Building Regulations for Outbuildings (Simplified with Illustrations)

Building Regulations for Outbuildings (Simplified with Illustrations)

Are you planning to add a detached structure beside your home? Often called outbuildings, These are garages, sunroom, garden shed or an outdoor sauna. Outbuildings with less than 15 square metre area fall under permitted developments which do not need planning permission. Additionally, 15-30 square metre outbuildings are still a permitted development as long as it contains no sleeping accommodation, built at least 1 metre from the boundary and made of non-combustible materials. However, there are still building regulations that you need to follow. Learn more about the building regulations for outbuildings in this article.

Building Regulations Pack

Permitted Development

Outbuildings do not need planning permission as long as you follow these regulations:

1. Height

a. If you are building a structure within 2 metres of the boundary of the curtilage, the maximum height of the outbuilding is 2.5 meters. Therefore, you cannot exceed the specified height. See Illustration below.

Building Regulations for Outbuildings - Height restriction

b. However, If the structure is to be placed more than 2 metres from the boundary, single-storey outbuilding can have a maximum eave height of 2.5m, with a maximum overall height of 4.0m for a dual-pitched roof and 3.0m maximum overall height for a pent roofed structure. See Illustration below.

Building Regulations for Outbuildings - Max heights
Dual-pitched roof like gable, hipped, dutch etc.

2. Location

a. Another rule is that no outbuilding should not forward of a wall forming the principal elevation. See Illustration below.

Building Regulations for Outbuildings - Forward Elevation

b. National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from the house to be limited to 10 square metres.

Building Regulations for Outbuildings - Protected Areas

3. Decks, Balcony or Verandas

a. There should be no verandas, balcony or raise platform. Otherwise, Maximum height of platform is 0.30 metres. See Illustration below.

Maximum height of raised platforms is 0.3 metres, no verandas and balcony allowed

b. Additionally, no more than half of the land around the original house ( The term “original house” means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so) must be occupied by outbuildings. See Illustration below.

Not more than half of the land around original house

When Do I need Planning Permission?

These are the instances that you need to apply for planning permission:

  1. If you are building a garage attached to an existing home. See Illustration
  2. Constructing a garage that is more than 30 square metres in area or; any floor area but to be built with less than 1 metre from any boundary.
  3. If you are having sleeping accommodation in the outbuilding.
  4. Your land is situated in a designated land (National Parks, Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites)

Looking for Building Regs Specs & Drawings?

Building Regulation Packs

At CAD Cabin, we offer comprehensive, detailed building regulations package that you can use in building control or UK planning permission purposes, detailed costing of the contractor and during the construction. CAD CABIN remastered and simplified the building regs for your convenience and usage. You can refer to our packs to comply with Building Regulations for Outbuildings.

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