Builders in Earls Court — Renovations, Extensions and Conversions SW5
Construction and Renovation in Earls Court
Dominant Construction is an FMB-registered building contractor, delivering residential renovation, extension, and conversion projects across Earls Court and Prime Central London since 2014. We handle the full scope of the build — structural alterations, planning liaison with the borough, specialist trades coordination, and finishing — working directly with homeowners, property investors, and architects across SW5.
Our work in Earls Court covers whole-house renovation and structural remodelling, rear and side extensions, basement construction and tanking, loft and roof-space conversions, structural steelwork and RSJ installation, underpinning, bespoke joinery, and the careful restoration of Victorian architectural detailing throughout.
House Renovations in Earls Court
Earls Court's residential character sits between the larger period houses of Kensington to the north and the lower-rise streets of West Brompton to the south. The typical property along Trebovir Road, Penywern Road, or Longridge Road is a four- or five-storey Victorian house — often previously converted into flats and now being returned to single-dwelling use, or renovated as a high-specification rental or owner-occupied property. Properties around Earl's Court Square and Philbeach Gardens carry additional heritage weight as garden square buildings within conservation areas.
A renovation here starts with the survey: understanding what has been altered over the decades, what structural work is required, and what the borough's conservation officers will expect to see retained or reinstated. Where period features survive — original cornicing, ceiling roses, timber staircases, tiled hallways — we restore rather than replace, matching materials and methods to the original build.
On full renovations we manage every stage from strip-out through handover: structural steelwork and alterations, new layouts, kitchens and bathrooms, rewiring and replumbing, heating systems, plastering, bespoke joinery, decorating, and snagging.
What Does a Home Renovation Cost in Earls Court?
Renovation costs across SW5 reflect both the scale of the properties and the heritage requirements of working within conservation areas. A cosmetic refresh with no structural change generally starts from £36,000. A full house renovation — rewiring, replumbing, new kitchens and bathrooms, and bespoke joinery — typically runs £175,000 to £450,000, increasing where basement work, flat-to-house reconversion, or listed building consent is involved.
Renovation type
Kitchen renovation
Quotes include design and planning fees, construction and labour, materials, and permit or inspection costs tied to the borough's requirements. Victorian properties in Earls Court frequently reveal earlier alterations, removed chimney breasts, or inadequate previous conversion work once strip-out begins — every estimate carries contingency for this.
House Extensions in Earls Court
Extending in Earls Court depends heavily on the property type. The tall Victorian houses that line most streets leave limited room at the rear compared to the wider terraces further into Kensington, but the garden square properties around Earl's Court Square and Nevern Square sometimes have more generous plots. All extensions within the borough's conservation areas need full planning permission and have to work with the existing building's proportions, materials, and detailing.
Popular Types of House Extensions
Rear extensions — the most common approach, extending the ground floor into the rear garden. On taller Earls Court houses, this is often combined with a full lower-ground renovation to create a connected kitchen-dining-living space.
Side return extensions — infilling the narrow side passage where one exists, typically on end-of-terrace or corner properties. Less common in Earls Court than in areas with conventional two-storey terracing.
Wraparound extensions — combining rear and side return in one scheme. Suited to the larger corner plots and detached or semi-detached properties closer to Edwardes Square.
Double-storey extensions — extending at both ground and lower-ground (or ground and first floor). These face detailed scrutiny from the borough's conservation team, particularly where they affect the rear elevation visible from a garden square.
Extension Cost Factors in Earls Court
The factors that set extension cost in Earls Court include:
- Size, layout, and structural complexity
- Extension type — rear, side return, wraparound, or double-storey
- Materials and finishes — stock brick matching, glazing specification, roofing
- Full planning permission requirements (standard in SW5's conservation areas)
- Listed Building Consent, where the property is listed
- Access constraints — many Earls Court streets have limited parking and narrow rear access through the property itself
Rear extensions in Earls Court typically run £95,000 to £240,000; side return conversions from £58,000 to £118,000; wraparound extensions £150,000 to £340,000; double-storey extensions £210,000 to £430,000.
Loft Conversions in Earls Court
The tall Victorian houses that characterise Earls Court often have substantial roof spaces — particularly the five-storey properties along Warwick Road and Earls Court Road. Because virtually all of SW5 falls within a conservation area, any change to the roofline requires full planning permission from the borough, and listed properties need Listed Building Consent as well.
Loft Conversion Types Suited to Earls Court Properties
Mansard conversion — well-suited to Earls Court's taller properties where a rear mansard preserves the street elevation while adding a full additional floor at the top of the house.
Dormer conversion — the standard approach for properties where a full mansard is not needed or not permitted, adding headroom and usable space across the rear roof slope.
L-shaped dormer — combines rear and side elements for maximum floor area, suited to properties with a rear return or addition at roof level.
Roof light (Velux) conversion — the least disruptive option, suited where existing roof-space headroom is already adequate and no roofline changes are required.
Loft Conversion Costs in Earls Court
Conversion Type
Costs reflect the conservation area planning requirements across SW5, the specification expected on these properties, and the access challenges of working at roof level on Earls Court's taller buildings.
Basement Conversions in Earls Court
Earls Court's Victorian houses frequently have existing lower-ground floors or cellars that can be converted into usable living space — home cinemas, wine rooms, home offices, or additional reception rooms — without altering the property's external appearance.
Basement Conversion Costs in Earls Court
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea limits basement excavation to a single storey beneath the original building footprint, with garden excavation capped at 50 per cent of the garden area. Full planning permission and a structural impact assessment are required — permitted development does not apply to basement work in the borough.
Project Type
Cost is driven by excavation depth and underpinning method, waterproofing system — typically Type C cavity drain tanking to BS 8102 — ventilation and light well design, structural complexity including party wall agreements, and the specification of finishes.
Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings and Planning
Earls Court sits squarely within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's conservation framework. The conservation areas covering SW5 and the immediately surrounding streets include Earl's Court Square, Nevern Square, Philbeach, Courtfield, Lexham, and Edwardes Square/Scarsdale, with the Boltons and Brompton Cemetery designations nearby. The borough has 38 conservation areas in total, covering approximately 70 per cent of its land area, and over 4,000 listed and locally listed buildings.
- Full planning permission is required for external alterations, extensions, roofline changes, and basement work
- Listed Building Consent is needed where the property is listed — covering internal alterations in many cases as well as external
- The borough's basement policy limits new excavation to a single storey below the building footprint, with garden excavation capped at 50 per cent
- Pre-application advice starts from £559 for householder applications
- Article 4 directions remove certain permitted development rights across parts of the borough
We manage planning liaison as part of the project, working with the architect where one is appointed — identifying what the borough is likely to approve before a design develops further than it needs to.
Working With Architects and Property Investors
We work regularly as main contractor within architect-led residential projects across Earls Court. For architects, that means a building team that interprets detailed drawings, coordinates specialist trades, and raises questions about buildability and specification before they become problems on site. For property investors — including those converting previously subdivided Victorian houses back to single dwellings — the focus is on programme certainty, cost discipline, and delivering a finished property at the specification the SW5 market expects.
Larger projects are administered under JCT contracts, providing a recognised framework for scope, payments, variations, and programme management.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need planning permission for renovation work in Earls Court?
Purely internal renovations of non-listed buildings generally do not require planning permission, though Building Regulations always apply. Any external alteration will almost certainly require a full planning application given that most of SW5 sits within one of the borough's conservation areas. Listed buildings require Listed Building Consent for internal and external work.
Can I convert my basement in Earls Court?
Yes, subject to the borough's basement policy. New basements are limited to a single storey beneath the building footprint, with garden excavation capped at 50 per cent of the garden area. Full planning permission and a structural impact assessment are required.
How long does a full house renovation take in Earls Court?
A full renovation typically runs 4 to 8 months. Projects involving basement excavation, flat-to-house reconversion, or listed building consent realistically extend to 10 to 15 months including the planning stage.
Do listed buildings need additional consent?
Yes. Any alteration affecting the character of a listed building requires Listed Building Consent in addition to planning permission. In the borough, this frequently covers internal work as well as external changes.
What size projects do you handle?
We take on projects from single-floor renovations through to full five-storey house renovations and basement excavations across Earls Court and Prime Central London.
Start Your Earls Court Project
If you are planning renovation, extension, or conversion work in Earls Court, the most useful first step is understanding the property, its planning context, and the realistic scope of what can be achieved. Dominant Construction works with homeowners, property investors, and architects on residential projects across Earls Court and Prime Central London.
Call 02071186155 for a free consultation and site survey, visit us at 185 Fulham Palace Road, W6 8QX, or see recent projects at dominantconstruction.co.uk.
Dominant Construction LTD 185 Fulham Palace Road, Fulham, London, W6 8QX, 020 7118 6155 | info@dominantconstruction.co.uk FMB Registered | since 2014 | JCT Contract Experience
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+44 20 71186155
info@dominantconstruction.co.uk