A builder has asked me if I've got planning already for a garage conversion?

[ihatethecold]

I'm sure that's not needed.
I've looked online a read that an integral garage will only need building regs.
Why is he asking that?

It just needs building regs. Has he not done garage conversions before?

I had mine done last year. The building regs guy came 3 times. Once when the insulation on the floor was done before concrete pour as it has to be dug out. Then to check the brickwork. Then to do a final check including windows.

I found him on trust a trader website.
It does say that he does them.
I'm not having much luck getting quotes.
No one is responding!

We had ours done a couple of years ago. We didn't need planning but did need building control. I sympathise with the quotes thing. Builders always seem to be so busy that its a wonder how they ever have any time to do any work.

It's something that can sometimes require planning permission, e.g. New estates can often have permitted development rights removed , so it's not an unreasonable question to ask.

Ah ok. Thanks.
I will email him back and hopefully he will come and quote.

Ours required permission for the front. (Projects out by ? 1m and the roof on this had to be raised 4 courses, door removed and window put in.) The building control have checked on work to drains, before slab was poured, before beam over garage raised and after. (Still ongoing here.)

I will email the local planning office I think to get some guidance.
Thanks

Our council has very strict rules on how mnay off-road parking spaces a house should have. You would only be able to do a garage conversion on a 4-bed house if you could still park 3 cars off-road, or 2 cars for a 3-bed. There are lots of restrictive covenants in the deeds.

We have a 3 bed and space for 2 cars, 3 if we put 1 on grass next to the drive. No restrictions on the road outside either.
We are not on any type of estate.
Thanks. You are all helping me with this.

Right. I've emailed the council.

We had to apply for planning permission for converting our garage in my last house. It was a new build and a lot of new builds have had their permitted development rights removed so that means you can't do any kind of conversion or extension without planning.

If is the case and if like ours our local council aren't helpful we looked at their online portal and found the original planning for the development we were on and in the planning approval they provide a list of restrictions, one of which for us was the removal of restricted development. HTH

This is helpful to me too. We want to convert our garage and I had thought it would be a simple job since the garage is integral to the house and already has a room above. I hadn't appreciated we might need to dig up the slab that is already there to insulate it.

The council have replied that I should ring the planning person.

will report back.