Building and renovation: permissions, trades and quotes

Planning permission is about what a building looks like and how it affects its surroundings. Many extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings on houses in England fall under permitted development and need no application, but flats, listed buildings and homes in conservation areas have fewer or no such rights, and councils can remove them with an Article 4 direction.

Building Regulations are about how the work is built: structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation, drainage and electrics. They apply whether or not you need planning permission. Work is signed off either by Building Control or, for some jobs such as windows, boilers and electrical work, by an installer registered with a competent person scheme, who then notifies the council.

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales when work affects a wall, boundary or foundations you share with a neighbour. It has its own notice procedure, separate from planning and Building Regulations. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems for all three, so check with your council there.

Buyers' solicitors ask for evidence that work was approved: planning decisions, Building Regulations completion certificates, competent person scheme certificates for windows, gas and electrical work, and guarantees for things like damp-proofing or roofing. Missing certificates can delay a sale or lead to indemnity policies. Ask at the quote stage who will provide which certificate, and keep them together.

• House building, self-build and extensions
• Whole-house renovation and period properties
• Roofing, re-roofing and flat roofs
• Windows, front doors, shutters and awnings
• Facade renovation, rendering and cladding
• Basement waterproofing and damp
• Demolition and strip-out
• Bathrooms, kitchens, tiling, flooring and plastering
• Accessible home adaptations and stairlifts

A quote you can compare lists the scope item by item, the materials or products by name, what is excluded, who deals with approvals and waste, how long the price is valid, the payment stages and what happens if something unexpected turns up once work starts. A single lump sum with 'labour and materials' is hard to hold anyone to.

Be cautious about large deposits before any work or ordering, and about pressure to decide on the day. Staged payments tied to finished stages protect both sides.

Each trade page has a short request form. Your request goes to exactly one business that works in that trade in your area and buys it; the service costs you nothing, and we email you the business's name, address and phone number before it sees your details. We cannot promise that a business takes up every request, and Offrano does not check the quality of anyone's work, so check registrations and ask for references yourself.