As the price of buying houses continues to rise, more people are considering the option of building their own. Building your own house on a site of your choosing to your own specification is potentially, one of the most creative and satisfying things most people will ever do. However, if the project is not fully thought through from the start and carried out following a well-planned strategy, it also has the potential to turn into a practical and financial disaster for you.

This page is designed to help you anticipate and prepare for the problems and pitfalls you may face in dealing with the requirements of obtaining planning permission and building regulations consent for your new house.

Some general considerations

1. Consider your budget very carefully. Work out what you can realistically afford to pay. In particular, if you are intending to borrow money, allow for increases in interest rates and, whatever you think the development is going to cost you, allow at least 15% extra for contingencies from the start. Also bear in mind that if what you are borrowing is on the security of the house, the amount you can borrow will be based on the lender’s estimate of what the final value will be – but won’t give you the full amount until it is completed!
2. Draw up a project plan, setting out what needs to be done, when and by whom – from the earliest stages of finding the site to fitting out and furnishing and moving into the finished house –it will almost certainly take longer than you think! Also think about where you are going to live while building is taking place if you are intending to sell your present home to help pay for the development and what it is going to cost.
3. Consider realistically what you have the skills and experience to do yourself and whether you can rely on friends or relations to do the things you can’t, at the time you will need them to be done – or just to help with the labouring! You will probably need to pay specialist contractors to do some of the work, so ensure you have made sufficient allowance for this.
4. Unless you have all the necessary professional skills, engage a qualified and experienced architect to design the house – and ensure that you have given him or her a clear brief of what you want. It may be difficult (and possibly expensive) to change your mind later! Unless your architect also has a planning qualification and experience, you should also consider employing a planning consultant.
   

Choosing your site

• Do not commit yourself to buying a site until you have done a thorough search on both the site itself and the surrounding area – in particular, you will need to ensure that there are no legal, planning or other constraints which may prevent you from building, or restrict the type and size of development you can carry out.

• If the site is in or adjacent to open countryside, check to ensure that it is not in the Green Belt. If it is – and much open land outside of existing built-up areas in Leeds is in the Green Belt – unless you can demonstrate very special circumstances why you should be allowed to at this location, you will not obtain planning permission.
• Wherever your site is, check whether it is affected by any policy or allocated for any pur pose in the Adopted Revised UDP and emerging Local Development Framework respectively. Again, this could affect the chances of obtaining planning permission.
• Find out whether the site is in a Conservation Area. If it is, in addition to other considerations, the Council will have to consider whether your proposed development would "preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area". This may not only affect whether or not you would be granted planning permission but also result in higher quality design and materials requirements than would otherwise be the case.
• Check whether the site is in a floodplain or has a history of flooding – the Environment Agency’s web site has maps showing areas liable to flood. This may affect you obtaining planning permission and insurance.
• Arrange a survey of ground conditions, to ensure that it is stable and not subject to contamination.
• If there are trees on or which may be affected adjacent to the site, check that they are not protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). Even if they are not, you should try to avoid affecting good quality mature trees if at all possible and be prepared to carry out replacement planting as part of your development. It is also possible that, if such trees are likely to be affected, they may be made subject to a TPO. In addition, removal of or works trees, even if not protected by a TPO, in conservation areas is subject to a notification procedure. A copy of the Tree Works form can be downloaded at the foot of the page.
• Contact statutory undertakers to ensure that the site is – or can be – supplied at reasonable expense with mains water, foul and surface water drainage, gas and electricity.
• Check any history of previous planning applications – particularly if there have been previous refusals of permission – on the site and in the immediate vicinity.
  

Staff in our Development Enquiry Centre will be able to help you with most of the above enquiries.

We are able to provide information which will help you in drawing up your proposal and putting together your planning application submission. We can also signpost you to other relevant sources of information and specialist bodies who you may wish to contact.

All information is given without prejudice to the final determination of the application. Officers take every care to give the best information they can, both over how to make your application, and how the application will be considered but their views are not binding.

Applying for planning permission

Once you have decided on your site, you will probably want to submit a planning application. If you have your house fully designed, you may prefer to submit a full planning application straight away. However, particularly if you have not completed purchase of the land, you may wish to submit an application for outline planning permission. It will, if granted, establish the principle of development and avoid you having to pay for a full detailed design before you have committed yourself to the site, in case planning permission is not granted or some other problem causes the purchase to fall through.

To apply for outline permission you will need to draw a red line on a plan around the boundaries of the site. You will will usually need to include other matters such as approval of the site access and the siting of the house itself. Other matters such as the detailed design and layout, landscaping and materials may be left for later approval as "Reserved Matters".

You will need to submit:

• Five copies of the completed form, together with any supporting information in the form of a covering letter.

• Plans and Drawings: We need a site plan at 1/1250 scale showing the boundaries of the application site in red. Suitable Ordnance Survey Site Plans can be obtained by post from the OS main agent by telephoning 0113 246 0483 or from the Development Enquiry Centre, Development Department, The Leonardo Building, 2 Rossington Street, Leeds LS2 8HD or submissions can be made via the Planning Portal website. We will also normally require a site layout plan at 1/500 scale or greater and detailed drawings showing any new construction works that you are seeking approval for at outline stage and all construction details if you are seeking full permission. These should be at a scale of not less than 1/100. Five sets of plans and drawings must be submitted. You can download an application form and guidance notes using the link at the foot of the page.

• Application Fees: Fees are set nationally and are the same throughout the country. It is a legal requirement that fees are paid before an application can be decided. You can download the current schedule of fees using the link on this page.

The linked pages "Applying for Planning Permission" and "Planning Decisions" will give you further advice on the way in which we will deal with your application and make a decision on whether or not permission should be granted.

If you have obtained only outline planning permission, you will need to submit a further application for approval of the Reserved Matters before you start work. This is a separate planning application and must be submitted using the appropriate forms and requires another fee. It will be dealt with in a similar way to the outline application. However, the decision will only relate to the reserved matters applied for – and the original outline planning permission cannot be overturned while it is still valid.

Applying For building regulations consent

Building Regulations, like planning conditions, are statutory requirements that must be satisfied in order for construction to be carried out. They are laid down by Parliament and are aimed at ensuring adequate standards of building work are met, mainly concerning the health and safety of those in and around the building both during construction and for future occupancy.

The legal requirements are detailed in ‘Approved Documents’, containing both practical and technical guidance.

Approved documents are available for purchase from HMSO bookshops or can be researched, along with other Building Regulations information, at reference libraries or your local authority offices, and are also available to view on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister web site – see links on this page.

You should submit a Building Regulations application prior to commencement of construction. A Building Inspector will then assess your proposals and, if they conform, issue an approval.

Following approval, the inspector will carry out a number of inspections at various stages of construction right through to completion whereupon they will issue a completion certificate.

Making a building regs application

A ‘Full Plans Application’ should be submitted to your local authority before you start building.

The application should include:

• Application form
• Plan fee which is payable when the plans are deposited The fee is based on our Schedule 1 charges which cover dwellings up to three storeys and a total floor area not exceeding 300 square metres.
• Drawings — two sets of detailed scale drawings with relevant notes on or attached and showing service locations.
• Structural calculations/site investigation report, depending on design and condition of site.

We will acknowledge receipt of your application and hope to give you a decision within 8 weeks.
If your application conforms to Building Regulations Standards you will be issued an Approval Notice which may have conditions attached. In some cases we make ask for further information before we issue an approval and if this information were not provided we would issue a rejection notice.

The reasons for rejection will be stated. This gives you a choice to put things right and resubmit. The rejection will not go on record (unlike a planning refusal) and resubmission is at no extra charge.

Legally you can start work before an approval notice has been issued, as long as you give us 48 hours notice. However, you must be mindful that should your application not be approved, the local authority has the right to remove/pull down any work you have carried out up to that point.

It is illegal to commence building work without giving any notice to the local authority. If you fail to give notice, you are liable to a fine of £5,000, plus £50 for each day you continue to offend.

On issue of an approval notice the local authority will also send a set of inspection request forms, which state the various stages of construction at which a Building Inspector will want to carry out inspections (see table of typical inspection stages for a new dwelling). Many local authorities also accept notification of inspections by telephone and also email.

An inspector will visit the site at each stage to ensure works are proceeding to a satisfactory standard. If they feel in any way that they are not, they have the power to make you correct the situation. If you fail to co-operate you are liable for prosecution and costs.

Site inspections

To ensure that your work is constructed in accordance with the Building Regulations you will need to notify us at the following stages in order for us to visit the site:

1. At least 2 working days before the commencement of work
2. At least 1 working day when:

• excavations are complete prior to concreting
• concrete foundations are laid
• any damp-proof course is laid or built off
• drains are laid ready for inspection and test before backfilling
• drains are ready for inspection and test after back filling

3. At least 5 days before final and satisfactory completion of building work prior to occupation.

Additionally, other inspections may be made from time to time to check particular aspects of the construction either at the request of the person carrying out the work, or if the inspector considers additional inspections are necessary.

You or your builder should contact us to arrange the inspection, giving as much notice as possible. We will endeavour to carry out same day inspections if we are notified by 9.30 a.m.

To assist you in contacting us we provide pre paid notification cards for commencement and completion, these are included with your decision notice and approved plans. We also accept notification by telephone.

Completion certificates

On completion of the building works and following a final inspection a Completion Certificate will be issued to the owner of the property.

Providing that:

1. each stage of inspection has been notified, and,
   
2. the completed work is in accordance with the Approved plans.

This is your assurance that the work complies with the Building Regulations.

To receive a Completion Certificate a completion inspection must be carried out. It is recommended that this inspection be undertaken before your builder leaves the site if you are employing a builder and before any final payments are made.

When property is to be sold a Completion Certificate may speed up the sale process. It is therefore a valuable document, which should be kept safe as without it you may have difficulty selling your property.

Getting started

As it often takes some weeks to organise temporary supplies it is advisable to contact the relevant authorities well in advance of commencing construction. If you are running the site yourself, this will be up to you to arrange. The site will require temporary services, such as power supply for tools and lighting and water supply for use when mixing materials and for cleaning and washing purposes. The site must also have WC facilities and somewhere protected from the elements for workmen to eat and take breaks. It is also a good idea to arrange to have a site office with a telephone connection.

Authorities to contact

Local Electricity Board - YEDL

Telephone Company

Local Water Company

Transco

Alternatively, you could avoid contacting the first three service authorities by replacing them with: A chemical toilet, A generator, A mobile phone
However, you will almost certainly need a fresh running water supply.

Building your own home is a satisfying achievement but much hard work and resilience is required, do not set about the task lightly.

Contacts