Planning permission, decoded

Most domestic work is either permitted development or it is not, and that single answer decides everything after it. Size, height, position and how much of the garden you are covering are what the rules turn on.

• Permitted Development Rights Explained (2026) 10 min
• How Big Can I Build Without Planning Permission? 7 min
• Do You Need Planning Permission? A UK Homeowner's Guide 8 min

Before the next stageA clear view of whether your proposal fits within permitted development.

Permitted development is removed more often than people expect. A conservation area, an Article 4 direction, a listed building, a national landscape or a flat rather than a house all cut it back or remove it entirely.

• Conservation Area Rules for Homeowners 11 min

Do it Area checker

Before the next stageYou know which designations apply to your address.

Permitted development is not a permission, it is the absence of one, and nobody has confirmed anything. A lawful development certificate is the council saying in writing that what you propose is lawful. It costs a fraction of a planning application and it is what a buyer's solicitor asks for years later.

• Lawful Development Certificates Explained 8 min

Before the next stageEither a lawful development certificate applied for, or a planning application submitted.

A full application needs drawings, a site plan, forms and a fee, and it runs to a statutory period of eight weeks for most householder applications. Talking to the planning officer before you apply costs less than being refused.

• Do You Need Planning Permission for an Extension? 11 min
• Do You Need Planning Permission for a Loft Conversion? 8 min
• Do You Need Planning Permission for a Garden Room? 9 min

Before the next stageA validated application, and a target date for the decision.

An approval with conditions is not an approval to start. Conditions precedent have to be discharged before work begins, and building without discharging them is a breach even though you hold a permission.

• Building Control: What It Is & When You Need It 10 min

Before the next stageEvery pre-commencement condition identified and a plan to discharge it.

Permission is one of four separate hurdles, and clearing it clears only itself. Building regulations, the Party Wall etc. Act and your own contract with the builder are all still ahead of you.

• Building Regulations Explained for Homeowners 12 min
• Party Wall Surveyors: Role, Cost & When You Need One 6 min

Do it Party wall check

Before the next stageYou know which of the other three apply to your job.