Building control is the way that the government ensures that all buildings meet minimum standards of construction for everyone's safety and wellbeing. Approval is often required for projects even when there is no requirement for planning permission. Certain types of construction projects are permitted under planning law, however, these projects still have to be built to the same minimum standards. This means that many projects still require building control approval even if they don't require planning permission. There are two ways to get building control approval: 1. Full Plans Application- this requires a full set of plans and information to be submitted to building control before starting work. You can start work once you have approval. 2. Building Notice - this happens onces you start work and the construction work will be assessed by inspectors during the build.

If you're not sure which approvals you need for your project then contact us and we will advise you.

Every extension has pros and cons, there are keys points to consider for each option.

Single height extension at rear

pros:

+ creating connection with your garden

+ economical

cons:

- it will eat up your garden

- con darken the rooms in middle of the house because deepening footprint (consider adding enough glazing to bring sufficient light in)

Double height extension at rear

pros:

+ allows to add extra room or bathroom on top of rear extension

+ economies of scale (add more rooms withpout doubling cost)

cons:

- planning might be more difficult to obtain

Basement extension

pros:

+ can add lots of space to your home without loosing external space

+ cheaper than moving to bigger home

+ underpinning can stabilise existing building

+waterproofing and insulating make the building more energy efficient

+ good solution for adding self contained area

+ quiet spaces

cons:

- cost

- complexity

- lack of view

- lack of light