Permitted development rights let you build some extensions, loft conversions, porches, outbuildings and solar panels on a house in England without applying for planning permission, as long as you stay within set limits. Go over a limit, or live in a flat or a protected area, and you will usually need to apply.
This guide covers the rules for houses in England, taken from the Planning Portal, GOV.UK and the legislation itself, all checked 12 November 2026. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, and your council has the final word on any project.
01What are permitted development rights?
Permitted development rights are a national grant of planning permission for certain types of work. GOV.UK’s technical guidance for householders says they let householders improve and extend their homes without a planning application where the impact of the work is proportionate.
The rights are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. Householder projects sit in Part 1 of Schedule 2, and solar panels in Part 14.
Many limits are measured from the “original house”. That means the house as it was first built or, if it was built before 1 July 1948, as it stood on that date. Extensions added by earlier owners count against your allowance.
02What are the main permitted development limits?
The table below summarises the main limits for houses in England. Each one comes with further conditions, set out in the sections that follow.
| Project | Main limit | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Single storey rear extension | 4 metres deep on a detached house, 3 metres on other houses; 4 metres high | Eaves no higher than 3 metres within 2 metres of a boundary |
| Larger single storey rear extension | Up to 8 metres deep on a detached house, 6 metres on other houses; 4 metres high | Prior approval from the council first; not on Article 2(3) land |
| Extension of more than one storey | 3 metres beyond the original rear wall | Not within 7 metres of the rear boundary; not on Article 2(3) land |
| Side extension | Single storey, 4 metres high, no wider than half the original house | Needs permission on Article 2(3) land |
| Loft conversion | 40 cubic metres on a terraced house, 50 cubic metres on other houses | Not on Article 2(3) land |
| Porch | 3 square metres ground floor area, 3 metres high | Not within 2 metres of a boundary fronting a highway |
| Outbuilding | Eaves 2.5 metres; 4 metres high with a dual pitched roof, 3 metres otherwise | No more than 2.5 metres high within 2 metres of a boundary |
| Solar panels on a house | 200 millimetres from a pitched roof slope; 600 millimetres above a flat roof | Not above the highest part of the roof, excluding the chimney |
| All extensions and outbuildings | No more than half the land around the original house covered | Materials similar in appearance to the house |
03Do I need planning permission for an extension?
Not always. Many single storey extensions are permitted development if they stay within the limits in the Planning Portal’s extension guidance. These rules apply to every extension:
- Extensions and other buildings must not cover more than half the land around the original house.
- Nothing can be built forward of the principal elevation, or of a side elevation that fronts a highway.
- The extension cannot be higher than the highest part of the existing roof, and its eaves cannot be higher than the existing eaves.
- Within 2 metres of a boundary, the eaves cannot be more than 3 metres high.
- Exterior materials must be similar in appearance to the existing house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
Single storey rear extensions
A single storey rear extension can go up to 4 metres beyond the original rear wall of a detached house, or 3 metres on any other house, and can be no more than 4 metres high. For layout ideas within those limits, see our guide to single storey extension ideas.
Extensions of more than one storey
A two storey rear extension can go no more than 3 metres beyond the original rear wall, and must not be within 7 metres of the boundary opposite the rear wall. The roof pitch should match the existing house as far as practicable.
Upper floor windows in a side wall must be obscure glazed and non opening, unless the part that opens is more than 1.7 metres above the floor of the room.
Side extensions
A side extension must be single storey, no more than 4 metres high and no wider than half the width of the original house.
04What is the larger home extension scheme?
The larger home extension scheme lets you build a deeper single storey rear extension: more than 4 metres and up to 8 metres on a detached house, or more than 3 metres and up to 6 metres on other houses. The 4 metre height limit still applies, and the scheme is not available on Article 2(3) land or Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
You must apply to the council for prior approval before you start, as the Planning Portal’s prior approval guide explains. Under paragraph A.4 of Class A, you give the council a written description of the extension, including its depth, maximum height and eaves height, plus a site plan, the addresses of adjoining properties and any fee.
The council notifies your adjoining neighbours, who have at least 21 days to comment. If they raise concerns, the council decides whether the impact on neighbouring properties is acceptable.
Work can start once the council tells you in writing that prior approval is not required or has been given, or once 42 days have passed after it received your information without a decision. You must then build to the details you submitted.
05Can I convert my loft without planning permission?
Yes, on many houses. The Planning Portal’s loft conversion guidance says a roof enlargement is permitted development if the extra space, including any earlier enlargement, is no more than 40 cubic metres on a terraced house or 50 cubic metres on other houses. Other conditions apply:
- It cannot be higher than the highest part of the existing roof.
- It cannot extend beyond the existing roof slope on the principal elevation facing a highway.
- Materials must be similar in appearance to the existing house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms, although a Juliet balcony with no platform would normally be permitted.
- Side facing windows must be obscure glazed, and any opening part must be 1.7 metres above the floor.
- Apart from hip to gable work, the enlargement should be set back, so far as practicable, at least 20 centimetres from the original eaves.
Roof enlargements are not permitted development on Article 2(3) land. If you are pricing the work, our guide to loft conversion costs in 2026 covers what to budget for.
06Do I need planning permission for a porch?
No, if it meets the three conditions in the Planning Portal’s porch guidance. The ground floor area, measured externally, must not exceed 3 square metres.
No part can be more than 3 metres above ground level, and no part can be within 2 metres of a boundary that fronts a highway.
07Do I need planning permission for a garden room or shed?
Usually not. Sheds, summerhouses and garden rooms are permitted development within the limits in the Planning Portal’s outbuildings guidance:
- Single storey, with an eaves height of no more than 2.5 metres.
- No more than 4 metres high with a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres with any other roof.
- No more than 2.5 metres high if within 2 metres of a boundary.
- Not on land in front of the principal elevation.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms, and platforms no more than 0.3 metres high.
The rules do not cover using an outbuilding as separate, self contained living accommodation. In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites, outbuildings more than 20 metres from the house are limited to 10 square metres in total.
Any outbuilding within the grounds of a listed building needs planning permission. We go into more detail in do you need planning permission for a garden room in England?
08Do solar panels need planning permission?
Usually not on a house, but the rules changed this year. The Planning Portal says the permitted development right for solar equipment on houses was updated on 27 August 2026. A transitional period runs until 27 August 2027, during which you can follow either the old or the new rules.
Under the new rules for a house:
- On a pitched roof, panels must not sit above the highest part of the roof, excluding the chimney, and can project no more than 200 millimetres from the roof slope.
- On a flat roof, the highest part of the equipment can be no more than 600 millimetres above the highest part of the roof, excluding the chimney.
- On a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway, panels can protrude no more than 0.2 metres; elsewhere the limit is 0.4 metres.
- In a conservation area or World Heritage Site, panels must not be fitted to a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway.
- Equipment should be sited, as far as practicable, to minimise its effect on the building’s appearance.
The Planning Portal also says panels must not be installed on a building within the grounds of a listed building. Our guide to home solar installation covers the practical side, and solar on a listed building looks at the options for listed homes.
09Where do permitted development rights not apply?
- Flats and maisonettes. The Planning Portal says the permitted development rights that apply to many projects for houses “do not apply to flats”. Its porch and outbuilding guidance also excludes maisonettes and some converted houses.
- Conservation areas and other designated land. Article 2(3) land includes conservation areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Broads and World Heritage Sites. There, side extensions, rear extensions of more than one storey, cladding and roof enlargements all need permission, and the larger extension scheme is not available.
- Listed buildings. Listed building consent is needed for demolition, or for alterations or extensions that could affect a listed building’s character. The Planning Portal warns: “It is a criminal offence to carry out work which needs listed building consent without obtaining it beforehand.”
- Article 4 directions. GOV.UK’s technical guidance explains that a council can remove permitted development rights across some or all of its area by issuing an Article 4 direction.
- Planning conditions. Rights can also be removed by a condition on the planning permission for your house, or on a later permission.
- Some newer homes. The loft rules do not apply to houses created from non residential buildings, or built as new homes, under permitted development.
10What is a Lawful Development Certificate?
A Lawful Development Certificate is a decision from your council confirming that a use or building work is lawful for planning purposes. GOV.UK’s guidance on lawful development certificates describes two types: one for proposed work and one for an existing use or work already carried out.
You do not have to get one for permitted development, but anyone can apply. Once a certificate for proposed work is granted, the development “must be presumed as lawful” unless something material changes before work starts.
You need the correct form, the fee and enough evidence, including a precise description of the work. The council looks only at whether the work is lawful, not whether it is desirable, and a refusal can be appealed in certain circumstances.
A certificate covers planning only. It does not remove the need to meet building regulations or to get listed building consent.
11How do I check with my council?
Contact your local planning authority before you start. GOV.UK’s find your local council tool tells you which council covers your address, and its planning permission guide says to check with the planning authority if you think your project may not need permission.
Ask whether your home is on Article 2(3) land, whether an Article 4 direction applies, and whether a planning condition has removed your rights. Some councils charge for pre application advice.
If you build without permission you needed, GOV.UK says you can be served an enforcement notice ordering you to undo the changes. Planning problems can also surface when you sell, as our piece on the hidden planning risks buyers miss shows.
An architect or planning consultant can help with borderline cases; see do I need an architect for planning permission?
12Are the rules different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Wales has its own householder rules, set out in the Welsh Government’s permitted development guidance for householders. Scotland’s are explained on mygov.scot under works allowed through permitted development.
In Northern Ireland, nidirect’s guide to when to apply for planning permission notes there are dimension restrictions for extensions and tighter rules in designated areas. In every part of the UK, check with your local planning authority before you start.
