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A porch can be constructed outside an external door of a house as long as the ground area of the porch, measured externally, does not exceed three square metres.
Mini Guide
Porch
Adding a porch to any external door of your house is considered to be permitted development, not requiring an application for planning permission, provided the following limits and conditions are met.
This guide offers a visual walk-through of those limits and conditions.
1. Ground area
2. Height
A porch can be constructed outside an external door of a house as long as the highest part of the porch does not exceed three metres.
3. Porch that fronts a highway
A porch can be constructed outside an external door of a house as long as no part of the porch is within two metres of any boundary that fronts a highway.
Building regulations
Building a porch at ground level and under 30 square metres in floor area is normally exempt from building regulations provided they meet a number of conditions. Read further guidance on Planning Portal.
Further information
Details of the house type this Mini Guide applies to, where to find more guidance and access to a downloadable PDF version.
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Notes and disclaimer
Important note
- The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses, not flats, maisonettes or other buildings.
- You should check with your local planning authority whether permitted development rights apply – they may have been removed by what is known as an Article 4 Direction.
- Other consents may be required if your house is listed or in a designated area.
- When planning work, you should read all the advice on the Planning Portal under Your responsibilities. As well as other important information, you will find guidance here on the permitted development regime.
Disclaimer
- Please note, this is an introductory guide and is not a definitive source of legal information. Read full disclaimer.
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Planning Portal
Apply online
Before starting your project, it's important to check whether you need planning permission, building regulations approval, or both. These are separate applications, you can apply for each through the Planning Portal’s online service.
