Having your own DIY conservatory at home adds a major financial investment to your property. And, if you dont plan on selling your house, it is often a more practical solution than moving. You can use your conservatory as an extra outdoorsy room in your house such as a covered garden or a space to entertain guests. All in all, it is just a great place to relax, read a good book, or just hang out. Undoubtedly, this why it has become so popular not just in the UK but in the US and throughout the world.
If you are planning to build your own DIY conservatory at home or have a local contractor or specialist conservatory supplier install it for you, you need to be aware of all required building regulations or planning permissions you need to comply with before starting your new project.
People often confuse building regulations and planning permission as one and the same thing. Actually, these are two entirely separate or very different types of requirements you need for conservatory building.
Planning Permissions provide guidelines for the allowed size and visual impact of the structure of the conservatory, while Building Regulations oversee all aspects involved in the building construction of a conservatory, which means, including the technical integrity of the new structure.
Check that your builder is aware of these two different regulations for building your conservatory, especially any new rules or changes to the regulations and/or permissions in your area or state
A planning permission is usually required except for small home conservatories that have already complied with the following list of regulations.
Instances when planning permissions will no longer be required include:
- The house or property is not in a national park, conservation area, or any Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- The house is not a terraced house.
- The house has not yet been extended before.
- The conservatory is to be built only at ground level.
- The houses volume will not be increased by an area exceeding 15 percent of the house or 70 cubic meters, whichever is greater.
- Not within 1 meter of the state boundary.
- Built on a domestic area and has a door that separates it from the rest of the house in compliance with the requirements for exterior doors.
- The house is a single-storey house.
- It is to be built only at ground floor level.
- The conservatory is glazed to comply with the safety glazing requirements of the Building Regulations Code. It is to be fitted with glass walls that are 50 percent glazed as well as a glass roof that is 75 percent glazed.
- The conservatory is only under 30 square meters in floor area.
A DIY conservatory is often exempt from building regulations as well, provided that it is:
Again, rules may vary from one state to another, so make sure that the contractor you are using knows all the latest building regulations or planning permissions you need to comply with. Or, if you are building your DIY conservatory yourself, consult your local planning department for more detailed information.
Unless you are to oversee all building work of your new conservatory, it is best to use a specialist conservatory builder instead of a local general contractor because a specialist conservatory builder can help manage all aspects of the conservatory project, which already includes dealing with everything about planning permissions or building regulations.
Companies offering bespoke specialist conservatory services are guaranteed to design and install a DIY conservatory kit to suit any individual requirements while also overseeing all building work from start to finish.