Frequently Asked Questions

A garden office is treated under the same Class E rules as any other outbuilding. If it stays ancillary to the main house, sits at the side or rear, doesn't exceed the height limits and doesn't include sleeping accommodation, it's usually permitted development — no garden office planning application needed. Where the use creeps towards a self-contained workspace (full kitchen, shower room, separate utility supply, paying staff visiting the site), the council will look more closely and a planning application is usually the safer route. Try the free planning checker to find out.

Storage sheds, bike sheds and tool stores are usually permitted development under Class E, provided they meet the size, height and location rules. The most common reasons a shed planning application is needed are: height above 2.5m within 2m of a boundary, position in front of the principal elevation, location in a conservation area, AONB, National Park or the Broads, or an Article 4 direction removing permitted development rights in your area. Check your shed in under 2 minutes.

"Outbuilding" is the planning term that covers everything from a small shed to a substantial garden room, gym, log cabin, summerhouse or workshop. Most domestic outbuildings sit within Class E permitted development. Outbuilding planning permission is needed where the build exceeds the size or height limits, sits on Article 2(3) land, is on land covered by an Article 4 direction, or is intended for a use other than purposes incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse. Where it is needed, we prepare the full outbuilding planning application — drawings, statement and forms — for the fixed fee. Try the free planning checker.

No. Permitted development rights under Class E apply only to dwellinghouses — detached, semi-detached and terraced houses. Flats, maisonettes, HMOs and commercial properties are explicitly excluded. If you live in a flat and want to build an outbuilding in a shared or private garden, you will need to apply for full planning permission. Try our free interactive planning checker to confirm your position.

No. Class E permitted development rights are available only for residential dwellinghouses. Commercial premises, offices, retail units, student accommodation and other non-residential uses are excluded. A full planning application will be needed.

The principal elevation is the main face of the house — usually (but not always) the front. Permitted development for outbuildings under Class E only applies to land at the side or rear of the dwelling, not in front of the principal elevation. If your garden room, garden office or shed would sit forward of that line, you need a full planning application.

If any part of an outbuilding sits within 2 metres of the boundary of your property, the maximum height of that outbuilding is 2.5 metres — measured from the highest point of the natural ground level adjoining the building to the highest point of the roof. Push it further from the boundary and the height limit goes up: 4m for a dual-pitched roof, 3m for any other roof.

There is no outright ban — but the more domestic the fit-out, the more it looks like a separate dwelling, and the more risk that the council treats it as outside permitted development. A small WC and a sink in a garden office is usually fine. A full kitchen and a shower starts to look like an annexe. We assess this carefully at the free check stage.

Not under permitted development. Class E specifically excludes any building "required for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse" being used for sleeping. If your garden room is intended as a guest bedroom, an annexe or somewhere to let on Airbnb, it needs a planning application — or, if you are happy with restrictions, it can be designed and used as ancillary office/leisure space.

Yes. In conservation areas, AONBs, the Broads, National Parks and World Heritage Sites (collectively "Article 2(3) land"), permitted development is more restricted. Most notably, outbuildings to the side of the dwelling are not permitted — only at the rear. There are also tighter rules on bulk and visibility. We check the designation as standard before quoting.

An Article 4 direction is a formal removal of permitted development rights in a particular area. Local authorities use them to control outbuildings, extensions, or front-garden hard-standing in streets where they want to manage character. If you are in an Article 4 area, you may need a planning application even where Class E would normally apply. We check this as standard.

Outbuildings within the curtilage of a listed building are subject to extra controls, and listed building consent may also be needed for any new structure that affects the setting of the listed building. Permitted development for outbuildings is heavily restricted in this situation. Get a free check before you commit to a design.

A Certificate of Lawful Development (CLD) is a formal council confirmation that a development is lawful — either because it qualifies as permitted development, or because it has been in place long enough to be immune from enforcement. If your garden room is within the rules, a CLD gives you a piece of paper that satisfies buyers, mortgage lenders and surveyors. We can prepare and submit the CLD application as part of our standard service.

If it is within permitted development, we can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development to formalise its status. If it is outside permitted development, we can prepare a retrospective planning application. Either way, the right route depends on the specific facts — the free check tells you which one applies and how strong the case is.

£395 + VAT for a Certificate of Lawful Development (location plan + supporting letter). £495 + VAT for the complete planning application package — drawings, planning statement, application form, certificates and submission, plus ongoing agent support to decision. Council application fees are paid separately at cost. We confirm the figure in writing after the free initial check.

No — council application fees are set by national regulations and are paid separately by you, directly to the council. They are typically modest for a householder garden room application. We tell you the exact figure before submission so there are no surprises.

Yes. Existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, sections, site location plan and block plan — all produced in-house by the same Chartered Town Planner who manages your case. You don't need to commission a separate architect or draughtsman.

From instruction, we prepare the full application package within 7 working days. Once submitted, council determination is typically 8 weeks for a householder garden room application.

As your registered planning agent, we deal with the council on your behalf throughout determination. Where amendments would secure approval — a small reduction in eaves, a different roof form, a relocation by half a metre — we'll discuss them with you and negotiate them with the case officer.

We work across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The four planning systems differ in detail, but the underlying principles — permitted development rights, material considerations, policy compliance — are common to all of them.

Usually not. Most garden room cases can be handled remotely on the basis of photos, dimensions and the planning history. For larger or more complex schemes we may recommend a site visit, in which case we'll discuss it with you up front.