Building regs for deck?

8 replies

loveka · 15/04/2018 15:32

We are buying a house with a large deck area. It was a diy job so doesn't have building regs.

Our solicitor has made a bit of a big deal of it and the vendor has said she will rip it out, which we don't want to do.

Are the building regs on decks for health and safety? I assume so.

We thought we might ask a builder to quote to get the deck to building regs standard. But I'm wondering how necessary this really is?

Thanks.

OP posts:

brownelephant · 15/04/2018 15:34

is it raised? if higher than a ft then it might need planning permission.

Scabetty · 15/04/2018 15:35

What’s the issue. Didn’t know building regs covered decking so that’s interesting.

Original poster

loveka · 15/04/2018 15:38

I can't see an issue with it, apart from the fence bit on one side is on the boundary, with a steep slope down from the boundary to the road. But the solicitor hasn't seen the deck so it can't be that.

It looks slightly higher than a foot on the picture. But the solicitor hasn't asked about planning, just building regs. I'm confused!

OP posts:

Sty90 · 15/04/2018 15:39

Wooden structures are normally classed as temporary so wouldn’t need planning permission, our 10x40ft deck is raised 5ft. It’s a DIY job, it’s not complicated so it’s unlikely to be unsafe

Scabetty · 15/04/2018 15:44

According to dh building regs don’t apply to bldg regs.

Chickencellar · 15/04/2018 16:08

It needs planning permission if it's more than 30cm off the ground or covers more than half the garden. That said I bet there is loads of decking that doesn't have planning permission. If it needs planning permission then it needs building regs.

Sensus · 15/04/2018 21:18

@Sty90: "Wooden structures are normally classed as temporary so wouldn’t need planning permission"

Absolutely and totally wrong.

The definition of a 'temporary' structure under Planning is complex (Google: Woolly Chickens for chapter and verse), but it's most certainly nothing to do with the construction material used.

sdaisy26 · 15/04/2018 22:31

As said above they need planning if above a certain height / take up certain amount of space.

We sold our house last year with a deck that really needed pp as garden sloped so some was higher than the limit. Buyers suggested we bought an indemnity but we said we'd just take it out if they didn't want it (they'd already been irritating about loads of stuff so I wasn't feeling very charitable tho ultimately I would have paid the indemnity if it had otherwise been a case of losing the sale). Anyway I don't know if they bought an indemnity themselves in the end but they didn't ask us to take it down. I also remember our solicitor saying something about if it had been up over 4 years it wasn't an issue anyway - but ours hasn't been up quite that long.

Basically I don't think it's a v big deal. Worst case you might need to tell your mortgage co it's been taken down?

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