On this page 9 sections
Planning permission decides whether you may build something there and how it looks; building regulations decide whether it is built safely and performs properly. They are separate laws with separate approvals, so a project can need one, both or neither, and getting one never gives you the other. The table below covers 25 common projects in England, with the provision behind each answer.
This guide covers England, as at 20 October 2026. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ, and there is a box for them at the end. The planning answers assume a single house that is not listed and not in a designated area unless the table says so; always check your own property for conditions, Article 4 directions and designations first.
Two systems, two questions
| Planning permission | Building regulations | |
|---|---|---|
| The question | Is this an acceptable use of the land? | Is this work safe and does it perform? |
| What it looks at | Size, siting, appearance, use, neighbours | Structure, fire, drainage, ventilation, electrics, energy |
| Law | Town and Country Planning Act 1990, General Permitted Development Order 2015 | Building Act 1984, Building Regulations 2010 |
| Who decides | The local planning authority | The council's building control, or a registered private approver |
| The trigger | "Development" (s55): building or other operations, or a material change of use | "Building work" (reg 3): erecting or extending a building, material alterations, controlled services and fittings, and more |
| Permission by rule | Permitted development (GPDO 2015) | Exemptions (reg 9, Schedule 2) and installer self-certification (competent person schemes) |
Planning policy itself keeps the two apart. NPPF policy DM7 says proposals "should be assessed on the basis of whether they would be an acceptable use of land", that planning decisions "should not seek to duplicate or extend controls imposed by separate regulatory regimes" (other than where a development plan applies optional technical standards), and that parallel processing of planning and other consents is encouraged. A planning permission can, however, switch on an optional building regulations requirement (for example higher water efficiency) if it specifies the requirement and makes compliance a condition (reg 4(1B)).
The Law Society puts the practical point to sellers in one line: "Building regulation approval is different from planning permission". Government guidance on lawful development certificates says the same from the planning side: a certificate "does not remove the need to comply with any other legal requirements such as the Building Regulations 2010" (PPG 17c-004).
The 25-project table (England)
How to read it: "PD" means permitted development, the planning permission that the GPDO 2015 grants automatically if the limits and conditions are met. "Yes, normally" in the building regulations column means the project is building work under reg 3 in the ordinary case; unusual jobs can differ, and building control can confirm. "Part A", "Part P" and so on are the requirements in Schedule 1, which the Approved Documents explain.
| # | Project | Planning permission? | Building regulations? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Single-storey rear extension | Maybe. PD under Class A if within the limits (up to 3 m deep, or 4 m for a detached house; 6 m or 8 m with prior approval, which is not available on article 2(3) land or a site of special scientific interest). Otherwise yes. Extension guide | Yes. Erecting or extending a building is building work (reg 3(1)(a)) |
| 2 | Loft conversion | Maybe. PD under Class B up to 40 m³ (terrace) or 50 m³ (other houses) of added roof space. Not available on article 2(3) land (B.1(f)), such as conservation areas. Loft guide | Yes, normally. A loft conversion usually alters structure (Part A) and means of escape (B1), both named in reg 3(3) as tests for a "material alteration" |
| 3 | Garage conversion | Often not, where the work is internal or does not materially affect the outside (s55(2)(a)). Check for a condition keeping the garage or its parking (how to check conditions). Garage conversion guide | Yes, normally. Making the space heated can be a "change to a building's energy status", which needs a building notice or full plans (reg 12(1)(c), reg 22), as can infilling openings and new services |
| 4 | Knocking down an internal wall | No, in an unlisted building: works affecting only the interior are not development (s55(2)(a)(i)). Listed building: consent likely needed (LBCA 1990 s7) | Depends. It is building work if it is a "material alteration", which includes making structure (Part A) or fire safety and escape (B1, B3) worse (reg 3(2) and (3)). Load-bearing walls are the usual case |
| 5 | Removing a chimney breast | No for the interior work (s55(2)(a)(i)); listed buildings need consent (s7). Altering a chimney stack above the roof is separate: check whether it changes the outside | Depends, as for a wall: structure (Part A) is the usual issue. On a party wall, the Party Wall Act lets the building owner cut away a projecting chimney breast (s2(2)(g)) after notice. Party wall guide |
| 6 | New window or door opening | Often PD under Class A, which the technical guidance says covers "general alterations such as new windows and doors". Conditions: similar materials (A.3(a)) and obscure-glazed, high-opening upper-floor side windows (A.3(b)). Not on a listed building without consent. Windows guide | Yes for the opening if it affects structure (Part A). New glazing must also meet the energy and safety requirements |
| 7 | Replacement windows or doors (like for like) | Usually no where the outside is not materially affected (s55(2)(a)(ii)), but listed buildings, Article 4 areas and conditions can say otherwise. Windows guide | Yes, through building control or an installer in a competent person scheme such as Fensa, which self-certifies (scheme list, "Replacement windows, doors, roof windows or rooflights") |
| 8 | Porch | Maybe. PD under Class D only if ground area is no more than 3 m², no part is over 3 m high, and none is within 2 m of a boundary with a highway. Porch guide | Often exempt under Schedule 2 Class 7: ground-level, up to 30 m², with glazing meeting requirements K4 and K5.1 to K5.4 of Part K |
| 9 | Conservatory | Treated as an extension: same Class A limits as row 1. Conservatory guide | Often exempt under Class 7 (ground-level, up to 30 m², compliant glazing). Electrics still need Part P if supplied from the house (reg 9(3)) |
| 10 | Outbuilding, no one sleeps in it | Maybe. PD under Class E: single storey; 2.5 m high within 2 m of a boundary, otherwise 3 m (4 m with a dual-pitched roof); eaves 2.5 m; not forward of the principal elevation; not in the curtilage of a listed building. Shed guide, garden office | Often exempt under Class 6: up to 15 m², or up to 30 m² if at least 1 m from the boundary or substantially non-combustible. Part P (electrics) and parts of Part G (water) still apply if supplied from the house (reg 9(2) and (3)) |
| 11 | Outbuilding with sleeping accommodation | Class E covers buildings "required for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse", and excludes anything that "relates to a dwelling" (E.1(i)). A bedroom building used as a separate home is not PD. Annexe guide, log cabin guide | Yes. No Class 6 exemption: it requires "no sleeping accommodation". Adding sleeping use to a building in classes 1 to 6 is a material change of use (reg 5(f)). Log cabin building regs guide |
| 12 | Decking | PD up to 0.3 m high, within Class E's other limits. A "raised platform" is excluded from Class E (E.1(h)), and the technical guidance defines raised as more than 0.3 m. Decking guide | Ordinarily no. Reg 2 defines a "building" as a permanent or temporary building, "but not any other kind of structure or erection". A roofed or enclosed deck, or one forming part of the house, is different: ask building control |
| 13 | Fence, wall or gate | PD under Part 2 Class A up to 1 m next to a highway used by vehicles and 2 m elsewhere. Not around a listed building. Fence guide | Ordinarily no. A fence or wall is not a "building" under reg 2 |
| 14 | Driveway or hard surface | PD under Class F. In front of the house, more than 5 m² must be porous or drain to a permeable area within the curtilage (F.2). A new vehicle access onto a highway has its own rule: Part 2 Class B covers it only where the road is not a trunk or classified road and the access is needed for other PD development. Driveway guide | Ordinarily no (not a building) |
| 15 | Solar panels | Mostly PD under Part 14. The rules were restructured, including plug-in solar, from 27 August 2026 (SI 2026/896). Solar guide | Yes, for the electrical work (Part P). Where it involves a new circuit, a building notice or full plans is needed unless a competent person scheme member does it (reg 12(6) and (6A)) |
| 16 | Air source heat pump | PD under Part 14 Class G: no boundary-distance limit in Class G since 29 May 2025 (SI 2025/560); one unit (two on a detached house), outdoor unit up to 1.5 m³, not solely for cooling, compliant with the MCS Planning Standards. Heat pump guide | Yes. Heating installations are controlled services; installers in a competent person scheme can self-certify (scheme list, "Heating and hot water systems") |
| 17 | EV charger | PD under Part 2 Classes D and E, extended by SI 2026/1056, in force from 21 October 2026 (the day after the date of this guide), to wall-mounted outlets in any area within the curtilage, not just off-street parking, with new limits such as a 1.6 m maximum height. The new route allows one outlet per property and does not apply in conservation areas. EV charger guide | Yes, for the electrics. A new circuit needs a building notice or full plans unless installed by a competent person scheme member (reg 12(6) and (6A)(a)) |
| 18 | Rewiring | No: interior work (s55(2)(a)). Listed building: check consent | Yes. Installing a new circuit or replacing a consumer unit needs a building notice or full plans unless a scheme member does it (reg 12(6) and (6A)) |
| 19 | New boiler | No for the appliance. An external flue is covered by Class G (less than 1 m above the highest part of the roof; extra limits on article 2(3) land) | Yes. Gas work is by a Gas Safe registered installer, which carries the building regulations responsibilities; other fuels have scheme routes (scheme list, "Combustion appliances") |
| 20 | En-suite bathroom | No: interior work (s55(2)(a)). Listed building: check consent | Yes. Providing a controlled service or fitting is building work, and plumbing and drainage are controlled (Parts G and H, reg 2). A plumbing scheme member can self-certify the fittings, but not work on shared or underground drainage (scheme list) |
| 21 | House into flats, or a new HMO layout | Yes for flats: a material change of use (s55). HMOs: see the flats and HMOs guide | Yes for flats: a building that now contains a flat, or more or fewer dwellings, is a material change of use (reg 5(b) and (g)), triggering reg 6 requirements. HMOs: ask building control. Whether an HMO's bedrooms are "rooms for residential purposes" under reg 5(h) and (i) depends on the facts (reg 2 defines the term), and the fire-safety work an HMO usually needs is often building work anyway |
| 22 | Basement | Generally yes. The interior-works exemption in s55(2)(a) excludes works begun after 5 December 1968 that provide additional space underground. Basement guide | Yes. Structure (Part A), and underpinning is itself building work (reg 3(1)(f)). Excavating near a neighbour's foundations can also need a Party Wall Act s6 notice |
| 23 | Render, cladding or external wall insulation | Maybe. Materials must be of similar appearance (Class A, A.3(a)), and on article 2(3) land cladding with render, stone, timber, plastic or tiles is not PD (A.2(a)). Cladding guide | Maybe. Adding a new layer (not just a decorative finish) to a wall is "renovation" of a thermal element (reg 2); if it covers more than 50% of the element's surface (or is a major renovation) the whole element must meet Part L where feasible (reg 23). Insulation installers can self-certify through a scheme |
| 24 | Re-roofing | Usually no for like-for-like, where the outside is not materially affected (s55(2)(a)(ii)). Changing materials, or a listed or conservation-area house: check | Maybe. Replacing a layer counts as renovation of a thermal element, so reg 23 can apply. NAPIT and CompetentRoofer members can self-certify roof coverings, but not solar panel installation |
| 25 | Demolition | Often permitted under Part 11 Class B, subject to a prior approval determination on the method of demolition and restoration. Not for "relevant demolition" in a conservation area (B.1(b)): that needs planning permission | A separate notice: Building Act 1984 s80 requires notice to the council before demolishing, with exceptions (for example a building of not more than 1,750 cubic feet). Not the Regulations themselves |
If your project is not in the table, ask two questions in order. First: is it "development" under s55, so does it change the outside, the land, or the use? Then: is it "building work" under reg 3, so does it erect, extend, materially alter or install a controlled service or fitting?
Internal works: not "development", but not consent-free
Section 55(2)(a) of the 1990 Act says works for "the maintenance, improvement or other alteration of any building" which "affect only the interior of the building", or "do not materially affect the external appearance of the building", are not development (s55(2)(a)). So knocking through, moving a staircase or removing a chimney breast inside an unlisted house does not need planning permission. Three things sit on top of that:
- Listed buildings. Section 7 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 bans works for the "alteration or extension [of a listed building] in any manner which would affect its character" without authorisation, and breaching it is a criminal offence (s9). Internal works can be caught, because the test is the building's character, not whether the work is visible. See planning permission for listed buildings.
- Party walls. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 lets a building owner cut into a party structure (s2(2)(f)) and cut away a projecting chimney breast from a party wall (s2(2)(g)). Notice is by s3. See our party wall guide.
- Building regulations. Internal alterations are building work if they are "material alterations": work that would make the building worse against structure (Part A), means of escape (B1), internal fire spread (B3), external fire spread (B4), fire service access (B5), access and use (Part M) or toilet accommodation (Part T) (reg 3(2) and (3)). Wires, drains and heating are caught separately as controlled services and fittings.
How building regulations approval works
Anyone intending to carry out building work must give the relevant authority either a building notice or an application with full plans (reg 12(2)). Full plans are compulsory for some work, such as buildings the Fire Safety Order applies to, buildings fronting a private street, and work engaging the drainage requirement H4 (reg 12(3) to (5)). A building notice for a new dwelling must also state whether any optional requirement applies, or that planning permission has not yet been granted.
The four routes are:
- Council building control, with a building notice or full plans, followed by inspections and a completion certificate (reg 17).
- A registered private approver, who takes the project on by an initial notice and issues a final certificate (see the 2024 approvers regulations).
- A competent person scheme. Work of the types in Schedule 3 done by a registered installer needs no building notice or plans (reg 12(6)(a)). The installer certifies it and must, within 30 days, give you the certificate and notify the council (reg 20(3)).
- Exempt work: Schedule 2 buildings and Schedule 4 minor work, where no notice is needed (subject to reg 12(6A) for notifiable electrical work).
The resulting certificate is only "evidence (but not conclusive evidence)" of compliance (reg 17(4)). If it goes missing, see no building regulations completion certificate.
What happens if you skip one
The two systems enforce separately, on separate clocks.
| Planning breach | Building regulations breach | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Enforcement notice (TCPA s172); appeal to the Secretary of State, decided by the Planning Inspectorate (s174) | Removal or alteration notice (Building Act s36); injunction (s36(6)) |
| Time limit (England) | 10 years from substantial completion of operations finished on or after 25 April 2024; the old 4-year limit still applies to operations substantially completed before that date (TCPA s171B, SI 2024/452 reg 5) | 10 years from completion since 1 October 2023 (s36(4)); no saving for older work (SI 2023/993 reg 7); injunction has no limit |
| Offence? | Generally no: the breach itself is not an offence, but ignoring an enforcement notice is (s179). The exceptions are works to a listed building without consent (LBCA s9) and demolition in a conservation area without permission (TCPA s196D), which are offences in themselves | Contravening the regulations is an offence (s35) |
| Fix | Retrospective planning application (s73A) or lawful development certificate (s191) | Regularisation certificate (reg 18) |
The planning clock is more nuanced than this row shows: it runs from the date of substantial completion for operations, from the date of the breach for a change of use to a single dwelling, and has exceptions for concealment (see PPG 17b-004). Our guides on planning enforcement time limits and retrospective planning permission cover the planning side in depth. For the building side and what it means when you sell, see no building regulations completion certificate and selling a house without planning permission.
Five common mix-ups
- "Planning approval means building regs are sorted." No. They are separate systems with separate approvals (above). If you get planning permission, you still need to give a building notice or full plans for building work (reg 12).
- "Permitted development means no building regs." No. PD is a planning permission; building regulations apply as normal (reg 3).
- "Internal works never need consent." Not for a listed building (LBCA s7), and not for building regulations where the work is a material alteration.
- "A FENSA certificate is planning permission." No. It is an installer's self-certification under the building regulations (reg 20).
- "A small garden room needs nothing, even with a bed in it." The Class 6 exemption needs "no sleeping accommodation" (Schedule 2).
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Wales. The Building Regulations 2010 apply in Wales, with some Welsh-specific versions of provisions. Planning permitted development for houses sits in a separate Welsh order, the 1995 GPDO as substituted for Wales (Part 1, Classes A to H). Do not use the England limits in the table for a Welsh property.
Scotland. Scotland has its own planning permitted development order for houses (GPDO (Scotland) 1992) and a different building standards system. A building warrant is required before work starts, and doing the work without one is an offence (Building (Scotland) Act 2003 s8).
Northern Ireland. Planning permitted development is in the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, and building control is under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. Enforcement time limits differ too: the planning limit is 5 years for every breach (Planning Act (NI) 2011 s132).
Sources
Every legal statement above is taken from the provision linked at that point. The main primary sources:
- Planning: TCPA 1990 ss55, 57, 73A, 171B, 172, 179 and 191; GPDO 2015 Sch 2 (Parts 1, 2, 11, 14); SI 2024/452 reg 5; SI 2025/560; SI 2026/896; SI 2026/1056
- NPPF (published 17 August 2026), policy DM7
- GOV.UK: Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance (last updated 10 September 2019); PPG lawful development certificates; PPG: enforcement and post-permission matters
- Building: Building Regulations 2010 regs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, Schedules 1 and 2; Building Act 1984 ss35, 36 and 80; SI 2023/993 reg 7; SI 2024/110
- GOV.UK: Approved Documents; competent person schemes (last updated 17 September 2026)
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 ss7 and 9; Party Wall etc. Act 1996 ss2, 3 and 6
- Law Society TA6 (6th edition) explanatory notes
- Nations: Building (Scotland) Act 2003 s8; Planning Act (NI) 2011 s132; GPDO 1995 (Wales); GPDO (Scotland) 1992; GPDO (NI) 2015
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check your own property's conditions, designations and Article 4 directions, and ask your council's building control team if you are unsure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between planning permission and building regulations?
Planning permission asks whether a development is an acceptable use of land; building regulations ask whether the work is safe and performs properly. They come from different Acts and are approved separately (NPPF policy DM7; Building Regulations 2010 reg 3).
If I have planning permission, do I also need building regulations approval?
Usually yes, if the project is building work as reg 3 defines it. Planning permission does not discharge a building regulations requirement.
Does permitted development mean I don't need building regulations?
No. Permitted development is a planning permission only.
Do I need planning permission to knock down an internal wall or remove a chimney breast?
Not normally: s55(2)(a) takes interior-only works outside "development". Listed buildings are the exception (LBCA s7). Building regulations and, for a party wall, the Party Wall Act may still apply.
Is a FENSA certificate the same as planning permission?
No. It is an installer's self-certification under the building regulations.
Does a garden room with a bed in it need building regulations?
Generally yes: Class 6 exempts only buildings with no sleeping accommodation.
What happens if I do work without planning permission or building regulations approval?
The two systems enforce separately, each with its own 10-year limit in England, but with different transitional rules (see the table above).
Disclaimer: PlanWatch provides general information about UK planning processes. This content is not legal advice. Planning law is complex and varies by local authority. Consult a qualified planning consultant or solicitor for advice specific to your situation.