Given that a garage conversion falls under the category of “exempted development,” you won’t need a building permit to get the job done. However, before moving forwards with the actual planning, a few questions must be answered.
- Is it possible that the home’s square footage was expanded at any point? Forty square metres is the most that can be added to a building without violating zoning laws (with certain conditions). Even though garage conversions are permitted in this area as a whole, you will need a building permit if the finished product will add more than 40 square metres to your home’s footprint.
- Is it possible that the completion of what would normally be exempted development is being impeded by planning conditions left over from prior planning applications?
- Does the property include restrictive covenants that ban any construction not specifically permitted by the restrictions? Advice on this issue would be best provided by an architect or attorney.
- Is there a building on the land that is considered a historical landmark? None of the exceptions to building codes are relevant here.
Each property has its own unique characteristics, so it’s best to get professional architectural assistance to make sure you’re meeting the exemption requirements.
You may be able to convert your garage without the approval of the local planning authorities if you can prove that none of the aforementioned issues are relevant to your specific case.
Be aware, however, that building atop a garage does not fall under any exemptions to these rules and would therefore require a permit.
Most garages are built to be narrower than the average house, have a lower floor than the rest of the house, and have no insulation. The garage’s ceiling will most likely be composed of concrete and set at a lower elevation than the first floor.
Many of these spaces also include electric and gas metres, which will have to be moved if the space is to be used for living or sleeping. The last thing you need is a repair hole in your new room because you forgot to verify the existing drainage pathways and a pool of water flooded your car.
A garage can be converted into a room, but if the design is poor, the space will still seem like a garage and won’t be functional for your purposes. Here are some things to keep in mind to avoid that and get the most of your garage conversion:
- If possible, you should raise the roof so that there is a minimum ceiling height of 2.4 metres (8 feet) or higher; nevertheless, you should first check the exempted advancement schedule for maximum heights. Having more room to move around in and feel at ease is a major benefit that this improvement will bring to the building’s inhabitants.
- It is probable that new windows or roof lights will need to be built in order to meet the criteria for sufficient natural light and ventilation, as existing garage spaces are not intended to be inhabited.
- Check into the potential of insulation upgrades to satisfy current building codes. This will not only save money in the long run, but it will also make heating the room simpler, help keep the new space at a constant temperature with the rest of the house, and maximise its potential usage.
- The flooring’s ability to capture the attention and create the illusion of a larger space is often underrated.
- The addition of large glass windows to the front of the house can make the space appear both lighter and more open, while the addition of a hedge in front of the garage can provide further privacy. It’s possible that this trick could work to give the room a bigger feel.
Whether you want to construct a second storey on top of your garage, you should have the foundations inspected to see if they can handle the weight, and have the garage reinforced if necessary.
Converting a garage should entail the groundwork for a potential first-floor extension, so plan accordingly. Overall, this strategy will save time and money in the future. Make sure that all garage conversions incorporate these preparations if you intend to instal the bedroom extension above at a later date.
Ultimately, you shouldn’t feel like you have to turn your garage into living space. It could be more cost-effective in the long run to keep the garage as-is and build an addition elsewhere, giving you a nicer, larger space for the same or even less money. A consultation with a licenced architect should be scheduled as soon as possible. Potentially, it will open up a plethora of doors.
Planning Permission For A Garage Conversion
Converting a garage into liveable space normally does not necessitate approval from the local planning authority so long as the work being done is on the interior of the structure and does not entail expanding it.
However, approved development rights can be cancelled under specific conditions, such as when these conditions prevent the garage conversion from occuring without the necessary planning authorisation. If your home is in a residential neighbourhood, this is almost certainly the case.
It’s probable that the planning approval will include a stipulation that the garage must continue to serve as a parking spot. When this happens, you’ll need to make a request to have the stipulation modified or removed before moving further.
The majority of the time, a permit from the town’s planners isn’t necessary before you convert your garage into liveable space. All of the work being done is on the interior, so the unit will not be rented out to individuals during construction.
- The new room(s) would serve a secondary use to the main house (such a home office or a playroom), and they wouldn’t be separated from the main house in any way;
- As the renovations are taking place within, no more space is required to finish them.
- If a window is to be installed in place of a garage door, it must be visually compatible with the rest of the house’s windows and have the same finish. The window can’t be a bay window and must instead fit neatly into the wall.
Permitted development rights pertaining to garage conversions may not exist for your home any longer, especially if you live in a newer housing development.
To help residents choose whether or not they need to submit a formal application to the Council for approval of their proposed garage conversion, the organisation offers a pre-application consultation service.
Can You Build a House There? Do You Have Permitted Development Rights?
Note that not all properties have permitted development rights, so you probably won’t be able to convert your garage without first submitting a formal planning application.
You should verify with the Local Planning Authority whether or not you are entitled to outline planning rights.
-
Townhouses and condos
-
Remodelled or newly constructed homes that have been granted allowed development rights
-
Buildings or Residences inside a Conservation Area
Do You Need Planning Permission To Convert A Garage Into An Annexes?
Suppose you want to convert your garage into a separate dwelling quarters (even if a family member occupies it). Comprehensive planning applications are feasible. Pre-application assistance is available from your planning authority if you have questions about whether or how to submit an application.
Check Conditions Of Existing Applications
Examine the current building permits for your property. It’s likely that the already-granted planning approval specifies that the garage can be utilised for nothing except parking automobiles. Either a fresh planning application or an application to modify or remove that requirement will be required in this situation.
FAQs About Garage Renovation
Do I Need Permission To Convert My Garage?
If the work to be done is on the inside of the building and does not entail expanding the structure, then planning permission is not typically needed. Planning approval may be necessary if you want to turn your garage into a full-fledged living space (regardless of who would be living there).
Do You Need Planning Permission To Convert A Garage To An Annex?
One example of an outbuilding is a garage. Permitted development rights allow for construction so long as the use is secondary to the primary residence. It follows that a permit to construct a garage is unnecessary.
Do You Need Planning Permission To Brick Up The Garage Door?
If the work to be done is inside and does not entail increasing the property, then you may not need to get planning permission to brick up a garage door. However, if your home is on the National Register of Historic Places or is located within a conservation district, you will need to obtain planning approval before transforming your garage into a new dwelling.
What Is The Four-Year Rule In Planning Permission?
For construction, engineering, or other projects that went up without proper permits but have been left alone for four years or more, “THE 4 YEAR RULE” applies. Here, “undertaken” means that one has acted on plans for operational development or physical works.
Is Planning Permission Required After Ten Years?
If you want to build on or change the way your property is currently used, you need to get a Lawful Development Certificate. You can prove that: the property has been in non-residential use continuously for at least ten years. More than ten years have passed without a condition or limitation on a planning authorisation being met.
Freeholder Consent
If you’re a leaseholder rather than the freeholder, you’ll need the freeholder’s approval to convert your garage (because leasehold flats and maisonettes don’t have approved building rights).
Easements And Covenants
You should research the property’s titles to see if there are any easements or covenants that could prevent you from transforming your garage into a habitable room.
A landowner’s easement is the portion of another person’s property over which the landowner has some sort of legal or equitable interest. Similar to a right of way, a positive easement is exercised when one landowner enters and utilises another landowner’s property or makes use of something on or in the neighbor’s property.
Land covenants are promises made in a contract that may be binding on subsequent owners of the land as well as the original promisor.
Party Wall Act
If the garage conversion may affect a shared wall or structure between you and your neighbour, you must follow the requirements of the Party Wall Act. First, you’ll need to let your next-door neighbour know about the upcoming work. An architect can give you more in-depth direction and advise on all of the above, including this.
Do I Need Building Regulations Approval For A Garage Conversion?
When transforming a garage into a living space, clearance from the local Building Regulations office is required.
Our other recent piece explains in further detail how to comply with the Building Regulations, although the standard practise is to file a building notice with the local municipality before beginning construction. Be sure you and your builder/architect have discussed and agreed upon who will be in charge of sending this notice.
The work must be done with full confidence that it will adhere to building requirements, thus we recommend consulting with an architect. A violation of these regulations could result in the need to tear down and redo the work.
Legal Rights to Construct
Getting permission to build your dream home may be a nightmare of red tape and bureaucracy. Even so, it’s helpful to know that structures like greenhouses, carports, and storage sheds are considered “permitted constructions.”
Some building and remodelling projects qualify as “legal developments,” exempt from the requirement to submit a planning application in exchange for this automatic funding.
In England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, permitted development rights are often revised, and applicable legislation may vary across and even within local authorities. Therefore, it is recommended that you examine your LPA to make sure it accurately reflects the current situation.
Adequate Authorization for Garage Layout
A new garage may finally be built! The need for a planning permission is waived under specific circumstances.
These approved development allowances are only applicable to single-family houses and not to flats, maisonettes, converted single-family homes, and single-family dwellings generated via granted development rights to change of use, nor to listed structures.
Domestic Purposes
There is a strict prohibition against any commercial or industrial activity in the garage. A garage cannot be constructed for the purpose of profit (to run a business from). If you need a garage for business purposes, you should check with your LPA first.
Storage
The garage is not to be used as a bedroom or any other kind of living space. As a result, beds and other items often used to make a house a home are not there. We’ll go into the specific requirements that must be followed when building a garage with the aim of living in it or converting a garage into liveable space, but for now, know that you’ll likely need planning clearance.
Floor Measurements
If detached, the garage floor area can’t be more than 15 square metres; if attached, it can’t be more than 30 square metres. When located outdoors, it must be constructed of noncombustible materials and kept at least a metre away from any exterior walls or fences.
Ground Area
The combined footprint of the garage and any outbuildings within the property line (but excluding the home itself) must not exceed half of the lot size.
If your home was constructed before July 1, 1948, “original house” refers to the home as it looked when it was first built. An addition may have been added to the house, even if you didn’t do it.
Placement and Height
The garage is concealed from view from the front or side of the historic home.
Height
A garage can’t be more than four metres high. It’s for the sake of the building’s integrity and so as not to interfere with the neighbor’s view.
There should be no more than 2.5 metres between the underside of the garage’s eaves and the property line if the garage is to be built within that distance. This will allow for proper drainage and also allow your neighbours to receive more natural light.
Public Roads
The garage’s outermost wall (or walls) must be no more than 3.5 metres from the side or back property lines, and there must be access to a public road behind the house.
Location
Locations designated as World Heritage Sites, areas of outstanding natural beauty, or national parks require that the maximum ground coverage area be set back at least 20 metres from any property wall. No more than 10 square metres. Your LPA’s approval is required for this.
We recommend consulting your LPA if you have any questions concerning these guidelines.
Besides increasing the value of your home by as much as 20 percent, converting your garage into a usable room is a great way to gain valuable square footage. Forty percent of households have little room for their cars in the garage because of clutter, and nearly half of us use garages to store rubbish rather than cars. Converting an attached or detached garage is a fantastic method to make better use of this area and increase your home’s resale value. Most of them fall under permitted development rights because they do not modify the building’s structure.
Because of this, converting an existing garage doesn’t require any special considerations while applying for a building permit.
Converting a garage is less about adding square footage as it is about making better use of the space you currently have, which is why it is often prefered over adding on. Therefore, these projects require a slightly different approach to planning.
To convert a garage into liveable space, you probably won’t require a building permit. As long as the renovations you’re making are on the inside and don’t include expanding the building, 90% of them won’t require a permit.
Ten percent, however, will necessitate a garage conversion permit. This is the situation if your land does not have the privilege of approved development, as was previously explained.
- Apartments and townhouses
- properties that are on a national or local register
- Recent Advances
- Properties located inside a protected natural area
- Homes in areas with close proximity to significant cultural or natural landmarks
- As I understand it, you are transforming the house into a business.
Conclusion
One of the biggest joys of being a homeowner is that you are free to make whatever changes you wish. In contrast, if you’re renting, you are restricted to the landlord’s contract and unable to make any personal improvements without their permission.
However, it’s a slightly different story if you’re a homeowner looking to change anything external to your homes, such as garages, extensions, conservatories and other outbuildings. If you plan to make any additions or amendments to your home, we advise you to check whether you will require planning permission following the UK law by contacting your Local Planning Authority (LPA).
A common grey area for planning permission that some homeowners can be unsure of is planning permission for garages. Building a new garage is a popular project for home improvements, and in most cases, you won’t need planning permission for one, but there are somewhere you do. Planning rules for garages also depend on the size and position of the building concerning the property and any other features around it.
Content Summary
- Given that a garage conversion falls under the category of “exempted development,” you won’t need a building permit to get the job done.
- However, before moving forwards with the actual planning, a few questions must be answered.
- Is it possible that the home’s square footage was expanded at any point?
- Even though garage conversions are permitted in this area as a whole, you will need a building permit if the finished product will add more than 40 square metres to your home’s footprint.
- None of the exceptions to building codes are relevant here.
- You may be able to convert your garage without the approval of the local planning authorities if you can prove that none of the aforementioned issues are relevant to your specific case.
- A garage can be converted into a room, but if the design is poor, the space will still seem like a garage and won’t be functional for your purposes.
- It is probable that new windows or roof lights will need to be built in order to meet the criteria for sufficient natural light and ventilation, as existing garage spaces are not intended to be inhabited.
- Check into the potential of insulation upgrades to satisfy current building codes.
- The addition of large glass windows to the front of the house can make the space appear both lighter and more open, while the addition of a hedge in front of the garage can provide further privacy.
- Converting a garage should entail the groundwork for a potential first-floor extension, so plan accordingly.
- Ultimately, you shouldn’t feel like you have to turn your garage into living space.
- Planning Permission For A Garage ConversionConverting a garage into liveable space normally does not necessitate approval from the local planning authority so long as the work being done is on the interior of the structure and does not entail expanding it.
- However, approved development rights can be cancelled under specific conditions, such as when these conditions prevent the garage conversion from occuring without the necessary planning authorisation.
- It’s probable that the planning approval will include a stipulation that the garage must continue to serve as a parking spot.
- The majority of the time, a permit from the town’s planners isn’t necessary before you convert your garage into liveable space.
- Permitted development rights pertaining to garage conversions may not exist for your home any longer, especially if you live in a newer housing development.
- To help residents choose whether or not they need to submit a formal application to the Council for approval of their proposed garage conversion, the organisation offers a pre-application consultation service.
- Do You Have Permitted Development Rights?Note that not all properties have permitted development rights, so you probably won’t be able to convert your garage without first submitting a formal planning application.
- You should verify with the Local Planning Authority whether or not you are entitled to outline planning rights.
- Examine the current building permits for your property.
- It’s likely that the already-granted planning approval specifies that the garage can be utilised for nothing except parking automobiles.
- It follows that a permit to construct a garage is unnecessary.
- Do You Need Planning Permission To Brick Up The Garage Door?If the work to be done is inside and does not entail increasing the property, then you may not need to get planning permission to brick up a garage door.
- You can prove that: the property has been in non-residential use continuously for at least ten years.
- Freeholder ConsentIf you’re a leaseholder rather than the freeholder, you’ll need the freeholder’s approval to convert your garage (because leasehold flats and maisonettes don’t have approved building rights).Easements And CovenantsYou should research the property’s titles to see if there are any easements or covenants that could prevent you from transforming your garage into a habitable room.
- Party Wall ActIf the garage conversion may affect a shared wall or structure between you and your neighbour, you must follow the requirements of the Party Wall Act.
- Do I Need Building Regulations Approval For A Garage Conversion?When transforming a garage into a living space, clearance from the local Building Regulations office is required.
- Our other recent piece explains in further detail how to comply with the Building Regulations, although the standard practise is to file a building notice with the local municipality before beginning construction.
- The work must be done with full confidence that it will adhere to building requirements, thus we recommend consulting with an architect.
- Domestic PurposesThere is a strict prohibition against any commercial or industrial activity in the garage.
- If you need a garage for business purposes, you should check with your LPA first.
- StorageThe garage is not to be used as a bedroom or any other kind of living space.
- We’ll go into the specific requirements that must be followed when building a garage with the aim of living in it or converting a garage into liveable space, but for now, know that you’ll likely need planning clearance.
- There should be no more than 2.5 metres between the underside of the garage’s eaves and the property line if the garage is to be built within that distance.
- Locations designated as World Heritage Sites, areas of outstanding natural beauty, or national parks require that the maximum ground coverage area be set back at least 20 metres from any property wall.
- Besides increasing the value of your home by as much as 20 percent, converting your garage into a usable room is a great way to gain valuable square footage.
- Converting an attached or detached garage is a fantastic method to make better use of this area and increase your home’s resale value.
- Because of this, converting an existing garage doesn’t require any special considerations while applying for a building permit.
- To convert a garage into liveable space, you probably won’t require a building permit.
- Ten percent, however, will necessitate a garage conversion permit.
- This is the situation if your land does not have the privilege of approved development, as was previously explained.
- If you plan to make any additions or amendments to your home, we advise you to check whether you will require planning permission following the UK law by contacting your Local Planning Authority (LPA).A common grey area for planning permission that some homeowners can be unsure of is planning permission for garages.
- Building a new garage is a popular project for home improvements, and in most cases, you won’t need planning permission for one, but there are somewhere you do.
- Is It A Good Idea To Convert A Garage?Converting your garage can add a lot of enjoyment to your home, but like any major home renovation project, it has its pros and cons.
- Do You Need Architect Drawings For A Garage Conversion?It is important to note that regardless of whether or not your garage conversion requires planning permission or not, you will definitely need to submit scaled architectural drawings to your local authority.
FAQs About Garage Conversion
What Is The First Thing To Do In A Garage Conversion?
The first step with any garage conversion is to conduct an assessment of the existing structure, in particular the soundness of the foundations, walls and roof. This will go a long way to revealing the extent of works required to create a comfortable living environment – so it’s a key part of the design stages.
Is It A Good Idea To Convert A Garage?
Converting your garage can add a lot of enjoyment to your home, but like any major home renovation project, it has its pros and cons. One of the best things about converting your garage is that you get extra space to work with in a way that’s relatively fast, unobtrusive, and inexpensive.
How Long Does It Take To Convert A Garage?
In general, garage conversions are seen as a pretty quick job to do – as long as the existing garage building is in good structural condition. You can expect a standard, single garage conversion to take roughly 3 – 6 weeks. That’s the time it will take to turn it from a garage into a livable space.
Do I Need A Window In A Garage Conversion?
Garages don’t always open onto hallways, and if this is the case for your build, you may be required to install a window that acts as a fire escape route under Building Regulations.
Do You Need Architect Drawings For A Garage Conversion?
It is important to note that regardless of whether or not your garage conversion requires planning permission or not, you will definitely need to submit scaled architectural drawings to your local authority.