitting costs (October 2026)
- Checkatrade, new bathroom costs (March 2026)
- Checkatrade, side return extension costs (September 2026)
- Checkatrade, cellar conversion costs (October 2026)
- Checkatrade, new boiler costs (October 2026)
- Checkatrade, underfloor heating costs (June 2026)
- Checkatrade, party wall surveyor costs (June 2026)
- Checkatrade, architect fees (January 2025)
- Homebuilding & Renovating, extension costs (February 2026)
- Homebuilding & Renovating, loft conversion costs (July 2026)
- Homebuilding & Renovating, house renovation costs (September 2026)
- Homebuilding & Renovating, basement conversion costs (January 2026)
- HomeOwners Alliance, house extension costs (2026)
- BCIS five-year forecast, via Specification Online (30 June 2026)
- ONS, construction output in Great Britain, August 2026 (15 October 2026)
- Planning Portal, fees rise 1 April 2026
- Planning Portal, fees rise 8 December 2026
- Nationwide research via The Intermediary (October 2025)
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