Planning Permission and Building Regulation Approval are separate requirements and Building Regulation Approval may be required even if Planning is not. Please contact Building Control if you are unsure - see Contacts page.
If your building work is exempt it is best to fill in an exemption form (available from the Forms page) and you will receive notification from us about the exemption. It is best to do this so you will have the correct paperwork if you wish to sell your house.
The following are all categories of exempt work with explanations of the rules of exemption.
Conservatory
A conservatory is exempt if it is mostly constructed of translucent material, its floor area does not exceed 30mē, there is an external grade door between the conservatory and the house and safety glass is used in critical areas (see sketch below).
Garage
A garage is exempt if it is not connected to the dwelling, its floor area does not exceed 30mē, it must be 1m from the boundary or made of substantially incombustible material and safety glass is used in critical areas (see sketch below).
Porch
A porch is exempt if its floor area does not exceed 30mē, there is an external grade door between the porch and the house and safety glass is used in critical areas (see sketch below).
Carport
A carport is exempt if it is open on at least two sides (doors do not count as openings) and its floor area does not exceed 30mē.
Covered Way / Yard
A covered way / yard is exempt if it is attached to the dwelling and its floor area does not exceed 30mē.
Detached Building (Shed etc.)
A detached building is exempt if it has no sleeping accommodation and its floor area does not exceed 15mē.
Safety Glass
Shaded area represents safety glass to BS 6206: 1981
