Permitted development (PD) rights allow homeowners in England to carry out certain building works without applying for full planning permission. They are granted by parliament through the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended, and cover a defined range of extensions, outbuildings, and alterations, provided the project stays within specified size, height, and siting limits.1

The rights exist because parliament has already decided, in principle, that works of a certain scale are unlikely to harm neighbours or the character of an area. Understanding exactly what falls within PD, and what can strip those rights away, is essential before breaking ground.

What Permitted Development Covers

PD rights apply to a wide range of domestic works on a dwelling house. The key categories are:

  • Rear extensions, single and two-storey additions to the back of the house
  • Side extensions, single-storey only, within 50% of the original house width2
  • Loft conversions, with or without dormer windows, within volume limits
  • Outbuildings, garages, garden rooms, sheds, swimming pool enclosures
  • Porches, under 3m² in ground area, under 3m high, and not within 2m of a boundary with a highway3
  • Roof alterations, including rooflights, provided they project no more than 0.15m beyond the plane of the original roof slope and are no higher than the highest part of the roof4
  • Internal works, structural changes inside the dwelling do not require planning permission at all5
  • Driveways, hard standings using permeable surfacing (or draining to a soakaway) are permitted; impermeable surfaces over 5m² to the front do require consent6

What PD Does NOT Cover

Permitted development rights apply only to dwelling houses. The following are excluded entirely:

  • Flats and maisonettes, the Part 1 householder rights do not apply, because a flat is not a dwellinghouse for the purposes of the Order; most external alterations need a full planning application, as the householder application route is for houses only7
  • Listed buildings, some PD rights are removed (outbuildings within the curtilage of a listed building, for example), and listed building consent is required for any work that would affect the building’s character8
  • Conservation areas, certain rights are restricted; side extensions, rear extensions of more than one storey, external cladding and roof extensions such as dormers lose PD status2
  • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and National Parks, reduced PD rights apply; rear extensions under the larger-home extension scheme are not available, and restrictions on outbuildings are tighter2
  • New-build homes, developers sometimes remove PD rights as a planning condition; check your title deeds and original planning consent

Size and Height Limits

The limits below apply to houses in England that have not previously been extended and are not in a restricted area. Where a house has already been extended, the new works must be assessed against the original house footprint, not its current state.

Extension Limits Summary

Extension typeStandard PD limitLarger home extension (neighbour consultation)
Single-storey rear, detached4m depth8m depth
Single-storey rear, other houses3m depth6m depth
Two-storey rear3m depthNot available
Side extension (all house types)50% of original width, single storey, max 4m highNot available
Height, single storey extensionMax 4m (or eaves/ridge height of original roof, whichever is lower)Same
Eaves height within 2m of a boundaryMax 3mSame

Any extension within 2m of a boundary is limited to an eaves height of 3m, and no extension may be higher than the highest part of the existing roof.2

Loft Conversions

Loft conversions are permitted provided the additional volume does not exceed:

  • 40m³ for terraced houses
  • 50m³ for detached and semi-detached houses

These figures are cumulative: if a loft conversion was carried out previously, any new works eat into the same allowance. Dormers must not exceed the height of the existing roof ridge and must be set back at least 20cm from the eaves.9 No part of the conversion may extend beyond the plane of an existing roof slope that forms the principal elevation and fronts a highway.9

Outbuildings

Outbuildings, including garden offices, garages, and sheds, are permitted provided:

  • They occupy no more than 50% of the total curtilage (garden area, excluding the original house footprint)8
  • They are single storey (dual-pitched roof maximum 4m; flat or mono-pitched roof maximum 3m)8
  • If the building is within 2m of a property boundary, the maximum height drops to 2.5m8
  • They are not forward of the principal elevation of the house
  • They are not used as a separate dwelling

In National Parks, AONBs, the Broads and World Heritage Sites, outbuildings more than 20m from the house are limited to a total of 10m²; anything larger needs a planning application.8

Prior Approval and Neighbour Consultation

Standard Prior Approval

For some categories of PD, the local planning authority (LPA) must decide whether prior approval is needed before works begin. This applies to larger home extensions, certain changes of use, and telecommunications equipment, among others. Prior approval is not the same as planning permission, the LPA is only assessing specific, prescribed matters (typically impact on amenity, highways, flood risk) rather than the full range of planning considerations.

The Neighbour Consultation Scheme (Larger Home Extensions)

Single-storey rear extensions that exceed the standard 4m/3m limits but stay within 8m (detached) or 6m (other) are permitted under what is commonly called the Neighbour Consultation Scheme.2 The process works as follows:

  1. The applicant notifies the LPA before starting work, using a prior approval application form and paying the fee (£249 in England from 1 April 2026).1011
  2. The LPA serves notice on adjoining owners and occupiers
  3. The notice gives those neighbours at least 21 days from the date of the notice to make representations2
  4. If no objections are received, or if objections are made but the LPA decides the impact on amenity is acceptable, prior approval is granted and works can proceed
  5. If the LPA refuses prior approval, the extension cannot be built under PD and a full planning application would be needed

The LPA has 42 days from receiving the application to decide. If it does not notify a decision within that period, the extension can go ahead, but keep a record of the dates before starting.2

Two-Storey Extensions

Two-storey rear extensions under PD are limited to 3m depth and must not be within 7m of the rear boundary.2 No neighbour consultation scheme exists for two-storey works, they must stay within the standard limits or a full application is required.

What Removes Your PD Rights

Several circumstances can strip permitted development rights, sometimes permanently and sometimes for specific categories of work.1

Article 4 Directions

An Article 4 direction is a formal instrument issued by an LPA that removes specified PD rights in a defined area.12 They are most commonly used in:

  • Conservation areas, to control extensions, cladding changes, and satellite dish installation
  • Areas of high housing pressure, to prevent conversion of family homes to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) without planning permission
  • Designated estates, where the character of a planned development is considered worth protecting

Where an Article 4 direction is in force, the works it covers require a planning application. A direction can take effect immediately, in which case the LPA must confirm it within 6 months, or after a period of notice.13 A planning fee may be payable for an application needed only because of a direction.13

Planning Conditions on the Original Permission

If your property was built under a planning permission that included a condition removing or restricting PD rights, those rights simply do not exist. This is common on new-build estates and infill developments where the LPA was concerned about cumulative density. Check the original planning consent (available via the LPA’s planning portal) and your title deeds.

Previous Extensions and Cumulative Volume

PD is not unlimited, it applies to the original house as built (or as it stood on 1 July 1948 if built before that date).7 Any extension added since then counts against your allowance, whether or not it was built under PD or with planning permission. A house that has already been extended 3m to the rear under PD has no further standard PD allowance for rear extensions, though it may still use the neighbour consultation scheme up to the 8m/6m limit.

Listed Building Status

Listing a building at any grade (I, II*, or II) does not automatically remove PD rights in law, but the requirement for listed building consent for works that affect the character of a listed building effectively overrides PD for the vast majority of structural and external alterations.14 In practice, listed building owners should assume nothing is permitted without checking with the LPA’s conservation officer.

Lawful Development Certificates

A lawful development certificate (LDC) is a formal document issued by the LPA confirming that a specific use, operation, or activity is lawful. For PD works, there are two types:

  • Certificate of Lawful Proposed Use or Development (CLPUD), confirms that proposed works would be lawful if carried out as described; useful before committing to a contractor
  • Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development (CLEUD), confirms that works already carried out were lawful at the time; relevant when selling or refinancing

Why Bother Getting One?

An LDC is not a legal requirement to carry out PD works. However, without one, you are relying on your own assessment that the works fall within PD, which may later be disputed. The circumstances where an LDC matters most are:

  • On sale of the property, solicitors acting for buyers routinely raise enquiries about extensions and alterations; an LDC provides clean evidence of lawfulness and prevents the matter becoming a negotiating point
  • On remortgage, lenders’ surveyors may flag extensions that lack documentary evidence of consent
  • When neighbours dispute the works, an LDC issued by the LPA carries evidential weight if enforcement action is threatened
  • When your assessment is marginal, if the works are close to the permitted limits, the small cost of an LDC is worth the certainty

Cost and Process

In England, the LDC fee for proposed works is £274 from 1 April 2026, half the £548 householder application fee (check the Planning Portal fee calculator, as fees are indexed each April).10 The LPA has 8 weeks to determine the application.15 The applicant must provide plans, dimensions, and any supporting evidence. Refusal of an LDC is not an enforcement notice, it simply means the LPA is not satisfied the works are lawful, and the applicant can appeal or revise the proposal.

Permitted development rights are a significant tool for homeowners, but they are bounded by a precise set of rules that have been amended repeatedly since 2015. The safest approach is to establish the original footprint of the house, check for Article 4 directions and planning conditions via the LPA’s portal, measure carefully against the relevant limits, and obtain a CLPUD before work begins if there is any doubt. The £274 fee is modest insurance against a much more costly dispute.

References (15)

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-Z0XQ8VParagraph A.1 sets the householder extension limits: buildings may not cover more than 50 per cent of the curtilage (A.1(b)); a single-storey rear extension may not extend more than 4 metres beyond the rear wall of a detached house or 3 metres for any other house, nor exceed 4 metres in height (A.1(f)), rising to 8 metres and 6 metres under the larger home extension route (A.1(g)); an extension of more than one storey may not extend more than 3 metres beyond the rear wall or be within 7 metres of the rear boundary (A.1(h)); eaves within 2 metres of a boundary may not exceed 3 metres (A.1(i)); a side extension may not exceed 4 metres in height, have more than one storey or be wider than half the width of the original house (A.1(j)). Paragraph A.2 removes cladding and side or multi-storey rear extensions on article 2(3) land such as conservation areas. A.3 requires materials of similar appearance and obscure-glazed, non-opening upper-floor side windows unless the opening part is more than 1.7 metres above the floor, and A.4 sets the neighbour consultation (prior approval) procedure with its 42-day determination period.
  3. 3technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-R8MOXUClass D is the permitted development right for porches. Development is not permitted if the ground area of the structure measured externally would exceed 3 square metres (D.1(b)), if any part would be more than 3 metres above ground level (D.1(c)) or if any part would be within 2 metres of any boundary of the curtilage with a highway (D.1(d)).
  4. 4technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-5QRXP7Class C permits any other alteration to the roof of a dwellinghouse, which is the right rooflight and Velux loft conversions rely on. Paragraph C.1(b) makes development not permitted if the alteration would protrude more than 0.15 metres beyond the plane of the roof slope, measured perpendicular to the original roof plane, and C.1(c) if the highest part of the alteration would be higher than the highest part of the original roof. C.1(d) excludes chimneys, flues, soil and vent pipes and solar equipment from the class, and condition C.2 requires any window in a roof slope forming a side elevation to be obscure-glazed and non-opening below 1.7 metres above the floor of the room.
  5. 5technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-M6VJS2Section 55(1) defines development as the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any buildings or other land. Section 55(2)(a) excludes works to a building which affect only the interior of the building or which do not materially affect the external appearance of the building, which is why internal renovation does not need planning permission.
  6. 6technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-4C9X4BClass F permits the provision within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse of a hard surface for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse, or its replacement in whole or in part. Condition F.2 applies where the hard surface would lie between a wall forming the principal elevation and a highway and its area would exceed 5 square metres: the surface must then be made of porous materials, or provision made to direct run-off water to a permeable or porous area or surface within the curtilage.
  7. 7technicalvery 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.
  8. 8technicalvery strongThe National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), legislation.RN-J6L7TIThe primary legal text for garden rooms, sheds, summerhouses, pergolas, greenhouses and outdoor pools. Class E permits any building or enclosure, swimming or other pool within the curtilage required for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse, plus a domestic heating oil container. Limitations: E.1(b) buildings, enclosures and containers other than the original dwellinghouse must not cover more than 50% of the curtilage; E.1(c) nothing forward of a wall forming the principal elevation of the original dwellinghouse; E.1(d) single storey only; E.1(e) maximum height 4 metres with a dual-pitched roof, 2.5 metres if any part is within 2 metres of a curtilage boundary, otherwise 3 metres; E.1(f) eaves no higher than 2.5 metres; E.1(g) not within the curtilage of a listed building; E.1(h) no verandah, balcony or raised platform; E.1(j) oil containers capped at 3,500 litres. E.4 defines incidental use as including keeping poultry, bees, pet animals, birds or other livestock for domestic needs or personal enjoyment, which is why a garden room used as a separate dwelling falls outside Class E.
  9. 9technicalvery 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.
  10. 10technicalvery 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.
  11. 11costvery 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.
  12. 12technicalvery 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.
  13. 13technicalvery strongMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK), guidance.RN-SM4299States that planning permission is only needed if the work is development within section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and that interior alterations and works that do not materially affect the external appearance of a building are not development (paragraph 001). Explains permitted development rights under the GPDO 2015 and their restriction on article 2(3) land such as conservation areas, National Parks, AONBs, the Broads and World Heritage Sites (paragraphs 016 to 017), prior approval including the neighbour consultation scheme for larger single-storey rear extensions (paragraphs 026 to 032), lawful development certificates (paragraph 024) and article 4 directions, which must be applied in a measured and targeted way to the smallest geographical area possible and can make an authority liable for compensation (paragraphs 036 to 043). Page last updated 26 July 2023.
  14. 14technicalvery 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.
  15. 15technicalvery strongThe National Archives, guidance.RN-ZRVGWJthe period a local planning authority has to determine an application for a certificate of lawfulness

  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 A, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

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

  4. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class C: other alterations to the roof, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  5. Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 55: Meaning of development, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

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

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

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

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

  10. 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

  11. A guide to fees for Planning Applications in England, 1 April 2026, V2026, Planning Portal, accessed 15 September 2026. Priced at 2026-04, so no calibration is needed. ecab.planningportal.co.uk

  12. 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

  13. When is permission required?, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, accessed 30 September 2026. gov.uk

  14. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 7: Restriction on works affecting listed buildings, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk

  15. The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, article 39: Certificate of lawful use or development, The National Archives, accessed 30 September 2026. legislation.gov.uk