About Planning Toolkit

Planning Toolkit is a set of free checkers for homeowners in England who want to know whether a project needs planning permission. Each checker takes your design, checks it against the permitted development rules one rule at a time, and shows you the law's own words for every limit.

We're independent: not part of any council or government department, and not paid by builders, garden room sellers or fencing companies. There are no adverts or affiliate links. Every limit comes from the law itself, quoted with the clause and the date we checked it.

What it covers

• Homes in England. Most checkers are for houses: flats and maisonettes don't have the householder rights for extensions, lofts and outbuildings, so those checkers explain that and point to the council. The fence checker works for flats too.
• Permitted development under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended. Building regulations are separate, and covered only where a checker says so.
• Restrictions councils have published on planning.data.gov.uk, and national data from Historic England and Natural England. Where a council hasn't published something, we say so.

What it isn't

It is guidance, not legal advice. Councils decide, and some questions in the law are matters of judgement. For certainty, apply to your council for a Lawful Development Certificate, which is the formal confirmation that something is lawful.

Mistakes

Try the fence height checker, the garden room checker or check your address.

If you think we have got a rule wrong, please email [email protected] with the page and the clause. We check every report against the legislation.