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

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Extensions & Lofts Schedule 2, Part 1 · Class D · 3m²

Porch Planning Permission Rules (Class D 3m² Checker)

A front porch is one of the simplest Permitted Development projects – under GPDO Part 1 Class D you can add a porch outside any external door if its ground floor area is 3m² or less, it is no taller than 3m, and no part is within 2m of a boundary with a highway. Enter your porch dimensions below.

If PD
£0
Application
£548
Decision
8 wks

Step 1 · Your project

Porches checker

2.5m²

Measure to the outside face of the porch walls (e.g. 1.5m × 2.0m = 3.0m²).

2.8m
3.0m

Measure to the front boundary next to the pavement or road, not to the kerb edge.

Is it a flat, or have PD rights been removed?

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 – Class D

Class D · 3m²

Your 2.5m² porch meets all Class D limits. No planning application is needed.

  • External floor area 2.5m² is within the 3m² limit.
  • Height 2.8m is within the 3m limit.
  • 3.0m from the highway boundary – outside the 2m exclusion zone.
SIDE ELEVATION – PORCH SIZE & HIGHWAY DISTANCE
HIGHWAY → BOUNDARY WITH HIGHWAY HOUSE MAX 3.0m HIGH 2.8m 3.0m TO HIGHWAY BOUNDARY FOOTPRINT 2.5m² · MAX 3.0m²

England fees & timings (from 1 April 2026)

Council application fee

£0

Class D Permitted Development

Lawful Development Certificate

£274

Rarely needed for porches

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

Porches: the statutory limits in England

  • Ground floor area, measured externally, must not exceed 3m².
  • No part of the porch may be more than 3m high above ground level.
  • No part may be within 2m of any boundary of the curtilage that adjoins a highway (including the footway).
  • The porch must be erected outside an external door of the house – it can be on any elevation.
  • Class D is not restricted on Article 2(3) land, so it can apply in conservation areas unless an Article 4 Direction says otherwise.
  • Flats, maisonettes and houses with removed PD rights cannot use Class D.

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 Porches
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 D – porches
Exact reference GPDO 2015 Sch.2 Pt.1 Class D, D.1(a)–(d)
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 Class D applies in conservation areas, but not to flats or where removed by condition or Article 4 Direction.

Avoid enforcement

The 3 most common homeowner traps

Trap #1

Measuring the floor area internally

The 3m² is measured externally, including the thickness of the porch walls. A porch that is 1.5m × 2.0m inside with 100mm walls is actually 3.74m² – well over the limit. Plan for roughly 1.3m × 2.0m internal if you want to stay safely inside Class D.

Trap #2

Measuring to the kerb instead of the boundary

The 2m is measured to the boundary of your property with the highway – usually your front wall or the back edge of the pavement – not to the road. In many terraced streets the front garden is under 2m deep, so a porch is never Permitted Development there.

Trap #3

Turning the porch into a room

If you remove the original front door so the porch becomes part of the hallway, it is no longer a porch. It is then assessed as a front extension under Class A – which is never PD forward of the principal elevation – and loses its Building Regulations exemption.

Separate legal regimes

Building Regulations vs planning permission

Porches are exempt from Building Regulations if all of these conditions are met – otherwise approval is required:

Ground level and size
The porch is at ground level and under 30m² floor area – almost every Class D porch passes this test.
Thermal separation (Part L)
The existing front door remains, separating the porch from the house, and the house heating is not extended into it.
Safety glazing (Part K)
Glazing in critical locations (doors and low-level panels) must be safety glass to BS EN 12600.
Access (Part M)
The porch must not make access to the house worse – keep level thresholds and door widths where they exist.

On terraced and semi-detached houses a porch built against the party wall line or with foundations within 3m of a neighbour’s porch or bay can trigger the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – Section 1 or Section 6 notice, at least one month before work.

FAQs

Porches: frequently asked questions

What is the biggest porch I can build without planning permission?

3m² of external ground floor area, no more than 3m high, and at least 2m from any boundary next to a highway. A porch of about 1.5m × 2.0m measured externally is the practical maximum.

Does an open canopy over the front door need planning permission?

A small canopy is generally treated as a porch or minor alteration. Keep it within the Class D dimensions and 2m from the highway boundary. Larger canopies on posts, or any canopy on a listed building, need checking with the council.

Can I build a porch in a conservation area?

Yes – Class D is not restricted on Article 2(3) land, so the same 3m² / 3m / 2m rules apply. However, many conservation areas have Article 4 Directions removing porch rights; check your council’s Article 4 map first.

How much does a porch planning application cost?

If your porch exceeds Class D, a householder application costs £548 in England from 1 April 2026, plus the £91 Planning Portal service charge if you apply online. Decisions are due within 8 weeks.

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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