Do You Need Planning Permission for Your Renovation?

Two separate approval regimes, one very common mix-up — here's how to work out what your project actually needs.

RenoHub · 18 June 2026 · 6 min read

The single biggest source of confusion

Ask most homeowners whether they need "permission" for a renovation and they'll think of one thing: planning permission. The reality is that there are two entirely separate approval regimes, and many projects need both — or need one but not the other.

Planning permission asks: is this change to your property allowed? It's granted or refused by your Local Planning Authority (LPA) — the council. You apply through the Planning Portal or directly with your council.

Building Regulations ask: is the work being built correctly and safely? They cover structure, fire safety, insulation and energy efficiency, ventilation, drainage, electrics, and more. Approval comes from Building Control — either your local authority Building Control (LABC) team or a private Registered Building Control Approver.

A project can need planning permission but not Building Regulations (rare). It can need Building Regulations but not planning — this is actually very common. It can need both. Or it can need neither (like-for-like redecoration, for instance). The only way to know is to assess each project against each regime separately.

Permitted Development — the shortcut that isn't always available

In England, many common house improvements fall under Permitted Development (PD). This is a national grant of planning permission set out in the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO), meaning certain works are pre-approved as long as they stay within specific conditions and limits — you don't need to submit a full planning application.

The key word is "house." PD rights apply to houses, not flats or maisonettes. If you own a flat, most external work will require a full planning application.

PD rights are also removed or reduced in several situations:

• Conservation areas — cladding, some extensions, and other changes require permission even if they'd normally be PD.
• Listed buildings — PD rights are largely removed, and Listed Building Consent is needed for almost any alteration, inside or out.
• Article 4 directions — councils can withdraw PD rights for specific streets or areas, often in historic neighbourhoods. Only your LPA knows whether one applies to your property.
• AONBs and National Parks — PD rights are reduced on designated land.

Specific thresholds and conditions change over time. Always check the current limits on the Planning Portal and confirm with your LPA before you rely on PD.

Common projects — which approvals typically apply?

Here's a plain-English overview of how the regimes typically fall for the most common renovation projects in England. These are categories, not guarantees — always verify the current position for your specific property.

Single-storey rear extension
Many fall under PD within the relevant size and height limits, though larger ones require planning permission or the prior-approval route. Not PD on flats or designated land. Building Regulations apply — covering structure, foundations, insulation, drainage, and more.

Loft conversion
Often falls under PD within a volume allowance and a set of conditions (for example, dormer windows are more restricted on the principal elevation and on designated land). Loft conversions that exceed the limits need full planning permission. Building Regulations always apply — fire escape, staircase design, floor structure, and insulation all need sign-off.

Internal reconfiguration — removing walls, new layout
Generally no planning permission is needed because there's no external change. But Building Regulations are likely to apply: removing a load-bearing wall requires structural calculations and Building Control approval. Changes affecting fire safety compartmentation also engage the regs.

Kitchen or bathroom refit
Usually no planning permission. Building Regulations can be triggered though — new drainage connections, new electrical circuits, and mechanical ventilation all have requirements. A new bathroom added where there wasn't one before is particularly likely to need Building Control involvement.

Windows and external doors
Replacement glazing normally needs no planning permission (though conservation areas and listed buildings are exceptions). Building Regulations do apply to energy performance and safety glazing. In practice, a FENSA-registered installer will self-certify the work and issue you a FENSA certificate — keep it safe.

Outbuildings and garden rooms
Often fall under PD within limits on size, height, and the proportion of garden covered. They must not be forward of the principal elevation and cannot be used as separate living accommodation. Building Regulations requirements depend on size and intended use — a small detached garden shed may be exempt; a habitable garden room generally isn't.

Electrical work
No planning permission. Building Regulations (Part P) apply to notifiable electrical work. Use a registered electrician — NICEIC or NAPIT registered installers can self-certify their work. Alternatively, you can notify Building Control directly.

Listed buildings and conservation areas — check before anything

If you own an older or period property, check your listing status and whether you're in a conservation area before you plan any work. The consequences of getting it wrong are serious.

Listed buildings need Listed Building Consent for any alteration that affects the character of the building — inside and outside, including things like removing internal doors or a period fireplace. This is separate from planning permission, PD rights are largely removed, and carrying out unauthorised work is a criminal offence. Check the National Heritage List on the Historic England website.

Conservation areas carry extra controls. Some works that would normally be PD — certain types of cladding or extension — require planning permission. Trees in conservation areas are protected; you must give the council six weeks' notice before felling or significantly pruning one.

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — a separate duty entirely

If your project involves working on a shared or party wall, building at or near the boundary, or excavating near a neighbouring structure — common with extensions, loft conversions, or basement work — you may have obligations under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

This is nothing to do with planning permission or Building Regulations. It's a legal duty to notify your neighbours. They can agree to the works or appoint a party wall surveyor to oversee the process. Failing to serve the right notices can expose you to legal claims. Gov.uk has plain-English guidance on the Party Wall Act.

Building Control sign-off and why the completion certificate matters

When Building Regulations apply, you'll notify Building Control either via a Building Notice (simpler, no plans approved up front) or by submitting Full Plans (better for complex or structural work — plans are checked before work starts, which lenders and insurers often prefer).

Building Control will inspect at key stages: foundations, drainage, structural elements, and at the end. When everything is signed off, they issue a completion certificate.

This certificate is more important than most homeowners realise. When you eventually sell, your buyers' solicitors will ask for evidence that any Building Regulations work was approved and completed. A missing completion certificate can stall a sale, force costly indemnity insurance, or require a retrospective regularisation certificate from Building Control. Keep every certificate — completion, planning consent, FENSA for windows, Gas Safe for boiler work — somewhere safe and accessible.

How RenoHub helps

The paperwork side of regulatory compliance is genuinely annoying — not because it's complicated, but because documents turn up at different times, from different sources, and then need to be findable again years later when you sell.

RenoHub's Project documents feature is built for exactly this. Store your planning consent, Building Control approval, completion certificate, FENSA certificates for new windows, and any Lawful Development Certificate in one place, attached to the relevant project. When your conveyancer asks for the completion certificate from that loft conversion you did four years ago, you open the app rather than ransacking the loft itself.

The document archive also handles invoices and receipts — useful if you're tracking what work was done and by whom. RenoHub is iPhone-only; your documents stay on your device and in iCloud, not on RenoHub's servers.