Do I Need Planning Permission For A Shed?

Permitted development is a set of national planning rules (the GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class E) that let you build certain outbuildings without submitting a planning application at all, provided the shed meets every condition on height, coverage, and position at the same time. Miss any one condition and the whole exemption falls away for that structure.

It depends on two things: roof shape and distance from the boundary. Within 2 metres of any boundary of the property, the limit is 2.5m regardless of roof type. Two metres or more from every boundary, the limit rises to 4m for a dual-pitched roof (two sloping sides meeting at a ridge) or 3m for any other roof shape, including flat roofs.

Yes. Alongside the overall height limits, permitted development outbuildings must also keep to a maximum eaves height of 2.5m, single storey only. A tall dual-pitched roof can reach 4m at the ridge, but the walls below the eaves still cannot exceed 2.5m.

Outbuildings and extensions together — not just the shed you're building now — must not cover more than 50% of the land around the "original house." That's the house as it was first built, or as it stood on 1 July 1948 if it predates that. If a previous extension or garage already uses up much of that 50%, a new shed can push the total over the limit even at a modest size.

Not under permitted development. Outbuildings cannot be positioned forward of the "principal elevation" — the wall of the house that faces the road — regardless of size or height. A shed at the side or rear of the house is fine if it meets the other conditions; one in front of the house needs a full planning application.

Yes. Verandas, balconies, and any raised platform higher than 0.3m are specifically excluded from permitted development, even if the shed itself would otherwise comply. A deck raised less than 0.3m doesn't trigger this rule; anything taller does.

Yes. Conservation areas, National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites are collectively "designated land," and two extra restrictions apply on top of the standard rules: outbuildings positioned to the side of the house are not permitted development at all, and any outbuilding sited more than 20 metres from every wall of the house must not exceed 10m² in floor area to stay permitted development.

No. There are no permitted development rights within the curtilage (the land and buildings around) a listed building. Any new outbuilding — a shed, garage, greenhouse, or similar — needs a planning application, and potentially Listed Building Consent as well, regardless of how small it is.

No. Permitted development rights for outbuildings are a "householder" right that applies to houses, not flats or maisonettes. If your property is a flat, any new outbuilding in the garden or grounds needs a planning application.

Passing these rules means the shed is very likely permitted development, but the safest formal proof is a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) from your local planning authority — a legal confirmation you can show a buyer's solicitor later. An LDC application typically costs less than a full planning application and doesn't require design changes if the shed already complies.

A householder planning application in England costs a flat £548 from 1 April 2026 (up from £528 the previous year), covering outbuildings, extensions, and similar householder projects regardless of size. Submitting through the Planning Portal online adds a separate service charge of £75.83 + VAT per application.

Once validated, a householder application has an 8-week statutory determination period. Validation itself — checking your plans, fee, and neighbour notifications are all in order — can take anywhere from a couple of days to around 4 weeks before that 8-week clock even starts, so budget for roughly 10–12 weeks in total from submission to decision.

Yes. If a planning application for a shed or outbuilding is refused, you can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, generally within 12 weeks of the refusal decision for a householder appeal. Appeals add several more months to the process, so it's usually faster to redesign the shed to fit permitted development limits than to appeal a refusal.

Yes. The 50% coverage limit is cumulative across the whole property, not reset for each new project. If a previous owner built a garage, conservatory, or large extension, that already counts against your 50% coverage allowance — check what's already there before assuming your new shed has a clear allowance.

No — these are two entirely separate approvals with different rules. Planning permission (checked by this tool) covers where you can build and how big it can be. Building Regulations cover how it's constructed — fire safety, structure, electrics — and depend on floor area, sleeping accommodation and construction material rather than height or boundary distance. Use CoryVu's Building Regs For A Garden Room checker for that separate question; a shed can need one, both, or neither.