Do I need building regulations approval in London?
Yes for almost any extension, loft or structural change. A few small buildings are exempt: a detached building of 15m² or less with no sleeping accommodation, and, under set conditions, a detached single-storey one up to 30m². Our Building Regulations drawings start at £745.
Prefer to talk it through?
Planning permission and building regulations are separate approvals
Planning permission decides whether a building may go where you propose it. Building regulations decide whether it is safe and efficient once built: structure, fire, drainage, ventilation, insulation and access. A scheme can be exempt from one and still need the other.
Our guide to planning drawings and Building Regulations drawings shows what each set contains.
The small detached buildings that are exempt
Schedule 2, Class 6 of the Building Regulations 2010 exempts a detached building with a floor area of 15m2 or less and no sleeping accommodation (Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 2).
The same class exempts a detached single-storey building of up to 30m2 with no sleeping accommodation, but only if it stands at least one metre from the boundary or is substantially non-combustible. A garden room used as a bedroom is not exempt, whatever its size.
For a full plans application the authority must notify its decision within five weeks of receipt, or a longer period you agree in writing (Building Regulations 2010, regulation 14A(6)).
What about a garage?
A detached garage fits the 30m2 exemption when it meets the boundary-distance or non-combustible condition. An attached garage is outside the detached-building classes, and turning any garage into a living room brings the work under building regulations.
Our garage conversion drawings service covers that case.
Porches, conservatories and carports
Class 7 exempts a ground-level conservatory, porch, covered yard, covered way or carport open on at least two sides, where the floor area is no more than 30m2. Check the other conditions in the schedule against your design.
Most house extensions, lofts, basements and removed structural walls fall outside every exemption and need a building control body to check them.
How long does a decision take?
For a full plans application the authority must notify its decision within five weeks of receipt, or a longer period you agree in writing (Building Regulations 2010, regulation 14A(6)). Complete drawings and a structural design help that period run smoothly.
Our fixed fee for Building Regulations drawings starts at £745. To choose between the council and a registered building control approver, read how building control in London works.
Sources
Every figure on this page, where it comes from and a link to the original.
| Figure | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 15m2 | Building Regulations 2010 Sch 2 Class 6 para 3: exempt detached building with floor area not exceeding 15m2 and no sleeping accommodation (source wording: 15m2) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 30m2 | Building Regulations 2010 Sch 2 Class 6 para 1: exempt detached single-storey building not exceeding 30m2, no sleeping accommodation, at least one metre from the boundary or substantially non-combustible (source wording: 30m2) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 30m2 | Building Regulations 2010 Sch 2 Class 7: exempt ground-level conservatory, porch, covered yard or covered way, or carport open on two sides, with floor area not exceeding 30m2 (source wording: 30m2) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| five weeks | Building Regulations 2010 reg 14A(6): authority must notify the outcome of a full plans application within five weeks of receipt, or a longer period agreed in writing (source wording: five weeks) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| £745 | DrawingsDirect starting fixed fee for building regulations drawings, from the published price list | drawingsdirect.co.uk |
Questions people ask
Do I need building regulations for a garage?
Can I build first and apply afterwards?
Does a garden office need building regulations?
Photographs: David Hawgood (CC BY-SA 2.0).
