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GPDO 2015 England Permitted Development rules · statutory fees effective 1 April 2026

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Garden & Outbuildings Schedule 2, Part 1 · 300mm rule

Decking & Raised Patio Planning Rules: The 30cm Limit Explained

Garden decking and patios are Permitted Development in England only while they stay low: no part of a deck or platform may be more than 30cm (300mm) above ground level, and together with other buildings it must not cover more than half the garden. Anything higher is a ‘raised platform’ needing a householder application. Enter your design below.

If PD
£0
Application
£548
Decision
8 wks

Step 1 · Your project

Decking & Patios checker

25cm

Measure at the highest part of the platform above the ground beneath it – on a slope, that is usually the downhill end.

Decking + all buildings cover more than 50% of the garden?
Is any of it forward of the front wall?
Is it a balcony, roof terrace or first-floor platform?
Is the house listed?

Rules reflect the GPDO 2015 (England) for houses. Flats, maisonettes, listed buildings and Article 4 areas have restricted rights. Disclaimer.

Step 2 · Live statutory assessment

Permitted Development – Under 300mm

300mm rule

At 25cm high your decking is Permitted Development. No planning application is needed.

  • Platform height 25cm is within the 30cm (300mm) limit.
  • Coverage stays under 50% of the garden.
  • Sited behind the front wall of the house.
SECTION – DECK HEIGHT ABOVE GROUND
HOUSE 30cm (300mm) PD LIMIT 25cm NEIGHBOUR HIGHEST ADJACENT NATURAL GROUND LEVEL

England fees & timings (from 1 April 2026)

Council application fee

£0

Exempt under the GPDO

Lawful Development Certificate

£274

Rarely needed for low decks

Decision time

0 weeks

Build immediately

Applying online via the Planning Portal adds a £91 service charge (inc. VAT).

Builder & neighbour spec sheet

Export these exact limits and your answers to share with your contractor.

At a glance

Decking & Patios: the statutory limits in England

  • Decking and platforms must be no more than 30cm (300mm) above ground level at any point.
  • Combined with all extensions and outbuildings, it must not cover more than 50% of the garden around the original house.
  • No decking forward of the principal elevation without permission.
  • Balconies, verandas and roof terraces are never Permitted Development for houses.
  • Privacy screens are treated as fences: over 2.0m measured from ground level (including the deck) needs permission.
  • Listed buildings need Listed Building Consent for decking attached to or affecting the building.

Statutory reference

Legislation summary & 2026 fee table

England statutory planning fees effective 1 April 2026. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland operate different regimes.

GPDO legislation and fee summary for Decking & Raised Patios
Primary legislation Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (SI 2015/596), as amended
GPDO Schedule / Part Schedule 2, Part 1
Class Class E (incidental structures) – raised platforms excluded by E.1(g)
Exact reference GPDO 2015 Sch.2 Pt.1 Class E, E.1(b), E.1(g); Class A A.4 interpretation
Standard application fee £548 – Householder planning application
Lawful Development Certificate (proposed) £274 – optional proof the works are lawful
Planning Portal service charge £91 (inc. VAT) if submitted online
Council determination period 8 weeks
Key exclusions Not available to flats; restricted around listed buildings and forward of the principal elevation.

Avoid enforcement

The 3 most common homeowner traps

Trap #1

Sloping gardens: the downhill end

A deck that starts level with the back door can be 70–90cm above the lawn at the far end of a sloping garden. Councils assess the platform as a whole, so if any substantial part is more than 300mm above the ground beneath, treat it as a raised platform. Step the deck down or terrace the garden.

Trap #2

Forgetting the 50% rule

Decking counts towards the same 50% curtilage limit as sheds, garages and extensions added since 1948. In a small terraced garden with a kitchen extension and a shed, a full-width deck can tip the total over half.

Trap #3

Privacy screens on top of the deck

A 1.8m screen fixed to a 30cm deck is 2.1m above ground – over the 2.0m Part 2 Class A fence limit. Measure screens from the ground, not the deck surface, or set them back from the boundary and keep the total under 2m.

Separate legal regimes

Building Regulations vs planning permission

Low garden decking is normally outside Building Regulations, but these technical rules still matter:

Guarding (Part K)
Where there is a drop of more than 600mm, guarding at least 900mm high is expected, with no gaps a 100mm sphere could pass through.
Damp-proof course (Part C)
Keep the deck surface at least 150mm below the house DPC and never block air bricks – ventilated sub-floors rot quickly when covered.
Structure
Raised decks carrying hot tubs (often 2–3 tonnes filled) need engineered joists and footings; Building Control may be involved if attached to the house.
Lighting and power (Part P)
New outdoor circuits for deck lighting or a hot tub are notifiable – use a registered electrician who can self-certify.

Decking rarely triggers the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Notice is only needed for excavations within 3m of a neighbour’s structure that go deeper than its foundations (Section 6, one month) – for example concrete pad footings beside an attached neighbour’s extension.

FAQs

Decking & Patios: frequently asked questions

Do I need planning permission for decking?

Not if no part is more than 30cm above ground, it is behind the front wall of the house, and together with other buildings it covers no more than half the garden. Higher decks, balconies and roof terraces need a householder application (£548 in England from April 2026).

My garden slopes – how is the 30cm measured?

Height is taken from ground level next to the structure. On a slope the deck will rise higher above the lower ground, and councils look at the whole platform. If a meaningful part is more than 300mm up, assume you need permission or apply for a Lawful Development Certificate first.

Can I put a hot tub on my decking without planning permission?

A portable hot tub is not development, so planning permission is not needed. The decking supporting it must still meet the 30cm rule, and the electrical supply is notifiable Part P work.

Is a raised patio treated the same as decking?

Yes. Any raised platform – stone, timber or composite – is assessed the same way. A patio built up more than 300mm on a retaining wall is a raised platform and needs planning permission.

Sources: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 and amendments (legislation.gov.uk); MHCLG ‘Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance’; the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications…) (England) Regulations 2012 as amended; Building Regulations 2010 Approved Documents; Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Last reviewed 15 October 2026. See our editorial standards and disclaimer.

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