If you’re looking to build a kitchen extension on your own property, then it might only make sense that you should be able to build it to whatever size you want, so long as it doesn’t cross your property lines. That’s not the case, however, as planning permission is often there to prevent it. Here, we’re going to look at what size an extension you can build without that planning permission, and when you may need it after all.

Criteria for extending without planning permission

If you want a faster project without application fees, then looking to build a kitchen extension may very well be the best option for you. However, there are limits on how much you can extend the home without planning permission. Here are some of the criteria that you should keep in mind:

• The extension shouldn’t be more than a single storey or higher than 4 meters tall.
• The extension shouldn’t go further beyond any wall that faces a road if it’s at the front or side of the original property.
• The materials of the extension should be similar in appearance to the original property.
• Side extensions cannot be wider than half of the width of the already existing property.

There are also further regulations around specific types of properties, such as the following:

• For terraced and semi-detached homes, extensions can be no longer than 3 meters (or 6 meters with the agreement of affected neighbours)
• For detached homes, you can extend up to 4 meters behind the home without your neighbours’ permission, or 7 meters with it
• For rural or listed homes, most of the same rules apply, but you cannot clad it with stone, render, timber, pebbledash, plastic, or tiles. Listed homes, in particular, always require Listed Building Consent.

If your plans go further than any of the criteria above, then you are going to need planning permission.

Exceptions to these limitations

Listed homes aren’t the only buildings that are always going to require approval to make an extension. Here are a few limitations that you should keep in mind:

• If your property is not a house but is a flat, maisonette, or another kind of building, you are going to need full planning permission. This can even include buildings that have since been converted into a house.
• If there have been any extensions onto the house since 1948, then those extensions may have eaten into the house’s allowance, even if they were made by a previous owner and not you
• If your property is on designated land, which can include Conversation Areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or a World Heritage Site, you may have to apply for any and all extensions.

Get help making your kitchen extension in Leicestershire

If you’re looking for a kitchen extension in Leicestershire, then you should look no further than Oaklands. We can help make the project much more manageable, so get in touch today with our builder Leicestershire to learn how we can help.