Planning and design

You’ve decided to add a fantastic new space to your property – but where do you begin? Our planning and design service can help you optimise your space and budget while ensuring rules and regulations are met.

Each area of London has its own planning rules, which may affect your project. We’ll help you navigate these regulations and make sure you’re building lawfully. 

Whichever service you decide to use, our surveyors will site survey your property, taking measurements for building regulation drawings. Hopefully you’ll need these later, which reduces costs in the future. 

We’ll discuss the potential layout and revise the plans until you’re happy with them. Then it’s time to build: get your hard hat on! 

Our services are up front, transparent and offered at a fixed price. The only other fees are the council’s submission fees.

Drawings only – £1350 + VAT

Got questions? This service will answer them. The drawings will show structural requirements, planning considerations, material choice, building regulations, fire safety, budgetary requirements, plumbing and drainage and layout options. In our experience, this initial investment can save thousands by helping you plan and budget effectively. Plus, our surveyors can use the drawings to design spaces in collaboration with our build team, ensuring we address the right approval process.

Drawings plus Certificate of Lawfulness – £1600 + VAT

A Certificate of Lawfulness is a means of obtaining a decision from the planning authority that a proposed plan does not require planning permission and is lawful to be built under permitted development. A rubber stamp from the council can be useful when selling the property later.

Drawings plus Prior Approval Scheme – £1600 + VAT

The ‘Prior Approval’ process only applies to larger single-storey rear extensions. This is defined as extending beyond the rear wall of the original house by:

  • over four and up to eight metres for detached houses; and
  • over three and up to six metres for all other houses

If you want to build an extension of this size, you must apply to the local authority. Your council will then consult the adjoining neighbours and inform them of your proposals.
If your neighbours raise any concerns or objections, the local authority will decide if the proposal can go ahead.

Drawings plus Full Planning Application – £1600 + VAT

If you live in a property without permitted development rights or a conservation area where permitted development doesn’t apply, you will need to apply for a householder planning application.

Our relationships with various planning departments mean that we have an in-depth understanding of local authorities. If they are likely to throw up any pitfalls or opposition we can guide you to an easier application.

We then take you through the planning stages to refine your application, including pre-application, full application, and appeal (where necessary) at no further cost other than payment of any council fees. (Fees vary with authorities so cannot be included in our fixed price.)

At each stage, we provide all the necessary documents and as much evidence as possible to strengthen your case for your extension or conversion.

Just drawings plus convert to Virtual Reality – £1750 + VAT

Want to see the finished build before we’ve even started? With this service, we turn your drawings into Virtual Reality, so you can visualise your new loft or extension with our whizzy VR headset.

We used North London Loft Rooms for their architectural and construction drawings services. They guided us through the planning approval process and were responsive to any changes we needed to make to the drawings. Would recommend their prompt, personable and efficient service.”
NATASHA, E18