Do you need planning permission for an orangery?

Choosing an orangery to extend your home is the perfect way to add a touch of sophistication and elegance. By combining wide expanses of glass with brick walls and a lofty roof, you really do gain a great deal more living space, but a nice looking space to enhance your home.

If you’re considering adding one of these beautiful extensions, you may be wondering, ‘do you need planning permission for an orangery?’

We’ve answered this question, and provided helpful tips and guidance on orangery planning permission, building regulations, and rough prices for the job.

Do I need planning permission for an orangery?

This is a little tricky to answer as the truth is, it depends. Generally, you won’t need planning permission for your orangery if you stay within permitted development guidelines.

What are the permitted development guidelines?

Similar to a conservatory, there are rules around building an orangery. This means many people search for the question ‘do I need planning permission for an orangery?’ In fact, as long as you build within the guidelines it won’t be necessary to apply for planning permission.

Below is a brief summary of these rules:

• Your orangery can’t cover over half of the land around your house.
• Your orangery should be built on the back of your property.
• Your orangery eaves height should be less than 3 metres.
• Your orangery can’t be higher than the highest part of your home’s roof.
• Your orangery can’t extend over 6 metres to the rear of your semi-detached home.

Does an orangery need building regulations?

Now you know a little more about obtaining planning permission for your orangery, you may be curious about how building regulations can impact your new home addition.

Unlike a conservatory (that can be seen as a separate structure), orangeries are considered a part of your home. This means an orangery does need to meet building regulations.

Planning for an orangery

When you decide to add an orangery to your home, you can choose from a wide range of styles, sizes and layouts. In fact, many orangeries are custom made to fit your requirements.

Do you need much planning for an orangery? Yes, it’s absolutely worth spending a little time planning out how you want your finished orangery to look and feel.

During the design phase of your orangery, you’ll need to choose from options like different wall heights, window frames, window sizes and door styles. You’ll also need to consider the roof of your orangery and whether you’ll add skylights.

One of the most important stages to designing your orangery is to decide how you’ll use the space. For example, if you plan to fill the space with plants then you’ll need a lot of light. Alternatively, if you want to use your orangery as a dining room you’ll need to check if your table and chairs fit the space. You’ll also need to ensure that the room feels comfortable throughout the year.

How big can you build an orangery without planning permission?

As we mentioned earlier, there is a range of regulations regarding the construction of your orangery. As such, you may be wondering how big you can build an orangery without planning permission. The regulations state that, to avoid planning permission, your orangery:

• Can’t cover more than half of your land.
• Should be lower than the highest part of your home’s roof.
• Has an eaves height of less than 3 metres.

There are a few other rules that your orangery must not exceed and these can be found on the West Midlands Glazing website. If your planned orangery will be larger than these regulations, you’ll need to obtain planning permission.

Which tradesperson should you use for the job?

It’s important to work with a professional you trust and have confidence in. You also need to have a good working relationship as these tradespeople will be spending a lot of time in your home while your orangery is built.

We’d always recommend getting at least three quotes and speaking to more than one expert so you can be sure you’ve chosen the best worker for the job.

When it comes to building your orangery the best person to hire is an extension specialist.

How can I find a specialist to build my orangery?

Building an orangery is an exciting process. And, you’ll be adding an extra room to your home that can be used year-round for a number of different purposes. Remember, your orangery could be a home office, a sitting room, a dining room, a playroom for children… the list goes on. Once you’re ready to get started, you’ll need to contact a professional.

Luckily, we’ve saved you the time and energy of scrolling the internet for the right expert for your project. On our website we have thousands of tradespeople, all of which come with honest feedback from your neighbours!

Search your postcode below to start searching, or request a quote and let us get recommended tradespeople to get in touch with you.

How much does an orangery cost to be installed by a professional?

If you’re planning to add an orangery to your home, you’re probably curious about how much this will cost. It’s really helpful to have a rough idea of how much you need to save or borrow so you’re fully prepared when you contact an orangery specialist.

Our orangery cost guide has all the prices you’ll need as well as lots of handy tips and guidance. The average cost of an orangery is £2,250 per m2.