Planning permission may be required for external insulation if it impacts the external appearance of the building. If materials are of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the house, then permission will likely not be required.

Listed buildings will require listed building consent for any significant work.

If you live in a Conservation Area or other protected area you will need to apply for planning permission before making changes to the outside of your house.

Further information and building regulations advice is available on Planning Portal. Read our external walls common project.

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Work to refit a bathroom with new units and fittings does not generally require building regulations approval, although drainage or electrical works that form part of the refit may require approval under the building regulations.

If a bathroom is to be provided in a room where there wasn't one before, building regulations approval is likely to be required to ensure that the room will have adequate ventilation and drainage, and meet requirements with respect to structural stability, electrical and fire safety.

Foundations are required to carry and distribute the load of the building safely. Therefore, all buildings should have adequate foundations. The factors that need to be considered when designing a foundation are:

• Type of soil
• Adjacent structures
• Trees
• Drains and sewers
• Size and construction of the new building
• Ground condition
• Landfill sites

It is advisable to contact a structural engineer or speak to a building control body about plans for new foundations. 

Read more about foundations for extensions.

Changing from a commercial use (use class E) to residential(use class C3) falls under permitted development rights, meaning an application for planning permission is not required.

To use the permitted development right you must meet the rules and regulations set out in legislation, this includes submitting an application for prior approval to the local planning authority. The full list of conditions is available on the government website, or our online application form will tell you whether you are eligible.

If you are not eligible for the permitted development right, you will have to submit an application for full planning permission.

Find out more about change of use

The conversion of a garage, or part of a garage, into habitable space, will normally require approval under the building regulations.

As part of the garage conversion, it is likely that the original garage door will be in-filled with a new wall and possibly a window or door, and a new foundation may be needed for the new wall. 

As well as the foundation, you also need to consider:

• Floor
• Walls  
• Ventilation

Read more about the building regulations for garage conversions.