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Builders in Kensington | Home Renovations, Extensions & Conversions W8
Residential Construction in Kensington
Dominant Construction is an FMB-registered building contractor with 15+ years' experience delivering high-end residential projects across Kensington and Prime Central London.
House Renovations in Kensington
Kensington's housing stock spans grand stuccoed terraces around Queen's Gate and Cornwall Gardens, garden squares like Kensington Square itself, and the villa-style properties bordering Holland Park — each with different structural quirks and planning sensitivities. A substantial house renovation here begins with understanding the specific property before work starts: opening-up investigations, structural calculations, and coordination between architect, structural engineer, and council conservation officer, particularly on listed buildings.
Where original detailing contributes to the property's character, we match brickwork to the existing façade, reproduce cornicing and mouldings rather than replace them, and protect original timber, stone, or plasterwork rather than removing it unnecessarily. For larger projects we manage the full process: structural alterations and steelwork, new layouts, kitchens and bathrooms, heating and electrical systems, bespoke joinery, plastering and decorative finishes, façade repairs, and final snagging and handover.
What Does a Home Renovation Cost in Kensington?
Renovation costs in Kensington sit above the London average, driven by the scale of structural work, the specification expected in W8 and W11, and the complexity of council's conservation area framework — with Listed Building Consent required on a significant share of properties. A cosmetic refresh with no structural change generally starts from £38,000, while a full house renovation on a Kensington terrace, including rewiring, replumbing, and bespoke joinery, typically runs £210,000 to £520,000, rising further where basement excavation or listed building work is involved.
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Kitchen Remodel Price
Your quote covers design and planning fees, construction and labour, materials, and any permit or inspection costs tied to council's requirements. What it can't fully predict upfront is what a period property reveals once work begins — we build contingency into every estimate for exactly this reason.
House Extensions in Kensington
Kensington's terraces and garden square properties leave varying room to extend, and any scheme has to work with the property's original proportions — matching brickwork, window proportions, and roofline on anything visible from the street, particularly near Kensington Square or Phillimore Gardens where conservation scrutiny is highest.
Popular Types of House Extensions
Rear extensions — the most common approach, extending into the rear garden with bifold or Crittall-style glazing bringing in natural light while the front elevation stays untouched.
Side return extensions — infilling the narrow side alley common on Victorian terraces, typically to widen a kitchen-diner.
Wraparound extensions — combining rear and side return in one scheme for maximum ground-floor impact.
Double-storey extensions — extending at both ground and first floor, more likely to attract detailed scrutiny given the additional roofline impact.
Rear extensions in Kensington typically run £105,000 to £260,000; side return conversions from £62,000 to £125,000; wraparound extensions £160,000 to £360,000; double-storey extensions £225,000 to £460,000.
What Determines Extension Cost
Several factors set the final cost of a house extension in Kensington:
- Size, layout, and structural complexity
- Type of extension — rear, side return, wraparound, or double-storey
- Materials and finishes — brick matching, glazing specification, roofing
- Planning permission requirements (full application is standard in Kensington's conservation areas)
- Listed Building Consent, where applicable
- Site access on narrow terraced streets
Rear extensions in Kensington typically run £105,000 to £260,000; side return conversions from £62,000 to £125,000; wraparound extensions £160,000 to £360,000; double-storey extensions £225,000 to £460,000.
Loft Conversions in Kensington
Kensington's period roof spaces — Victorian and Edwardian, many with generous pitches — often hold more usable volume than homeowners assume. Because most of Kensington sits within a conservation area, roofline changes almost always require full planning permission, and on listed properties, Listed Building Consent as well.
Loft Conversion Types Suited to Kensington Properties
Mansard conversion — well-suited to Kensington's grander terraces, particularly where a rear mansard sits out of street view from Queen's Gate or Cornwall Gardens.
Dormer conversion — the standard choice for Victorian terraces further from the borough's most sensitive conservation boundaries.
L-shaped dormer — combines a rear dormer with a side extension over the back addition, typically the option adding the most usable space.
Roof light (Velux) conversion — least disruptive, suited where existing headroom is already adequate.
WHAT DOES A LOFT CONVERSION COST IN Kensington
Conversion Type
Costs in Kensington reflect restricted access on narrow streets and mews, the additional design work required for the borough conservation and listed building applications, and the specification level expected throughout W8 and W11.
Basement Conversions in Kensington
Basement conversions turn underused cellar space — or newly excavated basements — into home cinemas, gyms, wine cellars, or family living space, without altering the external footprint of a property.
WHAT DETERMINES BASEMENT CONVERSION COST
The council's basement policy limits new excavations to a single storey beneath the building footprint, with excavation under gardens capped at 50% of that area. Full planning permission and a structural impact assessment are required — permitted development does not apply to basement work. Cost is driven primarily by excavation depth and underpinning method, waterproofing system — typically Type C cavity drain tanking to BS 8102 — ventilation and lighting solutions, structural complexity including party wall agreements, and finishes specification.
Project Type
Cost is driven primarily by excavation depth and underpinning method, waterproofing system — typically Type C cavity drain tanking to BS 8102 — ventilation and lighting solutions, structural complexity including party wall agreements, and finishes specification.
Planning Permission, Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings
Council's 38 conservation areas cover approximately 70% of the borough, and Kensington accounts for a substantial share — Kensington Palace, Kensington Square, Kensington Court, De Vere, Cornwall, Queensgate, and Holland Park among the named designations covering W8 and the surrounding streets.
- Full planning permission required for external alterations, extensions, roofline changes, and basement work
- Listed Building Consent required in addition where the property is listed — often covering internal alterations as well as external
- Article 4 directions apply across parts of Kensington, removing selected permitted development rights
- Pre-application advice starts from £559, with borough maintaining for compliant householder applications
- Because council's process is detailed, we handle planning liaison as standard, working alongside the project architect where appointed — telling you what's realistic before a design is drawn, not after a refusal.
Because council's process is detailed, we handle planning liaison as standard, working alongside the project architect where appointed — telling you what's realistic before a design is drawn, not after a refusal.
Working With Architects and Property Investors
We work regularly as main contractor within architect-led residential projects across Kensington. For architects, that means a construction team capable of interpreting detailed drawings, coordinating specialist trades, and raising technical issues early. For property investors, the focus is on programme discipline, cost control, buildability, and protecting the value of the finished property.
Larger projects are administered under JCT contracts, providing a recognised framework for scope, payment, variations, and programme management.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a house renovation in Kensington?
Purely internal renovations of non-listed buildings generally don't require planning permission, though Building Regulations always apply. Any external alteration almost always requires a full planning application given Kensington's conservation area status. Listed buildings require Listed Building Consent in addition.
Can I convert my basement in Kensington?
Yes, subject to the borough's basement policy. Basements are limited to a single storey below the original footprint, excavation under gardens is capped at 50% of the garden area, and full planning permission is required.
How long does a full house renovation take in Kensington?
A standard full house renovation runs 4–8 months. Where structural works, basement excavation, or Listed Building Consent are involved, realistic timelines extend to 9–14 months including the planning stage.
Do listed buildings require additional consent?
Yes. Alterations affecting the special architectural or historic character of a listed building require Listed Building Consent in addition to any planning permission, often covering internal changes as well as external.
What size projects do you undertake?
Our experience includes substantial high-end residential projects alongside smaller renovation, refurbishment, and extension projects across Kensington and Prime Central London.
collaboration opportunities.
+44 020 71186155
info@dominantconstruction.co.uk