Free planning permission check for any property in England
Check whether your project needs planning permission in 90 seconds - free, no signup, for any address in England. Extensions, loft conversions, new builds, change of use, outbuildings, prior approvals and more.
Checked live against 9 national sourcesPowered by Claude · 4 million+ English planning decisions analysed
planning.data.gov.ukHistoric England NHLEEnvironment Agency flood zonesOrdnance SurveyMHCLG EPC registerMHCLG Live Table P120ONSPD / postcodes.ioGOV.UK PD Technical GuidanceGPDO 2015 (as amended)Every English Local Planning Authority
planning.data.gov.ukHistoric England NHLEEnvironment Agency flood zonesOrdnance SurveyMHCLG EPC registerMHCLG Live Table P120ONSPD / postcodes.ioGOV.UK PD Technical GuidanceGPDO 2015 (as amended)Every English Local Planning Authority
!
WarningThis tool gives general guidance based on public planning data. It is not legal advice. Always verify with your local planning authority before starting work.
What is the address of the property?
Enter your address or postcode, then click Find address to select the match.
So Jonathan can WhatsApp you your report summary - no calls unless you ask. No spam.
Free. No obligation. We only ever call if you ask us to.
Free planning check - example reports
Example reports, project by project
Each example below is the exact report the checker produces, on illustrative data - including the honest answers, not just the green ones. Your report is built live from your address in about 40 seconds.
Over the 3m automatic limit but within the 6m Prior Approval allowance - the route most homeowners with a decent-sized extension actually use.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Likely eligible via Prior Approval (Larger Home Extension)
Prior Approval - Larger Home Extension - Your 6m rear extension is above the 3m Permitted Development limit but qualifies for Prior Approval (up to 6m on an attached house).
Planning check results
24 Sample Avenue, London N12 8XX · Checked 2 July 2026
Unlocked
Planning routePrior Approval - Larger Home Extension
PropertySemi-Detached · Barnet▾
UPRN
200000000000
Type
Semi-Detached
Built
1930-1949
Floor area
96 m² (5 rooms)
EPC rating
D (potential B)
Building footprint
58 m²
Garden
14 m deep, 92 m² area
Storeys
2, hipped roof
Council
Barnet, Woodhouse
Planning constraints10 of 10 checks passed
Approval likelihoodHigh▾
Based on 34 comparable decided applications within 1km (91% approved). Tree works, adverts and condition discharges are excluded.
Next steps3 actions▾
Submit a Larger Home Extension Prior Approval application (42-day decision)
Notify the council with completed neighbour-consultation form + plans
Serve Party Wall notices on adjoining owners (2 months before works)
Things to think about2 to track▾
YESBuilding Regulations
Structural work always needs a Building Regulations application
YESParty Wall Act
Works to or near a shared wall - notices due 2 months before starting
LOWRight to Light risk
Low risk - works unlikely to affect neighbour light
What neighbours got approved2 nearby▾
APPROVEDSAMPLE/2025/04122025-09-12
Single-storey rear extension (6m deep)
APPROVEDSAMPLE/2024/11872024-06-03
Rear extension with rooflights
Architecture feefrom £1,295
What Mayfair Studio would charge to do all the drawings and paperwork for you. Plus the council's Prior Approval fee.
Loft conversion
Hip-to-gable loft with rear dormer on a terrace
Permitted Development
Within the 40m³ terrace allowance, so no planning application - a Lawful Development Certificate formally confirms it for £274.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Likely eligible under Permitted Development
Permitted Development (Class B - loft) - Your 38m³ loft addition is within the 40m³ Permitted Development limit for a mid-terrace house.
Planning check results
11 Sample Terrace, London SE7 7XX · Checked 2 July 2026
Unlocked
Planning routePermitted Development (Class B - loft)
Planning constraints10 of 10 checks passed
Approval likelihoodHigh▾
Based on 26 comparable decided applications within 1km (88% approved). Tree works, adverts and condition discharges are excluded.
Next steps2 actions▾
Apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to confirm rights formally
Serve Party Wall notices on adjoining owners (2 months before works)
Things to think about2 to track▾
YESBuilding Regulations
Structural work always needs a Building Regulations application
YESParty Wall Act
Works to or near a shared wall - notices due 2 months before starting
LOWRight to Light risk
Low risk - works unlikely to affect neighbour light
Architecture feefrom £1,595
What Mayfair Studio would charge to do all the drawings and paperwork for you. Plus the council's Lawful Development Certificate fee (£274).
Side extension
Single-storey side extension in a conservation area
Planning required
Side extensions are not Permitted Development on designated land - the honest answer is a householder application, designed to conservation-area guidance.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Planning permission required
Householder Planning Application - Side extensions (and the side of a wrap-around) aren't allowed under Permitted Development in a Conservation Area.
Planning check results
3 Sample Grove, London NW6 2XX · Checked 2 July 2026
Unlocked
Planning routeHouseholder Planning Application
How your council decides1 key point▾
This council asks for a heritage statement on all conservation-area applications
Specific numeric rules
Side extension width
Subordinate to the main house
Planning constraints1 issue found⚠
Approval likelihoodMedium▾
Based on 19 comparable decided applications within 1km (79% approved). Tree works, adverts and condition discharges are excluded.
Next steps2 actions▾
Submit a Householder Planning Application (8-week target decision)
Design to matching materials per the conservation-area guidance
Things to think about2 to track▾
YESBuilding Regulations
Structural work always needs a Building Regulations application
YESParty Wall Act
Works to or near a shared wall - notices due 2 months before starting
LOWRight to Light risk
Low risk - works unlikely to affect neighbour light
Architecture feefrom £1,995
What Mayfair Studio would charge to do all the drawings and paperwork for you. Plus the council's householder application fee (£548).
Wraparound extension
Rear + side return on a Victorian terrace with an original outrigger
It depends
The outrigger's side wall counts as a side elevation under the PD rules, so the widths decide PD vs planning - exactly the nuance most checkers miss.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Route depends on scope - call to confirm
Permitted Development (Class A) (provisional) - Your house has an original rear projection. An extension built beside it is treated as a side extension (half the original house width maximum) - whether your design stays within that depends on the exact widths.
Planning check results
52 Sample Road, London E17 6XX · Checked 2 July 2026
Unlocked
Planning routePermitted Development (Class A) (provisional)
Planning constraints10 of 10 checks passed
Approval likelihoodMedium▾
Based on 22 comparable decided applications within 1km (84% approved). Tree works, adverts and condition discharges are excluded.
Next steps2 actions▾
Measured survey first - the widths decide PD vs planning before anything is drawn
If over the half-width cap: householder application with precedent evidence from the street
Things to think about2 to track▾
YESBuilding Regulations
Structural work always needs a Building Regulations application
YESParty Wall Act
Works to or near a shared wall - notices due 2 months before starting
LOWRight to Light risk
Low risk - works unlikely to affect neighbour light
Architecture feefrom £1,595
What Mayfair Studio would charge to do all the drawings and paperwork for you. Plus the council's Prior Approval fee.
Two-storey extension
Two-storey rear extension on a detached house
Planning required
Two-storey rears are tightly restricted under Class A and in practice almost always go through a planning application - the design work is where approval is won.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Planning permission required
Householder Planning Application - Two-storey rear extensions are not covered by Class A PD. Householder planning permission required.
Based on 21 comparable decided applications within 1km (86% approved). Tree works, adverts and condition discharges are excluded.
Next steps2 actions▾
Design to neighbour-amenity tests (45-degree rules) before submission
Submit a Householder Planning Application (8-week target decision)
Things to think about2 to track▾
YESBuilding Regulations
Structural work always needs a Building Regulations application
YESParty Wall Act
Works to or near a shared wall - notices due 2 months before starting
LOWRight to Light risk
Low risk - works unlikely to affect neighbour light
Architecture feefrom £1,995
What Mayfair Studio would charge to do all the drawings and paperwork for you. Plus the council's householder application fee (£548).
Outbuilding or garden room
2.4m-high garden office at the rear boundary
Permitted Development
Under the 2.5m boundary-height limit and behind the house, so no application needed - the check confirms the exact caps before you order the building.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Likely eligible under Permitted Development
Permitted Development (Class E - outbuilding) - Your outbuilding is 2.5m from the boundary and 2.4m tall - within the limits for garden buildings.
Planning check results
19 Sample Lane, St Albans AL1 4XX · Checked 2 July 2026
Unlocked
Planning routePermitted Development (Class E - outbuilding)
Planning constraints10 of 10 checks passed
Approval likelihoodHigh▾
Based on 12 comparable decided applications within 1km (90% approved). Tree works, adverts and condition discharges are excluded.
Next steps2 actions▾
Confirm outbuildings cover under half the garden, then build - no application needed
Building Regulations apply if over 30m² or with sleeping accommodation
Things to think about0 to track▾
NOBuilding Regulations
Detached, under 30m², no sleeping accommodation - exempt
NOParty Wall Act
No works to a shared structure
LOWRight to Light risk
Single storey at the rear boundary
Architecture feefrom £795
What Mayfair Studio would charge to do all the drawings and paperwork for you. No council application needed if built within PD limits - an optional certificate (LDC) costs £274.
Change of use
Empty shop (Class E) to a one-bed flat
It depends
Commercial Class E buildings may qualify for Prior Approval under Class MA instead of full planning - the current lawful use decides the whole route.
Open the full sample report▾
SAMPLE REPORTIllustrative data - run the checker for your address
Route depends on scope - call to confirm
Full Planning Application (provisional) - Change of use usually needs a full planning application. If the building is currently commercial (shop, office or cafe - Class E), Prior Approval under Class MA may be available instead. The current lawful use needs to be confirmed first.
Planning check results
112 Sample High Street, Coventry CV1 4XX · Checked 2 July 2026
UK coverageevery English Local Planning Authority in scope for the free check · scroll to zoom
UK coverage
The free check runs on any address in England.
Every English Local Planning Authority is covered, with the deepest borough-policy detail in London. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own planning law and aren’t covered yet - the checker says so honestly rather than guessing.
Deepest policy coverage (London boroughs + tested LPAs)Covered by the national datasets
The tool above is a free permitted development checker UK homeowners can run on any address: no signup, no email, results on screen in 90 seconds. It also works as a free planning check for home extension UK projects of every kind (rear, side return, wraparound, two-storey, loft) and returns an instant planning constraints report covering permitted development eligibility, conservation areas, Article 4 directions, listed buildings, flood risk, the recommended application route and a build cost estimate.
Cross-references over 4 million English planning decisions from the MHCLG Live Table P120 (2016-2025), every conservation area, every Article 4 direction, every listed building and every London borough's policy documents.
What this check includes
Ten individual data checks across national planning datasets and borough policy, returned as a single plain-English report with a recommended route. Works for any residential project - extension, loft conversion, basement, new build, change of use, outbuilding or listed building works.
Permitted development eligibility for your specific project and property type
Whether you need to submit a planning application or can proceed under PD
Conservation area designation (affects materials, windows and PD rights generally)
Article 4 directions (where councils have withdrawn PD rights in specific streets)
Listed building status (Grade I, II* or II: all three need Listed Building Consent for works affecting character)
Tree preservation orders (TPOs) and conservation-area tree protection
Environment Agency flood zone 2 or 3 (affects insurance, design and build cost)
Your London borough's specific planning policy and known enforcement patterns
Realistic build cost estimate based on your borough, property type and project size
Recommended next step, including when you should talk to a chartered consultant
Projects we check
The checker handles every residential project type the GPDO covers - not just extensions. It also covers the commercial-to-residential prior approval routes and most householder permitted development classes.
Rear and side return extensions
Wraparound extensions
Two-storey extensions
Loft conversions (dormer, mansard, hip-to-gable)
Upward extensions (Class AA)
Basement extensions and lightwells
New build houses and mews dwellings
Change of use (Class MA commercial to residential)
Outbuildings and garden rooms
Porches, canopies and bay windows
Prior approval applications (3-8m rear)
Listed building consent (Grade II)
The checker covers every English local planning authority (district councils, unitary authorities, metropolitan and London boroughs, plus National Park Authorities) and every property type: detached, semi-detached, terraced, end-of-terrace, flat, maisonette, listed building and new build. All 33 London planning authorities (32 boroughs plus the City of London Corporation) have the deepest borough-policy coverage. Outside England the address lookup still works, but permitted development advice is indicative only because Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate under separate planning legislation.
Data sources
Every result is built from authoritative UK government sources so the answer is verifiable and up to date. Click through to the underlying dataset if you want to cross-check.
planning.data.gov.uk - conservation area boundaries, Article 4 directions, listed buildings, tree preservation orders, permitted development applications
Planning fees and timings in England, from 1 April 2026
These fees are set nationally by the government - they do not vary between councils. If someone quotes you a different number for one of these standard actions, they are wrong.
The four realistic ways to find out whether you need planning permission for your project, ranked by speed, cost and specificity.
This check
Call your council
Planning Portal
Paid pre-app
Cost
Free
Free
Free
£200-£500
Time to answer
90 seconds
2-4 weeks
Self-service
4-6 weeks
Address-specific
Yes
Sometimes
No
Yes
Checks conservation area
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Checks Article 4
Yes
Sometimes
No
Yes
Checks listed buildings
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Checks flood risk
Yes
No
No
Sometimes
Build cost estimate
Yes
No
No
No
Written record
Yes
No
No
Yes
Legally binding
No
No
No
Indicative only
Frequently asked questions
Answered without the sales pitch. Sources verified against GOV.UK, the Planning Portal and the GPDO 2015.
Is there a free permitted development checker for the UK?
Yes. The tool on this page is a free permitted development checker UK households can use for any address, with no signup and no email. It applies the GPDO 2015 rules to your property and project, checks conservation areas, Article 4 directions, listed building status, tree preservation orders and flood risk, then returns your permitted development eligibility, a recommended route and a build cost estimate in about 90 seconds.
How can I get a free planning check for a home extension?
Enter your address in the checker above, pick your extension type and describe the project in one sentence. It is a free planning check for home extension UK projects of every kind: in about 90 seconds you get permitted development eligibility, the planning constraints on the property, the recommended application route and an indicative build cost. No signup is required.
Can I get an instant planning constraints report for my property?
Yes. The checker returns an instant planning constraints report for any address in England: conservation area designation, Article 4 directions, listed building status, tree preservation orders and Environment Agency flood zones, alongside permitted development eligibility, a recommended route and a build cost estimate. It is free, on screen in about 90 seconds, with no signup.
Do I need planning permission for my project?
Most small residential projects fall under permitted development and do not need planning permission if they stay within national size limits. You will need a full planning application if the property is listed, in a conservation area, behind an Article 4 direction, or if the project exceeds the GPDO limits. The same applies whether you are planning an extension, loft conversion, basement, new build, outbuilding or change of use.
Do I need planning permission for an extension?
Most small single-storey rear extensions fall under permitted development and do not need planning permission if they stay within size limits. You will need a full planning application if the house is listed, in a conservation area, has had PD rights removed by an Article 4 direction, or if the extension exceeds the GPDO limits. Rules are set by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1.
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
A loft conversion usually does not need planning permission if the added roof volume stays under 40 cubic metres for terraces or 50 cubic metres for semis and detached houses. You will need planning permission if the property is a flat, sits in a conservation area, extends beyond the existing roof plane at the front, or raises the highest part of the roof. Any upper-floor side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed, with any openable part at least 1.7 metres above the internal floor level.
Do I need planning permission for a new build, change of use or outbuilding?
New dwellings always need full planning permission: permitted development does not cover building from scratch. Change of use from one planning Use Class to another usually needs either full planning or a prior approval (for example, Class MA covers commercial premises in Use Class E converting to residential). Small outbuildings and garden rooms are usually permitted development if they sit behind the principal elevation of the house, cover less than 50 percent of the curtilage of the original dwellinghouse, and stay under 2.5 metres high if within 2 metres of a boundary.
What size extension can I build without planning permission?
Under permitted development you can build a single-storey rear extension that projects up to 3 metres beyond the rear wall of the original house on a semi or terrace, or 4 metres on a detached house. Larger extensions up to 6 metres (semi/terrace) or 8 metres (detached) are allowed under the Larger Home Extension prior approval process, with a maximum height of 4 metres. A two-storey rear extension must not project more than 3 metres beyond the rear wall of the original dwellinghouse and no part of it can be within 7 metres of any boundary opposite the rear wall.
How long does planning permission take in 2026?
In England minor applications (including householder) are decided within 8 weeks, major applications within 13 weeks, and applications accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment within 16 weeks. The clock starts when the local planning authority validates your application, not when you submit it, and you can agree an extension of time in writing with the case officer. These are statutory targets set by the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.
What is an Article 4 direction?
An Article 4 direction is a council rule that removes permitted development rights in a defined area, forcing a full planning application for work that would normally be automatic. Councils use them to protect the character of conservation areas or to restrict changes like converting houses into HMOs or short-term lets. The power comes from Article 4 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.
What is the difference between planning permission and permitted development?
Planning permission is a formal council application; permitted development is a national pre-approval that lets certain work proceed without one. Permitted development rights are granted by the GPDO 2015 and cover common projects like small extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings, subject to strict size and siting limits. Both are legally "planning permission" - permitted development is a national grant issued in advance.
How much does planning permission cost in 2026?
A householder planning application in England costs £548 as of 1 April 2026, rising each April with CPI indexation. A householder Lawful Development Certificate (proposed) is half the full application fee (£274), a full application for a single new dwelling is £610, and a prior approval for a larger rear extension or upward extension is £249. A Class MA change of use (commercial to residential) is £260 per dwelling. Our architectural fees (drawings, planning agent, council liaison) are separate and start at £1,295 fixed fee.
When the checker isn't enough
The checker gives you the right answer for the routine 80 percent of residential projects. These cases always need a chartered professional before spending money:
Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings
Basement excavations more than one storey deep
Projects inside the City of London Corporation planning area
Total build cost above £500,000 or floor area above 2,500 m²
Projects triggering an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Planning check by London borough
All 33 London planning authorities are mapped in depth: conservation areas, listed buildings, approval rates and Article 4 directions. Pick your borough:
Last reviewed by Jonathan Blewitt (founder, Mayfair Studio) on 11 April 2026. Next scheduled review: 11 May 2026. Planning fees and decision times verified against the GOV.UK fee schedule, 1 April 2026.