Planning permission checker: England
Your shed, cabin, summerhouse or garden sauna against the outbuilding rules for England; each result names its paragraph.
Result for England
Likely permitted development
10 of 10 rules within the limits
Building Regulations: exempt
Schedule 2, Class 6, para 3
- Within the rules: Height 2.4 m, within 2 m of the boundary: limit 2.5 m E.1(e)(ii) Limit 2.5 m You 2.4 m
- Within the rules: Eaves 2 m: limit 2.5 m E.1(f) Limit 2.5 m You 2 m
- Within the rules: Single storey E.1(d)
- Within the rules: Not forward of the principal elevation E.1(c)
- Within the rules: Not beside the house in a conservation area or similar protected area E.3
- Within the rules: Buildings cover no more than 50% of the curtilage E.1(b)
- Within the rules: Not within the curtilage of a listed building E.1(g)
- Within the rules: No protected-area limit exceeded E.2
- Within the rules: No verandah, balcony or platform over 0.3 m E.1(h), I
- Within the rules: Use incidental to the house E
All 342 listed garden buildings that state a height likely need no planning permission in England even close to the boundary, going by their height and eaves (height up to 2.5 m within 2 m).
Section: house, garden building and boundary
Drawn to scale from your height and eaves; the distance to the boundary follows your answer, the dashed line is the height limit that applies.
Height must not exceed 2.5 metres if the building is within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage.
E.1(e)(ii)
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.
Rules for outbuildings in England
From Class E of Part 1, Schedule 2 of 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) |
| On article 2(3) land (a conservation area, an area of outstanding natural beauty, an area specified for the purposes of section 41(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Broads, a National Park or a World Heritage Site): no part may be on land between a wall forming a side elevation of the house and the boundary of the curtilage. | E.3 |
| No verandah, balcony or raised platform; a platform counts as raised if it is higher than 0.3 metres. | E.1(h), I |
| 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:
| Exemption | Paragraph |
|---|---|
| A detached building with a floor area of not more than 15 m² and no sleeping accommodation is exempt. | Schedule 2, 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. | Schedule 2, Class 6, para 1 |
Other nations
Each nation of the UK has its own order for permitted development (all four side by side). Near the boundary:
- Wales: height up to 2.5 m within 2 m of the boundary (Class E, E.1(f))
- Scotland: height up to 2.5 m within 1 m of the boundary (Class 3A, 3A(2)(e))
- Northern Ireland: eaves up to 2.5 m within 2 m of the boundary (Class D, D.1(d))
Buildings likely fine close to the boundary in England: garden building finder (filter "Planning permission"). Garden saunas by power supply: sauna finder.