Do I need planning permission for a garden building?
A check of your shed, log cabin, summerhouse, garden room or garden sauna against the permitted development rules for outbuildings in England, quoted from the legislation. Answer the questions; each result names the paragraph it rests on.
Result for England
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This is a check against the national rules, not legal advice. Your council may have removed permitted development rights (an Article 4 direction or a condition on the original planning permission), and flats and maisonettes have no householder permitted development rights. If in doubt, ask your local planning authority or apply for a Lawful Development Certificate.
The rules for outbuildings in England
From Class E of Part 1, Schedule 2 of the The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. A building that meets every condition needs no planning application.
| Rule | Paragraph |
|---|---|
| Height must not exceed 2.5 metres if the building is within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage. | E.1(e)(ii) |
| Height must not exceed 4 metres for a building with a dual-pitched roof. | E.1(e)(i) |
| Height must not exceed 3 metres in any other case. | E.1(e)(iii) |
| Eaves height must not exceed 2.5 metres. | E.1(f) |
| The building must have no more than a single storey. | E.1(d) |
| Buildings, enclosures and containers (other than the original house) must not cover more than 50% of the curtilage, excluding the ground area of the original house. | E.1(b) |
| No part may be forward of a wall forming the principal elevation of the original house. | E.1(c) |
| No verandah, balcony or raised platform. | E.1(h) |
| Not permitted within the curtilage of a listed building. | E.1(g) |
| In a National Park, the Broads, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or a World Heritage Site: buildings more than 20 metres from any wall of the house must not cover more than 10 square metres in total. | E.2 |
| The building must be required for a purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the house (so not a separate dwelling). | E |
Building Regulations
Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate. In England and Wales, Schedule 2 of the Building Regulations 2010 exempts small detached buildings:
- A detached building with a floor area of not more than 15 m² and no sleeping accommodation is exempt. (Class 6, para 3)
- A detached single-storey building of not more than 30 m² with no sleeping accommodation is exempt if no point is less than 1 metre from the boundary, or if it is built substantially of non-combustible material. (Class 6, para 1)
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
The planning rules above apply in England only; the other nations have their own orders, and this checker does not assess them yet:
- Scotland: Scotland has its own permitted development rules for householders.
- Wales: Wales has its own permitted development order for householders.
- Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland has its own permitted development order.
Buildings that fit the 2.5 m limit: garden building finder (filter "2.5 m or lower"). Garden saunas by power supply: sauna finder.