Most homeowners ask this question at exactly the wrong moment, usually when a builder has already started. The honest answer is that a large proportion of common home improvements in England do not require a formal planning application, because the government grants householders a pre-approved right to build within defined limits called Permitted Development (PD). Understanding where the PD boundary lies will save you time, money, and the risk of an enforcement notice.1

This guide covers everything a homeowner in England needs to know: what triggers a planning application, how to check your own situation, what the application process involves, and the special rules that apply in conservation areas, listed buildings, and flats.

What Needs Planning Permission vs Permitted Development?

Projects that almost always need permission

  • New dwellings, converting a large outbuilding into a separate dwelling, or building a new house in the garden
  • Change of use, converting a house to flats, or turning a commercial building into residential use
  • Extensions beyond PD limits, a single-storey rear extension deeper than 3 m on a semi-detached or terraced house or 4 m on a detached house (up to 6 m and 8 m is possible through the prior approval process); two-storey side extensions; extensions and outbuildings that would cover more than half the land around the original house
  • Outbuildings beyond PD limits, any structure over 2.5 m high within 2 m of the boundary, or over 4 m (ridged) / 3 m (other roofs) further away; total coverage over 50% of the garden1
  • Roof extensions (mansards, most dormers) on a roof slope that forms the principal elevation and fronts a highway, or that exceed the volume limits2
  • Works to listed buildings, almost anything structural requires listed building consent, regardless of size

Projects that are usually Permitted Development

ProjectTypical PD limit (England)
Single-storey rear extensionUp to 3 m (semi or terrace) / 4 m (detached), or 6 m / 8 m with prior approval; max height 4 m
Two-storey rear extensionUp to 3 m from rear wall; must be at least 7 m from rear boundary
Loft conversion (dormer to rear)Up to 40 m³ volume addition (terrace house); 50 m³ (any other house, semi-detached included); no dormers on a principal roof slope facing a highway
Outbuilding / garden officeUp to 2.5 m (within 2 m of boundary) or 4 m (ridged) further away; not forward of principal elevation
PorchUp to 3 m² floor area; height under 3 m; not within 2 m of a boundary with a highway
Internal alterationsRemoving non-load-bearing walls, new kitchens, bathrooms, no consent needed
Solar panelsOn roof or in garden, within size and visual-impact rules

Note: permitted development rights are the default in England but can be removed by an Article 4 Direction from your local council. This is common in conservation areas, and on some estates PD rights were also removed by planning conditions when the houses were built. Always check your planning history.3

How to Check Whether You Need Permission

  1. Look at your title deeds and existing planning permission, some properties carry conditions that restrict future development.
  2. Use the Planning Portal’s Interactive House (planningportal.co.uk), it walks you through the most common project types with simple yes/no questions.
  3. Call your Local Planning Authority (LPA), some councils give free informal advice on straightforward householder queries, though many now charge for pre-application advice.
  4. Apply for a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC), this is a formal written confirmation from the council that your proposed works are lawful under PD or that no permission is required. It costs half the equivalent planning application fee, which in England (2026) means £274 for an extension or other alteration to the house or £136 for an outbuilding, and takes up to 8 weeks.4 A buyer’s solicitor may ask for evidence that past works were lawful when you sell, so a certificate is strongly advisable for anything at the edge of PD limits.5

The Planning Application Process and Cost

If your project does require planning permission, the process in England is:

Many LPAs offer pre-application advice for householder projects; charges vary by council, from nothing for a simple query to a few hundred pounds, so check your council’s fee schedule. This tells you informally whether a scheme is likely to get permission and what changes would improve its chances.

2. Prepare drawings

You will need (at minimum) a location plan, typically at 1:1250 or 1:2500, showing the site in relation to neighbouring roads and buildings.6 You will also need a site or block plan (commonly at 1:500) and existing and proposed elevations and floor plans. An architectural technologist or draughtsman will typically charge £600–£2,000 for householder drawings; an architect with full design input will charge more.

3. Submit the application

Householder planning applications are usually submitted online via the Planning Portal, though you can also apply directly to the council. The fee in England (2026) is £548 for a householder application (works to an existing dwelling).4 Extensions and conversions generally fall in this category.

4. Validation and neighbour consultation

The LPA validates your application (usually 2–3 weeks), then places it on the public register and writes to neighbours. Neighbours and the public normally have 21 days to comment.7

5. Decision

The statutory determination period for householder applications is 8 weeks.8 Most straightforward applications are decided within this period; a longer period can be agreed in writing between you and the council.8 In the year to June 2026, councils in England granted 90% of householder applications and decided 93% within 8 weeks or an agreed longer time.9

StageTypical duration
Pre-application advice4–8 weeks
Preparing drawings2–4 weeks
Validation2–3 weeks
Consultation3 weeks
Officer assessment and decision3–5 weeks
Total (planning only)14–23 weeks

Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings and Flats

Conservation areas

If your home is within a designated conservation area, permitted development rights are significantly curtailed:

  • Cladding the exterior in stone, render, timber or tile requires permission1
  • Roof extensions such as dormers are not permitted development at all2
  • Satellite dishes on a chimney, wall or roof slope that faces onto, and is visible from, a highway need permission1
  • Demolishing certain unlisted buildings needs planning permission (known as relevant demolition), which replaced Conservation Area Consent10

The local council’s conservation officer is the key contact; most are willing to advise informally before you submit.

Listed buildings

A listed building designation (Grade I, II* or II) applies to the whole building, inside and out, including objects and structures fixed to it and older structures within its curtilage that have formed part of the land since before 1 July 1948.11 Listed Building Consent is required for any works that would affect its character as a building of special interest; this runs in parallel with, and is separate from, planning permission.12 Unauthorised works to a listed building are a criminal offence.13 Always instruct a planning consultant or heritage architect before doing anything structural.

Flats and maisonettes

The householder permitted development rights in Part 1 of the GPDO do not apply to flats or maisonettes.14 If you own a flat, external works that materially affect the building’s appearance, including replacement windows in a different style or material, will normally need planning permission. Internal works generally do not, but you must also check your lease, which may require freeholder consent for structural alterations.

Refusals and Appeals

If your application is refused, you have options:

  1. Revise and resubmit, many refusals identify a specific reason (overlooking, bulk, materials) that can be resolved with design changes. Budget for a second fee if you are in England: the free repeat application within 12 months of a refusal was removed on 6 December 2023, when regulation 9 of the 2012 Fee Regulations was omitted.15 Wales and Scotland still allow a free repeat application within 12 months in defined circumstances, so the answer depends on which nation you are building in.1617

  2. Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, an independent planning inspector reviews the decision. Householder appeals are normally decided on written representations, and those decided in June 2026 took a median of 12 weeks.18 You do not need a professional to submit a written appeal, but it helps.

  3. Pre-application consultation with the officer, before appealing, contact the planning officer who decided your case and ask specifically what changes would have made the scheme acceptable. This often reveals a simpler path than appeal.

Key Points

  • Permitted development covers most straightforward extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings within defined size limits, but check for Article 4 Directions that may have removed PD rights on your property.3
  • A Lawful Development Certificate provides written proof of PD compliance and protects you on resale.
  • Householder planning applications cost £548 in England (2026) and take 8 weeks to decide.4
  • Conservation areas and listed buildings carry significant additional restrictions, always seek specialist advice.
  • Flats do not have the householder PD rights in Part 1, so external changes that alter the building’s appearance normally need planning permission.
References (18)

Figures in this note were checked against the sources below on 30 September 2026. Superscript numbers in the text point to them. Every source the site cites, by topic.

  1. 1technicalvery strongThe National Archives, legislation.RN-OWGIY3Schedule 2 Part 1 of the GPDO 2015, development within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse. This is permitted development itself: Class A enlargement and alteration, with the limits and conditions, through the classes covering roof alterations, porches, outbuildings and hard surfaces. Every statement about what can be built without planning permission traces to this Part, and the exclusions at the start of each class are where most projects actually fall out.
  2. 2technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-KHYKNAClass B permits roof enlargements provided the roof space does not increase by more than 40 cubic metres for a terrace house or 50 cubic metres in any other case (B.1(d)), no part exceeds the height of the highest part of the existing roof (B.1(b)) and the work does not extend beyond the plane of any roof slope forming the principal elevation that fronts a highway (B.1(c)). The right is withdrawn on article 2(3) land, including conservation areas, and for houses created under Classes G, M, MA, N, P, PA or Q (B.1(a), (f) to (h)). Conditions in B.2 require materials of similar appearance, an enlargement set back not less than 0.2 metres from the eaves measured along the roof slope, and side-elevation windows that are obscure-glazed and non-opening unless the opening part is more than 1.7 metres above the floor.
  3. 3technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-3LA2VCArticle 4(1) allows the Secretary of State or the local planning authority, where satisfied that it is expedient that development should not be carried out without permission, to direct that the permission granted by article 3 does not apply to all or any development of a Part, Class or paragraph of Schedule 2 in a specified area, or to any particular development. The procedures for making, modifying or cancelling a direction are set out in Schedule 3, and a direction does not affect development for which prior approval was granted before it took effect.
  4. 4technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK), a government page.RN-JM9I1NThe schedule of planning application fees in England from 1 April 2026. Fees rise annually with the September CPI under the 2023 amendment regulations; September 2025 CPI was 3.8%, so every fee from April 2025 rose by that and is charged from 1 April 2026. The table lists the new amount for each application type, which is the statutory figure a council must charge rather than a guide price.
  5. 5costvery strongPlanning Portal, guidance.RN-M2KUCTA price, true at 2026-04. The Planning Portal's consolidated guide to planning application fees in England from 1 April 2026, built from the 2012 fees regulations as amended and MHCLG's annual indexation. More usable than the regulations themselves because it puts each application type next to its current fee and its definition. The statutory amounts are in the regulations; this is the readable index to them.
  6. 6technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, guidance.RN-G5VBDSPlanning Practice Guidance on making a planning application: what a valid application must contain, the national and local validation requirements, pre-application advice, and what happens when a council says an application is invalid. The source for why an application can sit for weeks without the clock starting.
  7. 7technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-3LRTTYArticle 15 of the DMPO sets how applications are publicised, including a site notice or neighbour notification for at least 21 days.
  8. 8technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-4MVF6QThe determination periods behind every 'the council has 8 weeks' claim, in the legal text rather than a council summary. Article 34(2)(a): 13 weeks from the day after receipt for an application for major development. 34(2)(aa): 10 weeks for technical details consent for major development or for public infrastructure development. 34(2)(b): 8 weeks for development which is not major development. 34(2)(bb): 5 weeks for technical details consent which is not major development. 34(2)(c): any extended period agreed in writing between applicant and authority, unless notice of appeal has already been given. Note that article 34 contains no 16-week EIA period: that substitution is made by regulation 68(2) of the EIA Regulations 2017. Article 34(9) sets the 21-day and 14-day publicity waits before determination, and 34(9A) extends both to 30 days for an EIA application accompanied by an environmental statement.
  9. 9technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, guidance.RN-CX9C09Official planning statistics for England; section 3.15 gives the householder grant rate and speed of decision for the year ending June 2026.
  10. 10technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK), guidance.RN-VTA6M2The national guidance on heritage assets. Paragraph 044 confirms listed building consent is needed for any works to demolish part of a listed building or to alter or extend it in a way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, and that listing covers the entire building inside and out unless the list entry says otherwise. Paragraph 042 explains planning permission and listed building consent are two separate regimes, and 043 that works needing planning permission still need it if the building is listed. Paragraph 023 confirms listing extends to any object or structure within the curtilage that has formed part of the land since before 1 July 1948, while 013 notes setting and curtilage may differ in extent. Paragraph 024 covers the special architectural or historic interest test for conservation area designation and 025 the duty to review conservation areas. Paragraph 037 explains World Heritage Sites are article 2(3) land where permitted development is restricted and authorities can restrict further by article 4 direction. Paragraph 018 sets substantial harm as a high test judged by degree of harm to significance rather than the scale of the development.
  11. 11technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-GKJH28Section 1(5) of the Listed Buildings Act defines what a listing covers: fixed objects and curtilage structures forming part of the land since before 1 July 1948.
  12. 12technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-XN22L9The provision that decides when listed building consent is actually needed, and the answer to the common overstatement that any alteration to a listed building requires consent. Section 7(1): 'no person shall execute or cause to be executed any works for the demolition of a listed building or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, unless the works are authorised under section 8.' The trigger is therefore effect on character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, not alteration as such, so work with no effect on that character falls outside the restriction. Section 7(2) makes subsection (1) subject to section 33(1) of the Planning Act 2008, which excludes the requirement for other consents where development consent is required. Authorisation itself comes from section 8.
  13. 13technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-AKNVL3Section 9 of the Listed Buildings Act 1990 makes it a criminal offence to carry out works to a listed building in breach of section 7, punishable by a fine or imprisonment.
  14. 14technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-EZ53YYArticle 2 of the GPDO defines dwellinghouse for Part 1; the definition excludes buildings containing flats and the flats within them.
  15. 15technicalvery strongThe National Archives, legislation.RN-CYMM95Regulation 9 of the 2012 planning fee regulations, now OMITTED with effect from 6 December 2023 by SI 2023/1197. It used to give the free repeat application within twelve months of a refusal or withdrawal in England. It is cited precisely because it was revoked: the free second go no longer exists in England, and a source that still promises one is out of date. Wales and Scotland kept their own equivalents.
  16. 16technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-OTUQBKRegulation 11 of the Scottish planning fees regulations makes a qualifying repeat application within 12 months of a refusal free.
  17. 17technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-M5IFLNRegulation 8 of the Welsh planning fees regulations exempts a qualifying repeat application following a refusal or withdrawal from the fee.
  18. 18technicalvery strongPlanning Inspectorate, guidance.RN-QW0V47The Planning Inspectorate's monthly figures on how long appeals take; for cases decided in June 2026 householder written-representation appeals had a 12-week median.

  1. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, The National Archives, accessed 14 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  2. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class B, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  3. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, article 4: Directions restricting permitted development, The National Archives, accessed 14 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  4. Fees for planning applications in England from 1 April 2026, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK), accessed 7 September 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  5. A guide to fees for Planning Applications in England, 1 April 2026, V2026, Planning Portal, accessed 30 September 2026. Priced at 2026-04, so no calibration is needed. ecab.planningportal.co.uk

  6. Making an application (Planning Practice Guidance), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk

  7. The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, article 15, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  8. The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, article 34, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  9. Planning applications in England: April to June 2026, statistical release, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk

  10. Historic environment (Planning Practice Guidance), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk

  11. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 1, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  12. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 7, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  13. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 9, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  14. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, article 2, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  15. The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012, regulation 9, The National Archives, accessed 11 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  16. The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 2022, regulation 11, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  17. The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications and Site Visits) (Wales) Regulations 2015, regulation 8, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  18. Appeals: how long they take, Planning Inspectorate, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk