• Terraced houses have a volume allowance of 40 cubic metres of additional roof space and 50 cubic metres for detached and semi-detached houses.
• No extension beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation that fronts the highway
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof
• Materials should be similar in appearance to the existing house
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms
• Side-facing windows must be glazed and any opening to be 1.7m off the floor
• Roof extensions not to be permitted development in designated areas, such as; national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
• Roof extensions, apart from hip should gable ones, to be set back, at least 20 cm from the original eaves
• The roof enlargement cannot overhang the outer face of the wall of the original house.
The loft conversion may be subject to building regulations and require architectural drawings to be submitted.

Provided you adhere to the limits and conditions listed below:
• No more than half the of land around the house would be covered by additions.
• You should not have an extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.
• Extensions should not be higher than the highest part of the roof.
• Rear extensions for single-storey homes must not exceed the rear wall of the dwelling by more than 4 metres.
• Larger single-storey rear extensions up to 8 metres for detached houses and all other dwelling must go through the Neighbour Consultation Scheme.
• Rear extensions of single-storey dwellings have a maximum height of 4 metres.
• Extensions of more than one storey must not extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than 3 metres or be within 7 metres of any boundary opposite the rear wall of the house.
• Maximum eaves height of an extension within 2 metres of the boundary of 3 metres.
• Maximum eaves and ridge height of extension no higher than existing house.
• Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of 4 metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
• Roof pitch of extensions higher than one storey to match existing house.
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
Rules may be different for flats, maisonettes, other building types or houses created through the permitted development rights to change use. The conservatory may be subject to building regulations and require architectural drawings to be submitted.

You will need planning permission IF any of the following limits and conditions apply:

• If fencing is over 1 metre high next to any highway used by vehicles or the footpath or fencing is over 2 metres high elsewhere.
• If your house is a listed building or in the curtilage of a listed building.
• If the fence, wall or gate, or any other boundary involved, forms a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its curtilage.

Note : You will not need permission to take down your fence unless it is in a conservation area.

Building regulations do not normally apply to outbuildings, such as an outdoors office or summer house, if the floor area of the building in less that 15 meters squared and the building is not used for sleeping. These same rules apply to sheds, greenhouses and garages. If the building is between 15 and 30 square meters and contains no sleeping accommodation you still may not need to apply for building regulations.
However, it is always best to check your project with the local authorities as architectural drawings may need to be submitted.

You do not need planning permission for decking, providing:
• The decking is no more than 30cm above the ground
• The decking or platforms cover no more than 50% of the garden area, provided they are together with other extensions, outbuildings, etc.
A building notice may need to be approved to ensure the materials and construction are adequate.
Rules may be different for flats, maisonettes, other building types or houses created through the permitted development rights to change use.

You do not need planning permission for installing solar panels provided they adhere to these limits and conditions:

Equipment on a building should be sited, so far as is practicable, to minimise the effect on the external appearance of the building and the amenity of the area.

When no longer needed equipment should be removed as soon as reasonably practicable.

Panels should not be installed above the highest part of the roof (excluding the chimney) and should project no more than 200mm from the roof slope or wall surface.

Leaseholders would need to get permission from a landlord, freeholder or management company.

Panels must not be installed to buildings within the grounds of listed buildings or sites designated as a scheduled monument. Nor should they be fitted to a walls which front a highway to properties that are in conservations areas or in World Heritage Sites.

They may still be subject to building regulations and require architectural drawings to be submitted.

You will need to submit architectural drawings of the project to your local authority for building regulations. When building an extension a structural engineer will be needed to calculate the layout and what supports will be needed, particularly for a two-storey extension, this will often be included as part of the architectural drawing process.

Once the project is underway there are many steps that will involve building regulations and as such should be completed by appropriate professionals who can self-certify their work through the correct approval schemes, for example:

Flooring must be structurally sound and provide correct ventilation

Roofing should be carried out by a Competent Roofer, vetted by NRFC

Any walls below ground level should provide adequate support to the above-ground walls and be frost and sulphate resistant

Windows must meet minimum ventilation requirements, these can be met by a FENSA or CERTASS qualified contractor and are often calculated and approved at the drawing stage

There are now a number of energy efficiency building regulations that new-builds and extensions need to take into account

Any electrical installation should be carried out by a trader approved through an appropriate scheme, such as NICEIC.

If the house will be connected to gas for cooking or heating, the gas works must be carried out by a Gas Safe engineer

For plumbing or heating works, an APHC or other appropriate scheme, member contractor can self-certify that they work meets all building regulations

Overall, for a project such as building an extension it is best to have a professional team carry out the calculations and the bulk of the work as all building regulations will need to be met in order to sell the property in the future.

Windows and doors are subject to building regulations to assure energy conservation, security and and ventilation are adequate. Windows are regulated by the amount of heat that passes through them, measured in u-value, which must not exceed U-value 1.6 W(/m².k).

Safety glazing should be provided to any window that is in an unobstructed openable area (at least 0.33 square metres and at least 450mm high and 450mm wide). At least one window in each room should have escape potential to comply with fire safety standards, this window should have a width or height of no less than 450mm, a Clear Openable Area - no less than 0.33m² and the bottom of the openable area should be no more than 1100mm above the floor area. Ventilation levels will depend on the size and use of the room.

It is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure these regulations are met, or to hire a trader on an appropriate scheme. For windows the recognised schemes include FENSA and CERTASS, all traders can be checked on their websites. For an extension or conversion the architectural drawings submitted for building regulation approval should cover all window and door related regulations as standard.

Building regulations do not normally apply to outbuildings, such as an outdoors office or summer house, if the floor area of the building in less that 15 meters squared and the building is not used for sleeping. However, it is always best to check with your local authority if unsure as building regulations or a building notice may apply in certain circumstances.

Architects are highly skilled and professionally trained to turn your aspirations into reality. They will guide you through the design, planning and construction process whether you are constructing a new building or adapting an existing property.

Architects apply impartial and creative thinking to projects large and small. They add value, whether from maximising light and space, adding functionality, or achieving the best return on your investment.

Building regulations apply to the knocking down of walls as a structural engineer must determine whether the wall is load-bearing/supporting or not, the project may require architectural drawings to be submitted. If the wall is supporting then it may be able to be knocked down still but the structural engineer will need to determine what new supports will need to be added.