DRAWINGS FOR PLANNING PERMISSION & BUILDING REGULATIONS
We offer a friendly, low cost and quick turnaround service for the preparation and submission to the Local Authorities for:
- Planning Permission Drawings
- Building Regulations Drawings
- Structural Calculations
Projects include House Extensions, Loft Conversions, Garage Conversions, New Outbuildings, Barn Conversions and New Builds. Project turnaround is normally 2 weeks.
Book your survey now!We also provide Reinforced Concrete Drawings if required, which for domestic situations tends to be raft foundations.
COVERAGE
We are based in County Durham but also provide a Nationwide drawing service. Ideally we prefer to conduct site surveys personally, but for remote projects it is simple enough to do this yourself - normally just some rough sketches with taped dimensions and photos of your property emailed to us is sufficient for us to proceed with our drawings (click here for examples). This keeps the overall costs down.
PRICING
With Architects typically charging between 6-12% of the build cost for drawing services, we are very competitive and our typical drawing pricing can be viewed here:
PLANNING / BUILDING REGS?
People often ask what the difference is between Planning and Building Regulations. Simply put, planning deals more with how a proposed development will look and sit within the built environment, and ultimately if it will be allowed, and so drawings tend to be architectural in nature. Planning approval isn't always required but Building Regulations approval generally is. Building Regulations deal with how the development will be built safely and to modern standards, and so drawings tend to include all building details and specifications (foundations, timber sizes, steels, damp proofing, insulation and drainage etc).
TYPICAL STAGES INVOLVED
ENQUIRY STAGE
Please feel free to drop us a request via the contact forms / email / text / or telephone outlining your requirements. We can also normally advise at this stage whether or not you require planning permission or can go straight to building regs.
SURVEY STAGE
This involves taking measurements and photos at your property, and discussing your proposals in more detail. If you are within our catchment area we will do this (North East UK). If you're outside then it is quite simple for you to do this; simply photo your sketches and email them and any other photos to us. The sketches don't need to be anything fancy - click here for examples.
DESIGN STAGE
We will prepare the relevant drawings showing existing and proposed plans and elevations, and any other details and documentation required. We can help refine your ideas and suggest alternatives too.
PLANNING APPLICATION
If Planning Permission is required, we will email you draft copies of all drawings for your approval. Once you're happy we will then submit the application to the Local Authority.
BUILDING CONTROL FULL PLANS SUBMISSION
Building Regulations approval is generally always required. If any structural calculations are required we will provide quotes for these. Again, we will email you draft copies of all drawings for your approval. Once you're happy we will then submit the application to Building Control.
FEEDBACK FROM THE AUTHORITIES
Quite often the planning department or building control office will ask for more supporting information, or may ask for drawings to be tweaked to ensure approval. In this instance we will check with you before submitting any alterations (all included in the price!).
APPROVALS
It normally take up to 8 weeks for Planning Approval, and 6 weeks for Building Regulations approval. Once achieved, both certificates last for 3 years (means you have 3 years in which to start).
PROJECT COMPLETION
Once the approvals are in, you can use the drawings to obtain detailed quotes from builders, with the chosen builder using these to construct from. During construction, the council will conduct site visits to inspect the work to make sure it adheres to the submission (they charge inspection fees for this). We can provide support for the duration of the project and can provide advice if required.
MADE A HOME IMPROVEMENT MISTAKE?
If you've had extension work done assuming it's permitted development and it turns out not to be, we can submit a Retrospective Planning Application. Similarly, if you've had unauthorised structural work undertaken and are now trying to sell your home, we can apply for retrospective Building Regulations Approval, called Regularisation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
DO I NEED PLANNING PERMISSION?
This is normally the hardest question but we can normally give you the answer after a short series of questions. Even if your project does not require Planning Permission, it will still usually require Building Regulations Approval.
DO YOU COVER MY AREA?
We are based in County Durham in the North East but we now operate Nationwide so YES! We have experience working with many of the local authorities throughout the UK. With 30 years experience we offer a free and no obligation initial consultation on all projects. If you require a planning application or building regulation submission please give us a call, send a text or simply use the form above (or Email: info@sljprojects.co.uk).
DO YOU NEED TO VISIT MY PROPERTY?
Ideally yes but this is not necessary if you live outside our survey catchment area (North East UK). We can work remotely and simply ask you to send us the required information for your project, such as survey sketches and photos. And don't worry, the sketches can be as rough as anything - click here for examples.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
We are very competitive and do not whack a whopping 20% VAT on the price at the end!
WILL I HAVE DO DEAL WITH THE AUTHORITIES?
Not unless you really want to, no. For any Planning Applications and Building Control Submissions we will also act as agent between you and the Local Planning Authority / Building Control. This means we handle all the paperwork involved in the submission process and deal with any queries from the authorities. Alternatively you can choose to handle this process yourself using our drawings.