Builders in Ealing: Extensions, Loft Conversions & Renovations in W5, W3, W7 & UB6
Soraiz Builders provides extensions, loft conversions, renovations and full-trade building work across the London Borough of Ealing, including W5, W13, Acton, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt and Perivale. Get a free, no-obligation quote within 2 hours.
Ealing spans Victorian terraces in Hanwell and Acton, Edwardian semis around Ealing Broadway, and 1930s semis in Greenford, Northolt and Perivale. Around 30 conservation areas cover parts of the borough, six with extra Article 4 restrictions. Soraiz Builders handles extensions, lofts, renovations and general building work borough-wide, with a 2-hour quote response.
Parts of Hanwell, central Ealing, Southall and north Acton sit under a Heathrow departure route, and acoustic glazing is a common addition to loft conversions and window replacements in these specific streets.
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Housing Stock by Area
What kind of houses does Ealing have?
Ealing's housing stock changes street by street, which is why one blanket description does not serve the borough well.
- Central Ealing, Ealing Broadway and West Ealing (W5, W13): Victorian terraces and substantial Edwardian semi-detached and detached houses, many with large rear gardens suited to rear and side-return extensions.
- Hanwell and Southall (W7, UB1, UB2): A high density of Edwardian terraces built roughly between 1900 and 1914, the classic long-terrace-run streets where rear extensions are common but party wall agreements are almost always needed.
- Greenford, Northolt and Perivale (UB6, UB5): 1930s semi-detached Metro-land homes, many still with their original small rear kitchens and outbuildings, which is exactly why kitchen extensions and loft conversions are so popular in this part of the borough.
- Acton (W3): A mix of Victorian terraces and Edwardian streets, sitting at the eastern edge of the borough.
- Bedford Park: A Grade II listed Arts and Crafts garden suburb, among the most tightly protected residential areas in West London, where even small external changes usually need planning permission.
This mix means the right build approach for a Hanwell terrace is rarely the right approach for a Perivale semi or a Bedford Park villa. Soraiz Builders prices and plans each project against the actual property in front of us, not a generic borough-wide template.
Why homeowners in Ealing extend rather than move
Ealing Broadway sits on the Elizabeth line, putting Paddington and central London within roughly 15 minutes. That connectivity, combined with strong local demand, means a move up the property ladder within the borough is often more expensive than extending or converting the loft on the home already owned. For many Ealing households, a well-planned extension is the more affordable route to the extra space a move would otherwise buy.
Local Area
Local landmarks and transport links relevant to building work in this area.
- Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, W5
- Pitzhanger Manor, W5 5EQ
- Ealing Broadway station, W5
Ealing Broadway (Elizabeth, Central, District lines), South Ealing (Piccadilly line), West Ealing (Elizabeth line), Hanwell (Elizabeth line), Northfields (Piccadilly line)
Where We Work in Ealing
Working around Ealing's parking and access
Ealing operates several Controlled Parking Zones rather than one borough-wide scheme, including South Ealing, Southall and the newer zones covering Greenford South and Greenford town centre. A council skip licence costs £50 for 14 days, rising to £100 if the skip needs to sit inside a CPZ bay, with applications typically processed within 3 working days. Southall Broadway also closes to general traffic for South Asian Independence Day celebrations each summer. We arrange builder's parking permits and skip licences in advance so materials and skips don't sit waiting on day one.
Check If We Cover Your Ealing Street
Get a Free QuotePlanning & Conservation
What to check before starting building work in this borough.
London Borough of Ealing (Ealing Council)
Planning portal: View planning permission information
Do I need planning permission for an extension in Ealing?
It depends on the property and whether it sits inside a conservation area. Ealing Council covers 30 conservation areas, and six of them carry additional Article 4 restrictions that remove standard permitted development rights: Bedford Park, Brentham Garden Estate, Churchfields (Half Acre Road), Ealing Town Centre (The Grove), Hanger Hill Garden Estate, and Hanger Hill (Haymills) Estate. In these six areas, planning permission is usually needed for extensions, porches, exterior painting, and even hardstanding, not just larger structural changes.
Outside those six areas, much of the borough's Victorian and Edwardian terrace stock, particularly in Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton, keeps standard permitted development rights for a single-storey rear extension within normal limits. Ealing Council's residential extensions policy is set out in a document called SPD 4, which applies design guidance to householder applications borough-wide, on top of the national permitted development rules.
Applications go through the Planning Portal, with forms and full guidance on the council's own site at ealing.gov.uk. We check the specific conservation area and Article 4 status for your address before recommending a route, rather than assuming a borough-wide answer.
What else affects a build in Ealing?
- Party walls: long terrace runs in Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton mean most rear extensions on a shared wall need a Party Wall Agreement before work starts.
- Tree Preservation Orders: mature street trees are common across the borough and many carry a TPO, which affects work near garden boundaries.
- Ground conditions: like most of London, Ealing sits largely on London clay. This is general London-wide context, not a Soraiz diagnosis. Any specific concern about subsidence or ground movement needs a structural engineer's assessment, not a builder's opinion.
- Aircraft noise: parts of Hanwell, central Ealing, Southall and north Acton sit under a Heathrow departure route. If this affects your street, acoustic glazing is worth discussing as part of a window replacement or loft conversion, though it is not relevant borough-wide and we only raise it where it genuinely applies.
What Building Work Costs in Ealing
| Item | Typical Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single-storey rear extension, per m² (mid specification) | £2,200 - £3,200 | Bedford Park and other Article 4 areas carry roughly 15% on top for material restrictions and period-appropriate detailing. |
| Dormer loft conversion (typical build cost) | £40,000 - £60,000 | Construction only; VAT and professional fees are additional. |
| Mansard loft conversion (typical build cost) | £60,000 - £95,000 | More involved than a dormer; typically needed to maximise headroom on steeper roof pitches. |
| Householder planning application fee | £548 | From April 2026. Applies inside any of Ealing's 30 conservation areas, on the 6 with an additional Article 4 Direction, or on a Listed Building. |
Services We Provide Across Ealing
Ealing's Edwardian terraces hide narrow galley kitchens behind original party walls, we open them up without touching load-bearing brick.
Greenford and Northolt's 1930s semis need rear extensions that respect the original hip roofline and matching brick bond.
Hanwell's Victorian terraces still run on ageing boilers tucked into cupboards, replacements we've done without disturbing period skirting.
Our Greenford decorating work earned a five-star MyBuilder review for finish quality, homeowners still mention it when they call us.
Bedford Park's pebbledash and render need re-skimming every few decades, work we match to the existing texture so repairs stay invisible.
Recent projects in Ealing
Real Soraiz Builders jobs in Ealing, documented from the dated photos taken on site.
13 photosWalpole, West Ealing (Ealing)
Full refurbishment with three shower rooms in West Ealing
A finished West Ealing refurbishment with herringbone flooring throughout, three new shower rooms and two new kitchens, photographed finished in February 2023.
Read the case study
North Greenford (Ealing)
Front garden planter wall in North Greenford
A brick planter wall built along a front garden and finished with stone coping.
Why Ealing Homeowners Choose Soraiz Builders
Soraiz Builders & Services Ltd has completed 250+ projects across all 32 London boroughs since 2019, including verified work in Greenford, within the London Borough of Ealing. A Greenford client rated the work 5 stars for a painting and decorating job: “Hard working and punctual. Both Hussain and his colleague completed the paint job to a good standard within the time promised.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions homeowners in this area ask most.
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Ealing?
Often not, if the property sits outside a conservation area and the loft conversion stays within permitted development volume limits. Inside Bedford Park, Brentham Garden Estate or the other four Article 4 areas, planning permission is usually required. We check your specific address and conservation status before advising.
What's the most common type of extension in Ealing?
Rear extensions are most common on the borough's long Victorian and Edwardian terrace runs in Hanwell, West Ealing and Acton. Wider plots in central Ealing and around Ealing Common also suit side-return and wraparound extensions. The right approach depends on the specific plot and property type.
How long does an Ealing Council planning application take?
A standard householder planning application has an 8-week target for determination. A Lawful Development Certificate, used to confirm permitted development rights, also typically takes around 8 weeks. Larger prior-approval extensions carry a separate 42-day notification period.
Is my street in an Ealing conservation area?
Ealing Council maintains 30 conservation areas, six with extra Article 4 restrictions: Bedford Park, Brentham Garden Estate, Churchfields, Ealing Town Centre, Hanger Hill Garden Estate, and Hanger Hill (Haymills) Estate. Check your exact address on Ealing Council's planning pages, or ask us to check it as part of a free quote.
Do older homes in Ealing have particular building issues to plan for?
The borough's long Victorian and Edwardian terrace runs mean party wall agreements are needed for most rear extensions on a shared wall, and mature street trees often carry Tree Preservation Orders that affect work near garden boundaries. Any concern about subsidence or structural movement needs assessment by a structural engineer, not a general contractor.
Which parts of Ealing do you cover?
We cover the full London Borough of Ealing, including Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Acton, Greenford, Northolt, Perivale and Southall, postcodes W3, W5, W7, W13, UB1, UB2, UB5 and UB6.
What is Bedford Park and why does it have extra planning restrictions?
Bedford Park is a Grade II listed Arts and Crafts garden suburb in Ealing, among the most tightly protected residential areas in West London. It carries its own Article 4 Direction, one of six in the borough, so even small external changes, porches, exterior painting and hardstanding included, usually need planning permission rather than being permitted development.
Does Heathrow flight noise affect all of Ealing?
No, only specific streets. Parts of Hanwell, central Ealing, Southall and north Acton sit under a Heathrow departure route, but this isn't a borough-wide issue. We only raise acoustic glazing as an option where a specific address genuinely sits under the flight path, not as a routine add-on everywhere.
Why do so many Ealing homeowners extend rather than move?
Ealing Broadway sits on the Elizabeth line, putting Paddington and central London within roughly 15 minutes, which keeps local demand and property prices high. For many households, moving up the property ladder within the borough costs more than extending or converting the loft on the home they already own.
Do I need a Party Wall Agreement for a rear extension in Hanwell or Acton?
Very likely. Hanwell and Acton have a high density of Edwardian terraces built roughly between 1900 and 1914 in long, continuous runs, and a rear extension on a shared wall in these streets almost always needs a Party Wall Agreement. We handle this as part of the project.
Are mature trees protected in Ealing?
Many are. Mature street trees are common across the borough, and a good number carry a Tree Preservation Order, which affects work near garden boundaries and root protection areas. We check for a TPO on any tree close to planned foundation or extension work before finalising a design.
Other London Boroughs We Also Cover
Borders Ealing to the west, towards Uxbridge and Hayes.
Borders Ealing to the north, towards Harrow-on-the-Hill and Sudbury.
Borders Ealing to the north east, towards Park Royal and Alperton.
Borders Ealing to the south, towards Osterley and Norwood Green.
Get a Free Quote in Ealing
Whether you're near Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, W5 or elsewhere in Ealing, Soraiz Builders provides building and renovation services throughout Greater London. A written quote follows within 2 hours.