[Closed] Planning permission

no you don’t need an architect - assuming it’s fairly simple and you know what you want you just need an accurate and detailed drawing - you can diy by finding similar designs on the portal and doing your own using some free/cheap CAD software or find someone who has CAD and tell them your measurements

Could well be permitted development. There is a useful guide on the planning portal website.

For PP you just need a scale drawing of your house and extension on the plot. Depending on size, location etc permitted development might mean you don’t need PP.

You don't need an architect but shit it can make things go alot smoother. They can also keep you within permitted development if it applys and you ask them to.

A mate of mine(a fellow mech eng) did his own drawings to take out a wall. After 3 attempts at getting it through he gave in and got someone in. Passed first time very minimal changes. Just they know what's expected.

But then I wouldn't expect an architect to get a well completion proposal schematic through an approval process either.

If you do need help, I used these guys and found them very good.
https://www.simpleplans.net/

I've done my own applications a couple of times. Wasn't too onerous. There should be a list of all the drawings you need on the council website. They don't need to be professionally drawn but they need to be clear and have all the right information. Have a look on the council website for previously approved plans for an idea.

As mentioned above if you have permitted development rights and you can keep to the limits then you don't need to do anything. The main constraint is a 2.5m height limited if it is near a boundary.

Nickjb, that's why you need someone with experience 🙂 As it's an extension the limit on height adjacent to the boundary is 3m with a flat roof, though parapet wall if you have one can be higher.

OP, is the house a semi? detached? how far from rear wall will the extension project?

Councils all seem to have planning portals now, worth poking around for similar previous applications to see what they submitted.

Going through similar at the moment for a new garage (close enough to boundary / too high) to need planning, there's a lot that are very, very basic CAD or hand drawn. Getting across everything they need is more important than fancy drawings.

If you need help drawing up I'll be happy to help. Run a guiding business these days but I trained as an architect and still do small bits and pieces like this. I could help you put some drawings together and navigate the planning application a little. I'm not a seasoned pro but understand what is needed. I wouldn't charge much, that way you can do a bit yourself and get a little help without the expensive architects fees. Let me know if you would like some help and I can pass on some contact details.

@Kryton57
I tried to message you but it's not working.
I don't mind at all you passing on my recommendation to Simple Plans.
But seeing as I couldn't message you, I emailed him instead.
Hope the extension goes well 🙂

Thanks @thePilot, much appreciated and everyone else for the advice. Fwiw it’ll be a 5m x 3.5m single story out the back. It’s currently a separated 4mx3m breeze block outbuilding used as shed / mancave but we want to join it to the house, bring the outside-doored toilet inside and add a shower, and make it small office / exercise / bike room.

I do have worries about cost vs value of taking what I feel will be 30k out of our savings and not adding it to the value of the house, but we’ve 10 years planned here so adding some permanent space seems a good idea, and with us 6 mins walk from a train into London any sale should attract mid life professionals like us with similar expectation I would have thought, so it won’t be wasted.

Once that showers in we then need the bathroom replaced which is starting to get urgent, so the builders availability concerns me also.

even if it does come under PD rights then you still need building standards approvals, and as its an extension would need to be fully compliant. I'd get an architect or technologist and engineer to help if i were you or take AnyExcusetoRide's offer, homegrown plans are fine for PD confirmations but not if you want technical approval and a completion certificate, which you'll need. Get proper advice and employ a professional

Yes, if you make it attached it'll be classed as an extension and need building regs sign off. The rules are different for the different parts of the UK but it'll add quite a bit to the build in terms of structure and thermal performance. You might want these things anyway but it will add cost

Lots of potential problem areas mentioned if you're joining it ot the house- you'll now have a habitable room for regs purposes, add proper foundations to the mix, fire regs- it's as likely that you'll end up paying ofr the privilege of knocking the thing down and starting again. And then your 30k won't even touch the sides in Londinium/SE.

Architect or properly knowledgable person is going to be needed imo.

Really? That ^^ doesn’t fill me with hope. I’m not paying more than that.

Keeping it as a detached outbuilding will be much easier and cheaper. Simpler to avoid planning and building regs.

Keeping it as a detached outbuilding will be much easier and cheaper.

It will also.mean it's of minimal importance/value when he comes to sell.

If it's attached it's a potential bedroom. If it's detached it's a shed or at best in the current climate *home office * (shed)

It also.changes it's insurance status. Once it becomes an outbuilding your coverage is limited with most regular suppliers.

Yes attached is better, is it £30,000+ better? Maybe, but only if you have an extra £30,000 to spend

OP hope you don't mind - is relevant and useful I hope!

As an extension (boom tish) to the OPs question I am struggling to get prices from builders that mean much without having architect plans and building reg drawings.

I've done a basic plan but it obviously doesn't cover anything like foundation spec and steel work nor regs. One builder said £1750 per m2 based on a flat roof another said £2-3k based on pitched.

Best price all in price we have been quoted for the plans (as many version as required), building regs planning submissions is £5k. For £500 they will do surveys and base design in prep for proper plans.

We can't warrant £5k just to discover we can't afford the whole extension but what does one do in this situation?

For £500 they will do surveys and base design in prep for proper plans.

A good builder will be able to give rough costs off this and it gives a bit of an idea that your serious. Fag packet drawings rarely garner much interest when the builders busy.

The issue with building is that you never fully know what the scoop is until you strike ground so unlike many things even with a concrete (badumtish) quote a builder will have caveats to increase if necessary on getting going.....wont be the first time ground conditions across site weren't as expected after site survey

We had builders quoting at 55k average for 5*7m extension without kitchen. Neighbours been quoted the same from different builder with the extension turned 90degres

the architect We used gave us a budgetary figure of 60k in initial consultation for what we asked for.

All in I was happy we used an architect but perhaps we just got a good architect.

This is what I was building up to asking, having now learned that the planning permission will last for three years, its a bit more justifiable to pay for the drawings and permission if we - as seems increasingly likely - have under anticipated what this will cost.

Op, I would suggest that your budget, for a legit attached extension to regs, is to put it politely optimistic.

You could down the route of building as an outbuilding and with a bit of self project management/DIY you could end up with a decent usable space, potentially to regs within budget. This will not add anywhere near as much value to your property as committing to a costlier signed off extension, that's something to consider/weigh up.

The m2 prices quoted above are realistic, and can be anywhere from £1500-2500m2 dependent on spec, as a base price for a shell, but it's worth taking into account the level of finish inc decorating/floor coverings etc, as this is often overlooked.

The reason you haven't had anything other than ball park m2 figures from builders is most likely down to the fact that you are scoping out initial costings and haven't got a set of developed plans/spec. It takes a long time to put a thorough and detailed quote together and speaking from experience, I wouldn't go to that level of effort for someone who is wanting speculative costings, without a full set of plans. Im usually happy to offer plenty of advice and ball park figures at initial stages, but it takes some commitment from both parties before taking it any further.

Hope that helps

To both OP and Boombang. I sounds like the first thing you should do is measure up and put together some existing drawings, you can do half of that yourself with a bit of guidance. Then describe roughly what you are after (make a small brief) to an architect or someone who knows how to draw/design properly. Then they can put together some measured drawings for you which you can then take to a builder/contractor to get some more accurate quotes.

It seems worth spending a little bit of money on this first step then you know where you stand with prices and regulations and you can adjust the design from there.

It won't be a waste of money as you can use it as a base to adjust the design from later and at worst you'll have a decent set of drawings going forward. You'll likely need these at a later stage anyway.

If you want help with that, let me know. It wouldn't be too much work or cost to measure up and get some initial drawings down if you're willing to do some of the work yourselves.

OP, where are you based?

Very North London....