How to Apply for Planning Permission Yourself (Without an Architect)

Many common home projects — rear extensions up to 4m (or 8m with prior approval), loft conversions within the volume limit, garden offices — are permitted development and do not need planning permission at all.

If your project is PD, you save £548, avoid an 8-week wait, and do not need to deal with neighbour consultations. A Lawful Development Certificate (£274) can confirm this officially.

If you are not sure, check your property →

1. The application form

You complete this online at planningportal.co.uk. The form is called a “Householder Application for Planning Permission” (Form 1APP). It asks for your details, the site address, description of the proposal, materials, trees and hedges, parking, access, drainage, flood risk, and biodiversity. Most questions have simple yes/no answers for straightforward extensions. The form takes about 30–60 minutes to complete.

2. Drawings

You need four types of drawing, all drawn to scale:

• Site location plan (1:1250 or 1:500) — shows the property in its wider context. The property boundary must be outlined in red, and any other land you own outlined in blue. You can buy an OS-based site plan online for about £5–£15.
• Block plan (1:500 or 1:200) — shows the property boundary, the existing building footprint, the proposed extension, and the relationship to neighbouring properties.
• Existing floor plans and elevations (1:50 or 1:100) — accurate drawings of the house as it currently stands.
• Proposed floor plans and elevations (1:50 or 1:100) — drawings showing what the house will look like with the extension.

If you are not confident with technical drawing, consider hiring an architectural technologist or building designer to prepare the drawings. This typically costs £500–£1,500 for a straightforward extension.

3. The fee

The householder planning application fee is £548 (since April 2025). You pay this online when you submit.

4. Supporting documents

For most householder applications, you do not need much beyond the form and drawings. However, depending on your site:

• Flood Risk Assessment — if the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3
• Heritage Statement — if the property is listed or in a conservation area
• Tree Survey — if the proposal affects protected trees (TPOs)

Check your council’s validation checklist before submitting.

1. Create an account at planningportal.co.uk
2. Start a new application — select “Apply for planning permission” and choose “Householder”
3. Complete the form — work through each section. Save your progress as you go.
4. Upload your drawings — upload each drawing as a separate PDF file. Name them clearly. Make sure the scale bar is visible on each drawing.
5. Pay the fee — £548 online by card.
6. Submit — review everything and submit. You will receive a confirmation email with your application reference number.

The council has 5 working days to validate your application. If anything is missing, they will contact you. Once validated:

1. Neighbour notification — the council writes to adjoining neighbours (21-day consultation period)
2. Planning officer assessment — a planning officer reviews the proposal against planning policy
3. Decision — within 8 weeks of validation, the council issues a decision notice

Most householder applications are decided by the planning officer under delegated powers — they do not go to committee.

Read our full guide to how planning permission works →

• Inaccurate drawings. If the drawings do not match the site, the planning officer will notice. Measurements must be accurate.
• Missing the red line. The site location plan must have the property boundary outlined in red. No red line = invalid application.
• Wrong scale. Each drawing type has a required scale. The scale bar must be visible.
• Incomplete form. Leaving questions blank instead of answering “not applicable.”
• Not checking the validation checklist. Every council publishes one. If you do not provide what is on the list, the application will not be validated.
• Poor description. Describing the project vaguely (“renovations and improvements”) instead of specifically (“single-storey rear extension and replacement of rear windows”).
• Not checking for constraints. Conservation area, TPO trees, flood zone — additional documents may be required.

DIY applications work well for:

• Straightforward single-storey rear extensions
• Simple porch additions
• Like-for-like replacement of windows or doors
• Minor alterations

Consider using an architect or planning consultant for:

• Two-storey extensions — the design and neighbour impact assessment is more complex
• Listed buildings — heritage statements and sensitive design are essential
• Properties in conservation areas — design quality and materials matter more
• Previously refused proposals — professional expertise in addressing refusal reasons
• Complex sites — sloping ground, multiple constraints, unusual layouts