Roof

Work to the roof of a house (e.g. re-roofing) that does not materially affect its external appearance will usually not require planning permission.

Permitted development rights allow certain alterations to the roof of a house (e.g. installation of skylights), as long as the following conditions and limitations are met.

These are specific to "any other alteration to the roof of a dwellinghouse" as detailed in Schedule 2, Part 1, Class C of the The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended).

There are different rules for:

• "the enlargement of a dwellinghouse consisting of an addition or alteration to its roof" (Schedule 2, Part 1, Class B) which are detailed in our 'Loft conversion' section¹.
• “enlargement of a dwellinghouse by construction of additional storeys” (Schedule 2, Part 1 Class AA) which are detailed in our ‘Additional Storeys/Extending Upwards’ section².
• “installation or alteration etc of solar equipment on domestic premises” (Schedule 2, Part 14, Class A) which are detailed in our ‘Solar panels’ section³.

If these limits and conditions are not met, or Permitted Development rights have been removed in the area, then an application for Householder/Full Planning Permission will be required.

The current house:

• Is not a building containing one or more flats, or a flat contained within such a building
• Was not changed to be used as a house (from a previous non-residential use) under permitted development rights.
• Was not built as a ‘New Dwellinghouse’ under permitted development rights.

Limitations on the proposed development:

• Must not project more than 150 millimetres from the plane of the existing roof slope.
• Must not exceed the height of the existing roof.
• Side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed; and, if opening, to be 1.7 metres above the floor of the room in which they are installed.

Permitted Development for householders – Technical Guidance

You are strongly advised to read the technical guidance produced by the Government to help understand how permitted development rules might apply to your circumstances.

View 'Permitted development for householders – Technical guidance' on Gov.uk⁴

1. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/loft-conversion
2. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/additional-storeys-extending-upwards
3. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/solar-panels
4. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permitted-development-rights-for-householders-technical-guidance