Do I need planning permission for my extension?

It is one of the first questions we are asked. The honest answer is: it depends on your home, where it is and what you want to build.

Permitted development

Many single-storey rear extensions and some loft conversions on houses can be built under permitted development rights, without a full planning application. These rights come with limits on size, height and materials, and they do not apply in every case.

When you will usually need permission

• Your home is a flat or maisonette.
• The property is listed, or in a conservation area.
• Permitted development rights have been removed for your street or property.
• The extension goes beyond the permitted size limits, or faces a road.

Getting certainty

Even when permission is not needed, a Lawful Development Certificate from your council confirms that the work is lawful, which helps when you come to sell. Building Regulations approval is needed either way, and work on or near a shared wall may also fall under the Party Wall Act.

Rules change and every borough applies them slightly differently, so we check your property’s position early in the design stage. Tell us about your project and we will talk you through it.