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Do summerhouses or garden offices need building regulations approval?
If you plan to put up a small, detached building like a garden shed, garden room, garden office, annexe or summerhouse (all classed as outbuildings), building regulations generally won’t apply if the building has a floor area under 15 square metres and does not include any sleeping accommodation.
For buildings with a floor area between 15 and 30 square metres, building regulations approval is usually not needed - as long as the building does not include sleeping accommodation and either:
- it is at least one metre away from any boundary, or
- it is built mainly from non-combustible materials.
Read more about the building regulations that apply to outbuildings.
Don't forget to check the permitted development rights for outbuildings.
Common Questions
You will often not require planning permission to fit a log burner. If you are adding a new external flue or chimney then different rules will apply.
If you live in a listed building you will require listed building consent.
The installation of a log burner must comply with building regulations. It is recommended that you use a HETAS-registered installer who can certify the work. Visit the HETAS website to search for an installer.
Read more information around fitting an external flue or chimney in our common projects section.
A bin store is classed as an outbuilding, these fall under permitted development rules meaning they are allowed as long as they adhere to a set list of rules. However, one of these rules is that outbuildings cannot be placed in front of the principal elevation*. As such, you will be required to apply for planning permission to build a bin store or any permanent structure in your front garden.
Read more about the rules for outbuildings.
Principal elevation - The most visible or prominent side of a structure, typically facing a street or public area. While often considered the 'front' of the building, it may not always contain the main entrance.
Installing solar panels on your roof will often fall under permitted development rights, meaning an application for planning permission is not required provided certain limits and conditions are met.
The limits and conditions vary based on the type of roof you want to install the solar panels on and the location of the house. See the details below:
· On a pitched roof, panels should not be installed above the highest part of the roof (excluding the chimney) and should project no more than 200mm from the roof slope or wall surface.
· On a flat roof the highest part of the solar PV equipment cannot be more than 600mm higher than the highest part of the roof(excluding chimney).
· The panels must not be installed on a building that is within the grounds of a listed building or on a site designated as a scheduled monument.
· If your property is in a conservation area, or in a World Heritage Site, panels must not be fitted to a wall which fronts a highway.
As you have stated you’re in a conservation area, you must apply to the local authority for prior approval. This process includes submitting a form to the local planning authority which ensures that you meet the limits set out in legislation.
Forms relating to prior approval for mounting solar equipment can be submitted through the Planning Portal’s online application service and attract a fee of £240.
Visit our solar common projects page for more details and to explore similar permissions.
If you do not seek planning permission, build without it when it applies, or do not meet specified conditions of a planning permission, this is known as a planning breach.
Your local planning authority can serve an enforcement notice on you when they consider you have broken planning rules. You may be given the opportunity to apply retrospectively, or be required to remove a building or structure, or alter it to make it acceptable.
Bricking up or infilling an existing window is classified as permitted development, meaning an application for planning permission is not required to complete the works. You will need to ensure that any materials used are of a similar appearance to the existing exterior of the house.
If you live in a listed building, then you will require planning permission and listed building consent for the change. In this instance it is best practice to talk to your local planning authority first.
