Acton W3 · terrace
Rear dormer: permitted development
38 m³ against a 40 m³ allowance — no planning needed. LDC recommended for resale.
→ Saved a planning application
Planning feasibility report · London
Know exactly what you can build — before you spend a penny on an architect.
Loft, rear or side-return extension? Get a 48-hour feasibility report: permitted development or planning, likely risks, nearby precedents and a realistic cost band for your exact house.
from £199Delivered in 48 hoursHuman-reviewed
- ✓Traffic-light summary per project option
- ✓Property and planning constraints profile
- ✓Nearby precedent table with decisions
- ✓Risk register: building regs, party wall, trees, flood
48 h
from photos to verdict
£199
vs £1,000+ for a typical feasibility study
3 yrs
of nearby decisions checked
100%
reviewed by a person
What you get
Everything in the Plan Check report
- ✓Traffic-light summary per project option
- ✓Property and planning constraints profile
- ✓Nearby precedent table with decisions
- ✓Risk register: building regs, party wall, trees, flood
- ✓Cost band and timeline
- ✓Next-step route: LDC, prior approval or full application
Home Art · Plan Check report
14 Example Road, W3 · Victorian terrace
Rear dormer loft
PD · 38 of 40 m³
4 m rear extension
PD · Class A
6 m rear extension
Prior approval · 42 days
Side-return + terrace
Full planning needed
Constraints
Precedents
Next steps
Example findings
What a check typically finds
Illustrative examples based on our sample reports. Every property is different — that is why we check yours.
Chiswick W4 · semi
HMO Article 4 — not a problem
The street has an Article 4 direction, but it only covers HMOs. The extension stays permitted development.
→ Avoided 8 weeks of planning
Hammersmith W6 · terrace
Wrap-around needs planning
Conservation area: side element is never PD. Five approved side returns on the street show the design that wins.
→ Design brief from precedents
How it works
Ten minutes from you. 48 hours from us.
- 011 min
Free check
Tell us the house and the project. Instant permitted-development verdict.
- 0210 min
Photos + form
6–10 phone photos and 8 questions. We pull planning history, constraints and mapping automatically.
- 0348 h
Report
Options, precedents, risks, costs and your route — reviewed by our planning lead.
Compare
Why not just ask an architect?
| Home ArtPlan Check | Architect feasibility | Builder "free" visit | Googling it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | ✓from £199 | £1,000–£3,000 | Free | Free |
| Time to answer | ✓48 hours | 2–4 weeks | 1–2 weeks | Evenings |
| Checks your exact address | ✓Yes — constraints and Article 4 | Yes | Rarely | No |
| Precedents on your street | ✓Yes, last 3 years | Sometimes | No | No |
| Cost band | ✓Yes | Sometimes | Their own price | No |
| Independent | ✓Yes — report stands alone | Yes | No | — |
Pricing
Pick a tier
Starter
Most popularThe report every London homeowner should have before talking to a builder.
£199inc. VAT
- ✓Permitted development vs planning verdict (traffic-light)
- ✓Property profile: conservation, Article 4, listed status, previous applications
- ✓Up to 3 project options analysed
- ✓Nearby approvals and refusals (last 3 years)
- ✓Cost band and timeline estimate
- ✓Human review by our team
Pro
Starter plus an outline sketch plan you can show builders and neighbours.
£349inc. VAT
- ✓Everything in Starter
- ✓Scaled outline floor plan and section
- ✓Building regulations and party wall checklist
- ✓20-minute call with our planning lead
- ✓Lawful Development Certificate route mapped
Full refund
If we can't assess your property at the free stage, you pay nothing.
On time or 20% back
Miss the delivery time and 20% is credited automatically.
Reviewed by a person
Every report is checked by our team before it reaches you.
No sales calls
We contact you about your order — nothing else unless you ask.
Not ready yet? Try the free party wall notice generator.
Side-return extension planning check
Side returns: the most common London project, and the most misunderstood
A side extension can be permitted development if it is single storey, no wider than half the original house and no higher than 4 m. But combine it with a rear extension — the wrap-around most people actually want — and it needs full planning.
In conservation areas (much of Hammersmith, Camden, Richmond and parts of Ealing) side extensions are never PD. The good news: most boroughs approve well-designed side returns because the street is full of them.
Plan Check pulls the approved side returns on your street, checks the conservation and Article 4 position, and gives you a design brief that follows what has already been approved.
Who this is for
- ✓Homeowners in London houses thinking about a loft, rear, side-return or garage conversion
- ✓Buyers who want to know a property's extension potential before exchange
- ✓Anyone who has had two builders say two different things
Not for
- ×Flats and maisonettes (no householder permitted development rights)
- ×Listed buildings — we will tell you and refund in full
- ×Formal planning advice or a planning application itself (we can arrange both as a next step)
Is this the same as hiring an architect?+
No. It is the step before. Plan Check tells you what is realistic for your house so your architect brief — or your builder conversation — starts from facts, not guesses.
How accurate is the permitted development verdict?+
Our rules engine applies the General Permitted Development Order limits line by line and flags any borough-specific restriction. Amber results always get a human review. For legal certainty we recommend a Lawful Development Certificate, which we can arrange.
What do you need from me?+
Your address, 6–10 phone photos (front, rear, garden, roof from the street) and an 8-question form. Ten minutes.
What happens after the report?+
Nothing, unless you want it to. Most clients ask us for an LDC or planning drawings, or a build quote from Home Art. Both are optional.
Plan Check · from £199 · 48 hours
Free check