chriz1 Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 (edited) Hi, I want to build an attached garage at side of my house, which will be under the height of needing planning permission but will check One side will be near a boundary retaining wall owned by me 9 inch brick. The other rafters attached to house pine end. It already has a concrete pad in the area which is 6 - 9 inch thick redimix. It's a simple job which I plan to build of timber, box profile sheet on boundary side to comply with fire regs. My question is with BC how does it work I've been told I apply for building notice. So then do BC come out and inspect at different stages ? Is this extra cost ? My concern is the foundation, and having to prove to BC that its suitable? Its just a timber frame sitting on it. How do I do this do I have to go through the cost of having an engineer to draw plans and assessment of the current pad?! I plan to use a structual engineer to draw me plans to follow for lintel and rafters anyway. Seems an easy job made so hard and expensive for something I know would hold a house up! I park on it everyday. Edited September 10 by chriz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted September 10 Share Posted September 10 Planning is not just to do with the height. The width cannot be greater than half the width of the house and its materials have to be similar to the house. There is also an eaves height when within 2m of a boundary… https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/extensions/planning-permission If it’s open on at least 2 sides, it could be exempt from Building Regulations via the definition of a carport. Otherwise, it will require BR’s and yes, it can be done via a Building Notice. Submit the application, pay the fee, Building Control will register the application and then carry out regular inspections and issue a Completion Certificate at the end. Any existing elements that are due to receive additional loading would need to be justified by an engineer. Building Control will request that information along with engineers’ details/calculations for the other structural elements. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 Great thanks for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbeard Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 14 hours ago, chriz1 said: My concern is the foundation, and having to prove to BC that its suitable? Its just a timber frame sitting on it. How do I do this do I have to go through the cost of having an engineer to draw plans and assessment of the current pad?! I plan to use a structual engineer to draw me plans to follow for lintel and rafters anyway. Seems an easy job made so hard and expensive for something I know would hold a house up! I park on it everyday. You could try getting a structural engineer to 'prove' your exg slab for the proposed load, but you'd have to expose at least the perimeter. I think if I were an SE I would also want to see samples from other parts of the slab, to see that the depth was consistent. I'd also want to check for the presence (or not) of reinforcement. If you build your garage 'Post and 'Beam', of chunky timbers, you might get away with a small number of 'pad' founds. Mine for my extension were just over 1m deep with about 450 conc, then foundation blocks. We used C-section steels sat on the foundation blocks and built off them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 11 Author Share Posted September 11 Thanks for your help, digging the pad will be hard as it backs onto 2 wall so probably not possible. I will see what a SE says I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 29 Author Share Posted September 29 Back on this one, Structual engineer rightly wants to see the foundation on both sides of the wall lower side is my neighbours garden no chance as they've just laid a new driveway and my side will need to be dug probably 5m to uncover and its only 3m from house so likely a hole I'd need would undermine the homes foundations. So I'm giving up on the plan of an attached garage. To avoid building regs what's left that I can do ? Can I build a detached garage literally an inch away from my house wall upto the boundary without needing a strucutal engineer apraisal? Or a carport ? I've parked my van at this location for 20 years and there's no issues with the wall or slab. And tbh when I do build something I'll probably never park here as it will be storage mainly and tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted September 29 Share Posted September 29 Don’t give up. Proving thickness of slab can be done by core drilling. My timber (detached) garage is on a 9” slab with no other foundations. As it is attached you need building regs (from what I can gather) and as you rightly say fire proof at the boundary. What you need is a build method that can use your existing slab. Q/ how many core samples would be required to establish overall slab thickness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 30 Author Share Posted September 30 Hi, the slabs thickness isn't the problem here it's the boundary retaining wall if I need to get a structual engineer involved they want to see the foundation of the wall which is nye on impossible to uncover without huge expense. Therefor I want to build it do no building regulations are needed PP its excempt I already checked this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandgmitchell Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 Well if it will be detached from the dwelling then you can do this... Small detached buildings 1. A detached single storey building, having a floor area which does not exceed 30m2, which contains no sleeping accommodation and is a building— (a)no point of which is less than one metre from the boundary of its curtilage; or (b)which is constructed substantially of non-combustible material. 2. A detached building designed and intended to shelter people from the effects of nuclear, chemical or conventional weapons, and not used for any other purpose, if— (a)its floor area does not exceed 30m2; and (b)the excavation for the building is no closer to any exposed part of another building or structure than a distance equal to the depth of the excavation plus one metre. 3. A detached building, having a floor area which does not exceed 15m2, which contains no sleeping accommodation. Or if it is not going to be a garage then you can build: Extensions The extension of a building by the addition at ground level of— (a)a conservatory, porch, covered yard or covered way; or (b)a carport open on at least two sides; where the floor area of that extension does not exceed 30m2, provided that in the case of a conservatory or porch which is wholly or partly glazed, the glazing satisfies the requirements of F2[F3Part K4, K5.1, K5.2, K5.3, and K5.4] [F2Part N] of Schedule 1. (i.e it's basically safety glazing - my comment) The above are within Schedule 2 - Exempt buildings and work. Perhaps a nice porch to keep your tools in (although a porch should enclose a door into the house to really be a porch) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 30 Author Share Posted September 30 Thanks for your help, I asked building control again if I can do a carport instead to be excempt closed at the front by a garage door (do looks like a garage from front) and then have it off the side of the house and be just above the fence leaving a small gap from bottom of roof to top of fence which is already there at the side and back they won't give me a straight answer. They just say that it has to be open 2 sides and under 30sq Metres The fence won't be attached to it in any way and Is already there in my view its still open 2 sides the fact thr fence is there is irrelevant as it's not part of its structure am I getting that right ? Can't see why building control can't just say yes or no they won't even come and have a look before I start! Regarding the porch idea - I do have a side door that could be covered if i nake it long enough (still under 30sq m ) so would this come under a porch then ? If so what actually entails as being a porch?! I've included a picture Of the area to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 Why don’t you just apply for the relevant approvals for what you want? It’d be a waste of time to try and find a cheap alternative/loophole for something you don’t need or want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandgmitchell Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 I think the OP is concerned that BC will require substantial foundations above and beyond the existing reinforced slab they have. That slab can't be proved because of the boundary retaining wall foundations are not available for inspection. The OP is therefore exploring potential lightweight structures that will not involve the relevant authorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 @chriz1 Erect something like this either attached to the house (but open at the front and rear) or keep it detached from the house and enclose it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 30 Author Share Posted September 30 This is correct annoying thing I park here for the past 20 years no cracks no movement when built I probably won't ever park there as it be more for storage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 30 Author Share Posted September 30 Unfortunately a lighter structure I considered detached but my local authority says has to be built from brick or block within 1m of boundary which this is. Everywhere else says built from non combustible well surely metal is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 52 minutes ago, chriz1 said: Unfortunately a lighter structure I considered detached but my local authority says has to be built from brick or block within 1m of boundary which this is. Everywhere else says built from non combustible well surely metal is! If it’s detached and the internal floor area does not exceed 15sq.m, you don’t need to worry about the the material or distance to the boundary. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted September 30 Author Share Posted September 30 Ive read a few people say this, but cant find it anywhere on local building control documents Unfortunately a lighter structure I considered detached but my local authority says has to be built from brick or block within 1m of boundary which this is. Everywhere else says built from non combustible well surely metal is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilDamo Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 16 minutes ago, chriz1 said: cant find it anywhere on local building control documents Very easy to find… https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/outbuildings/is-building-regulations-approval-needed-for-an-outbuilding 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandgmitchell Posted October 1 Share Posted October 1 19 hours ago, kandgmitchell said: (b)which is constructed substantially of non-combustible material. The criteria for being exempt is "substantially of non-combustible material". So not entirely of non-combustible, nor of a specific material giving a specific fire resistance over a specific time. Just non-combustible. Metal isn't combustible i.e it doesn't burn, it may melt but it doesn't combust. There is no requirement to build a detached building (over 15m2) out of block or brick if it's within 1m of the boundary - they obviously would comply as well but so would steel sheet. Or do as @DevilDamo says, keep it detached and under 15m2 and build it out of whatever you like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriz1 Posted October 1 Author Share Posted October 1 Thanks guys for your help you've explained.it better than my local building control ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now