Garden bar planning checker: walk your plot through the England rules

How to use the answers

Treat a green result as a well-founded starting point, not a decision. Permitted development only applies when every condition is met, and the checker can only test what you tell it. Two answers deserve extra care:

• Height is measured from the ground. Use the highest ground level immediately next to the building, and include the base or timber frame it sits on. A raised deck can add more than you expect.
• The 2 m distance applies to any part of the building. Roof overhangs and gutters count. A bar tucked into a corner is usually within 2 m of two boundaries.

If the result says "outside the simple route", it does not mean a bar is impossible. It usually means a lower roof, a different position or an application. Read the full planning permission guide for the reasoning behind each question.

Where the figures come from

The heights, the half-the-land rule and the position rule come from the Planning Portal's outbuildings guidance, quoted on our planning guide with the date we checked it. The Building Regulations note uses the Planning Portal's guidance on outbuildings and floor area. Where you live outside England, the checker sends you to our guide on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland instead.

Things the checker cannot see

• Restrictive covenants and leases. A deed can forbid a building that planning would allow. See covenants and leasehold.
• Previous permissions with conditions. A planning condition on an older extension can remove permitted-development rights without anyone mentioning it at purchase.
• What the neighbours will feel. Permitted development is not a promise of good relations. Our neighbours and noise guide covers sight lines, music and lighting.
• Electrics. A permanent supply needs a competent electrician whatever the planning answer. See power to a garden bar.

When to get it in writing

If you are spending serious money, or the building sits close to a limit, a Lawful Development Certificate gives you a formal answer that the proposal is lawful. It is also useful when you sell the house. Keep the supplier's drawings with the paperwork, because "planning friendly" in a product title does not describe your plot.

Next step

Mark the footprint on the lawn with canes and string, measure every boundary distance, then put the real figures from the product drawings into the checker. Once the answers are green, move on to the base calculator and the budget planner.