Building Permissions

Building permits

One of the most important points to consider before starting a project of building a new garden
house is determining whether your chosen structure will require a planning permit or not.
Legally, some structures with certain technical characteristics do not require a planning permit,
which can help you avoid the paperwork burden and also save time and money.
A planning permit may be required for wooden buildings of the particular type, size, use and
technical characteristics. Be sure to reconfirm whether your selected structure requires a
planning permit issued by local planning authorities.

When a planning permit is NOT required?

The planning permit for building a SIP or wooden house is not required if you are developing a
one-storey outbuilding on your own land (e.g., in your yard), the building you select does not
have a balcony, a platform (which is more than 300 mm above ground level) or a porch (our
wooden buildings with a porch are raised not more than 300 mm above the ground).
Also, you don’t have to obtain a building permit if the roof is up to 4 m high (double-pitched) or
3 m high (single-pitched) – the height of the perch should be up to 2.5 m. One more case is when
the height of the ridge is up to 2.5 m (when the house is situated within 2 m of the boundary) or 4
m (when the house is more than 2 m from any boundary). And the last one of these reasons is the
purpose of the new building – whether it will be limited to non-residential use (e.g., recreation,
storage or remote working).
So, if your answer to all statements above is “yes”, it is likely that you will not need a planning
permit for your building. However, we recommend that you check again with your local
planning authority in each individual case. A sample Letter to Local Planning Authorities has
been uploaded for your convenience . For the planning rules related to the
location of the building, see here.

• Mobile homes without a planning permit

If you want to build a more spacious structure to serve you or your family’s residential needs,
our mobile homes offer a unique opportunity of construction without a building permit. Such
structures should meet two conditions. Firstly, the building has to meet the legal definition of a
mobile home (this criterion is met by all mobile homes without a planning permit). And secondly
– the mobile home should be used only personal (or family member’s) needs), but not for sale or
rent.
We have a wide range of mobile homes available for your convenience that do not require a
planning permit, so you can build an additional building in your garden for your personal needs,
reducing the paperwork burden and costs.
A planning permit issuing service

In those cases, when the building you choose does not meet the requirements listed above, you
will have to apply for a planning permit. If you want us to help you in this process, we can offer
additionally the service of submitting the drawings, accompanying documents or other necessary
instructions. 
We will be happy to answer your questions if you need to find out more about any aspect related
to the wooden house you have selected – please contact us by phone 07822026872 or email
info@siphouse.co.uk.