Key facts
- Usual max height (dual pitch)
- 4m
- Within 2m of a boundary
- 2.5m max height
- Max garden coverage
- 50%
Most garden sheds in England are covered by permitted development, which means no planning application is needed. The rules are conditional, though, and a few common situations fall outside them.
The usual conditions
- The building is single storey and used for a purpose incidental to the house.
- Maximum eaves height of 2.5m.
- Maximum overall height of 4m for a dual-pitched roof, or 3m for any other roof.
- If any part is within 2m of a boundary, the maximum overall height is 2.5m.
- Buildings must not cover more than 50% of the land around the original house.
- Nothing forward of the principal elevation facing a road.
When you should check first
- Listed buildings and land within their curtilage.
- Conservation areas, National Parks, the Broads, AONBs and World Heritage Sites, where rules are tighter.
- Flats and maisonettes, which do not have the same permitted development rights.
- Properties where permitted development has been removed by an Article 4 direction or a planning condition on a newer estate.
- Anything intended for sleeping accommodation or as a self-contained annexe.
Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If there is any doubt, your local planning authority can issue a Lawful Development Certificate confirming that permission is not required — useful evidence when you come to sell.
This is general guidance rather than legal advice. Always check with your local planning authority for your specific property.
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