Do I need planning permission to convert my garage?

Turning an attached or integral garage into a room is one of the simplest ways to add space. Whether you need planning permission depends on the house more than the work.

When you usually don't need planning permission

Planning permission isn't usually required if the work is internal and doesn't enlarge the building. Replacing the garage door with a wall and window is normally part of that work for a house.

When you might

• Conditions on newer estates. Many houses built since the 1980s have had their permitted development rights removed, or a condition requires the garage to stay available for parking. Check the original planning permission before you start.
• Conservation areas and Article 4 directions can bring the change to the front of the house under control.
• Flats and maisonettes don't have the same permitted development rights.
• A separate home. Converting a garage into a self-contained dwelling needs planning permission whatever the works.
• Listed buildings need listed building consent if the garage is part of the listed building.

Where the position is unclear, a lawful development certificate confirms it in writing.

Building regulations

Making a garage into a habitable room normally needs building regulations approval. The usual points are the new wall in the door opening and its foundation, a floor raised and insulated above the damp-proof course, insulation to walls and roof, ventilation and fire safety, especially where the garage adjoins the hallway. We prepare the drawings and calculations so building control can approve the work.

Sources

• Garage conversion: planning permission (Planning Portal)
• Garage conversion: building regulations (Planning Portal)

Related services

• House extensions: Drawings for every kind of house extension, from a kitchen side return to a double-storey rear extension, priced before we start.
• Lawful development certificates: Lawful development certificates in London for permitted development extensions, lofts, outbuildings and porches, and for existing uses and work.
• Building regulations drawings: Clear construction drawings and a specification your builder can price from, submitted to building control for you.
• Structural calculations: Structural drawings and calculations for building control, designed by engineers within the Green Code group and coordinated with your drawings.