Builders in Littlehampton

Arun District Council lists three conservation areas in Littlehampton: East Street, River Road and the Seafront. If your home is in one of them, the Planning Portal says that all side extensions and any rear extension of more than one storey need householder planning permission, that exterior cladding is not permitted development, and that permitted development roof extensions do not apply. A dormer that might go ahead without an application in Wick could therefore need one on the seafront.

Listed buildings carry stricter controls. Arun District Council says listed building consent is needed for any building work, inside or out, which may affect the character of a listed building, and it names changes to roofing among the examples. The council also says it is illegal to carry out unauthorised work on a listed building. Separately, Arun keeps a local list of buildings and structures of character, which it says have no statutory protection unless they are in a conservation area. Check which of these applies to your address before you pay for drawings.

Outside conservation areas, many houses in Littlehampton keep their permitted development rights. The Planning Portal says a loft conversion can add up to 40 cubic metres of roof space on a terraced house, or 50 cubic metres on a detached or semi detached house, and that a single storey rear extension can project up to three metres from the original rear wall of a semi or terrace, or four metres on a detached house. These rights cover houses only, not flats or maisonettes, so converted seafront buildings usually need a full application.

Garage conversions suit the later estates, where an integral or attached garage is often the easiest space to bring into the house. Checkatrade puts a typical garage conversion at £10,000 to £20,000, with an average of £15,000, and gives £10,000 to £14,000 for an integral garage, with an average of £12,000. Our garage conversion cost guide explains what pushes the price up, and the loft conversion cost guide does the same for roof space.

Where a house fronts straight onto the pavement, scaffolding for roof or front wall work may have to stand on the public highway. West Sussex County Council requires a licence for this and asks for at least 10 working days' notice, counted from the date of application. Its scaffolding page, last updated 27 July 2026, lists £266 for one month of scaffolding and £178 for an extension. Ask each builder whether the licence is included in their quote or left for you to arrange.

Fill in our short form or call 01273 115520 and we will pass your enquiry to up to 3 independent builders who cover Littlehampton, Wick, Rustington and the nearby villages. They contact you directly with written quotes, so you can compare prices and approach. We do not carry out building work ourselves, and there is no charge for the service. If your home is in one of the three conservation areas or is listed, say so in your enquiry so builders can plan for it. You can read more about how it works first.