Permitted development is planning permission granted by national rules for specified work. You can use it only when your property and the whole proposal meet the relevant conditions. A neighbour's extension or an approval percentage cannot establish your rights.
This guide covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different planning rules.
Choose your project
- Rear extensions: planning permission and permitted development. Compare the standard extension route with larger home extension prior approval.
- Loft conversions and dormers. Check roof enlargement limits and property restrictions.
- Garden rooms, sheds and outbuildings. Check height, position and intended use.
- Lawful development certificates. Understand formal evidence that proposed work is lawful.
Porches, rooflights and other alterations have their own rules. Do not apply an extension's limits to a different kind of work. The government's householder technical guidance explains the different classes.
Permitted development, prior approval or planning permission?
Permitted development: your scheme must meet every applicable limit and condition. It is not a discretionary assessment of whether the council likes the design.
Prior approval: some permitted development rights require a council process before work begins. The matters assessed and procedure depend on the particular right. Larger home extensions are one example.
Planning application: where the proposal needs permission and cannot use permitted development, the council assesses an application against the development plan and other relevant considerations.
A lawful development certificate serves a different purpose: formal confirmation of lawfulness. It does not relax permitted development limits. See government guidance on when permission is required.
What should you check at your address?
Start with the property's planning history, the proposed dimensions and any previous additions. Householder rights do not apply to flats. Some houses created through permitted development are excluded too.
An Article 4 direction or planning condition can remove particular rights. Conservation areas and other designated land also affect what is allowed. Check the actual restriction and relevant class, rather than assuming every alteration is prohibited. Listed building consent is a separate consideration.
Find your planning authority to reach its website, planning register and the boundary source where available. Read the decision notices as well as the application descriptions.
Can permitted development cover new homes or conversions?
Some changes of use and new homes have specific permitted development routes. These are separate from ordinary householder extensions and have their own eligibility tests and, where required, prior approval. A garden building allowance does not authorise a separate dwelling.
For these projects, identify the existing lawful use and exact proposed development first. Our homeowner drawing prices should not be treated as a quotation for a development site.
Start with a property check
Start your free permitted development check with your full address and proposed project. Available records can help identify the route and questions to investigate; the check is guidance, not a council certificate.
Local decision records are useful for comparing schemes that need an application. They are not a measure of whether your proposal qualifies as permitted development. Read how our planning data works.
Planning and building regulations are separate. Before construction, check building regulations requirements and any other consents that apply.