Do You Need Planning Permission for Your Shed or Summerhouse?

Sheds and summerhouses are great additions to your garden, providing new rooms to your house and spaces to enjoy throughout the year. Whether you plan to use your shed or summerhouse as a studio, workshop, a space to relax in or as a traditional tool shed, it’s likely your structure will be larger than the average shed and you may worry that you need planning permission. Fortunately it is unlikely you will need planning permission, however there are a few exceptions. 

Planning Permission for Outbuildings

Sheds and summerhouses fall under the category of outbuildings; along with greenhouses, garages, kennels, sauna cabins, ponds, swimming pools and many other structures. Planning permission isn’t needed for outbuildings as long as they meet a number of requirements such as:

• Outbuildings are a single storey, with a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of 4m. 
  
• Outbuildings must have a maximum height of 2.5metres if the outbuilding is within two metres of the house’s boundary. 
  
• Outbuildings must not exceed 50% of the total area of land around the original house. All outbuildings, not just the new structure, must be included when calculating the 50% limit. 
  
• The outbuilding is not being built ‘forward of the principal elevation’, ie it is not being built to the front of the house. 
  
• The outbuilding is not being built on the grounds of a listed building. 
  
• The outbuilding is not being built on designated land. 
  

These are the most pertinent requirements for sheds and summerhouses. The last point on designated land is especially important to our local customers: the Norfolk Broads are classed as designated land so if you are lucky enough to live nearby it is worth checking the interactive map on the Defra website to check if your home falls within the boundaries. See the full list of requirements for not needing planning permission here.  

We can help you design the perfect shed or summerhouse for your garden that abides by the rules so that you can avoid the hassle of obtaining planning permission. Our team of experienced craftsmen hand build each shed to order, building a unique and truly well made outbuilding. Get in touch for a free quote, call 07947 366551 or fill in the form below!