Plain-English answers.

Permitted development (PD) is a set of rules that lets you build certain things, lofts, single-storey rear extensions, outbuildings, without applying for full planning permission. You still have to follow size and design limits, and Building Control still applies. Think of it as "pre-approved by Parliament", not "anything goes".

Usually no. If your loft is under 40m³ (terraced) or 50m³ (semi/detached), the dormer sits at the rear, doesn't go above the existing roof ridge, and you're not in a conservation area, it's almost always permitted development. Building Control still applies. We can confirm in the quote, it takes us 60 seconds to check your address.

Single-storey rear extensions up to 6m (terraced/semi) or 8m (detached) are permitted development, but you'll need to go through the Neighbour Consultation Scheme (your council writes to next-door, they get 21 days to object). Two-storey rear extensions or anything wider than the original house usually needs a full planning application.

Conservation areas, Article 4 directions, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty strip out a lot of permitted development rights. Side extensions in particular almost always need full planning in a conservation area. We flag this in the quote, if your postcode falls in a designated area, you'll see it before you pay.

Mostly no. Listed buildings need Listed Building Consent for almost any change, internal or external, on top of (or instead of) planning permission. We can still draw the pack, but the application route is different and the council fees are higher. Tell us at quote stage so we route it correctly.

Flats don't have PD rights for extensions. Houses on new-build estates sometimes have them stripped out by a planning condition. If you're not sure, send us your address and we'll check the planning history before you commit.

Householder applications are statutory 8 weeks. In practice, London boroughs run 8-12 weeks; smaller councils sometimes hit 6. We submit within 5 working days of you signing off the pack. So from "yes, draw it" to a decision notice in your inbox, budget 10-14 weeks.

Three things, mostly: impact on neighbours (light, overlooking, noise), impact on the streetscape (does it look out of place from the road), and local plan policy (height, materials, density). They do not assess whether your kitchen layout works or whether the price is fair.

Top of page: "Granted" or "Refused". If granted, scroll to the conditions, these are legally binding. Common ones: matching brick, obscure-glazed side windows, no roof terrace. Some conditions need to be "discharged" (you submit samples or details before you start on site). If refused, the reasons for refusal are listed numerically, these are what an appeal would address.

Only when the reasons for refusal are weak or contradict policy. The Planning Inspectorate takes 4-6 months for a written-reps appeal and the success rate is around 30%. Often it's faster and cheaper to redesign and resubmit (free if within 12 months, "free go" rule). We'll give you an honest read on which route makes sense.

Consultation is the 21-day window when neighbours and statutory consultees can comment. Determination is the decision itself, made by either a planning officer (delegated) or a planning committee (if it's called in by a councillor or attracts objections). Most householder cases are delegated.

Planning is about whether the building should exist, does it look right, does it harm neighbours. Building Control is about whether it's built safely, structure, fire, insulation, drainage. They're entirely separate. You can have planning permission and still fail Building Control, and vice versa.

Full Plans (recommended): you submit drawings and structural calcs upfront, the council reviews them, you get formal approval before any work starts. Slower but bulletproof. Building Notice: you tell the council "I'm starting next week", an inspector turns up at the right moments. Faster but if something's wrong you tear it out at your cost. We always supply Full Plans.

You do, direct to the council. Both planning (~£258 for a householder application) and Building Control (~£400-£900 depending on project size) are paid by you, not us. We don't mark them up, and we don't process them, the council needs a direct relationship for the legal record.

Typical loft or extension: commencement, foundations/excavation, damp-proof course, drains pre-cover, structural steels, insulation, and completion. Your builder books each inspection, usually 24 hours' notice. The final certificate (completion certificate) is what you'll need when you sell the house.

Either. Approved Inspectors are private firms, sometimes faster, sometimes more expensive. The work and standards are identical. If your builder has a preferred AI, that's fine. If not, the council is the safe default.

For a loft or single-extension package: measured survey, existing drawings, proposed drawings, planning application drawings (where needed), Building Regs drawings, structural calculations, and submission of both the planning and Building Control applications. Two rounds of revisions included. Combo (loft + extension) is £3,150, the same scope across both.

Council fees (paid direct by you), Party Wall surveyor (only if you share a wall with a neighbour), structural engineer site visit if specialist input needed beyond standard calcs, planning consultant for complex appeals, and anything on site itself. We'll flag what applies to you before you book, no surprise invoices.

50% on booking to start the survey, 50% on delivery of the pack (before we submit to the council). Bank transfer or card. We don't do "pay on planning approval", the work is the same whether the council says yes or no, and we're paid for the work, not the outcome.

Only for work outside the fixed-price scope: a third (or fourth) round of revisions, helping draft a planning appeal, attending a site meeting with your builder, redesigning after a refusal that wasn't our call. We tell you before the clock starts and bill in 15-minute increments. Most clients never see an hourly bill at all.

3D render: a photoreal exterior visualisation, useful for planning where the design is contentious or for selling the idea to a partner. Expedited: we push your job to the front of the queue, survey within 5 working days, pack within 10 working days of survey. Both are optional, both are flat-fee.

Yes. All prices on the site are inclusive of VAT. We're VAT-registered (GB-prefixed number on every invoice), so the figure you see is the figure you pay.

After you book, you get a short questionnaire (rooms, must-haves, deal-breakers, budget for the build), and we book a 30-minute call. Bring Pinterest boards, photos, a sketch on the back of an envelope, whatever you have. We don't need you to know the technical language; that's our job.

Two rounds of revisions are included in the fixed price. A "round" means you mark up the drawings (we send a PDF with a markup tool, or you can scribble on a printout and photograph it), we make the changes, and we send back. Small tweaks (move a door, resize a window) all count as one round. A complete redesign mid-job counts as a fresh job.

We don't act as Party Wall surveyors (regulated profession, conflict of interest), we don't project-manage the build, we don't source builders, and we don't do interior design (we draw layouts, not finishes). For each of these we can usually recommend someone we've worked with, no kickback, just names that have delivered for our clients.

First port of call is your project lead, name and email at the top of every doc we send. If that doesn't resolve it within 3 working days, email us directly (hello@theplancompany.co.uk). We aim to reply same-day. We'd rather hear a complaint early than read about it on a review site.

For lofts and single extensions, yes, one architectural designer owns the job. For combo and larger projects, you'll have a project lead plus a structural engineer who handles the calcs. You always know who's doing what; the org chart is in your welcome email.