Garage conversion plans in Hammersmith and Fulham

Timing a Hammersmith and Fulham application

The council's figures point to one thing worth planning around. It decided 506 householder applications in its latest published year and granted 97.8 per cent, a very high share, but decided only 79.8 per cent within eight weeks or an agreed extension.

So a conversion that does need an application should be programmed with slack. We advise building the wait into your start date, answering any officer query quickly, and sending a complete drawing set the first time so there is nothing for the case officer to chase.

These are borough-wide numbers for every kind of householder work, and they are not a forecast for one house.

Do you need planning permission to convert a garage here

Work inside the garage, or work that rebuilds the front in similar materials, may need no planning permission. A Lawful Development Certificate in Hammersmith and Fulham puts that position in writing for a sale or mortgage.

Where a conservation area, a condition or a listing applies, the conversion goes through householder planning, drawn as in our planning drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham. The council fee for altering a single dwellinghouse is £548, paid to the council, separately from our fee.

We confirm which route applies after a free constraints check and before you commit to drawings.

Drawing the front of a garage in a conservation area

Where the street has a consistent character, the aim is to make the conversion disappear. The infill takes the brick, bond and mortar joint of the house. The new window follows the proportions of the openings above it. The reveal and the sill are drawn at full detail so the officer can see how the wall will look in the light.

Where a mews garage has timber doors that are part of the setting, a better answer may be to keep the doors, fix them shut and build the insulated wall behind them. We draw both options so you can compare cost and appearance.

Building regulations for the new room

The room must meet the building regulations whatever the planning outcome. Approved Document L governs the insulation, Approved Document B the escape window and alarms, and Approved Document F the ventilation. Our building regulations drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham bring those together on one technical set.

Where the garage is part of a larger project, our construction drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham carry the full build detail for tender.

Price and what is included

Garage conversion plans in Hammersmith and Fulham start at £695 including VAT, fixed before you commit. You receive existing and proposed plans, elevations, a section and a block plan.

A second chartered technologist checks every sheet before it is issued. If the council asks for changes, we redraw at no charge until approval. If planning has been refused before, our planning appeals support in Hammersmith and Fulham is the next step.

Surveying and designing

Our survey of a Hammersmith and Fulham garage records the walls, floor level, drains and front boundary, with photographs of the street. In a borough with this many conservation areas, we also photograph neighbouring frontages, because a good application shows how the new wall fits with them.

We then prepare plans, elevations, a section and a block plan, and a three-dimensional model so you can compare options for the front before you choose. You confirm the design in writing, and a second chartered technologist checks each sheet.

Drawings are normally ready about a week after the survey. Because the council decides a smaller share of applications on time, we send the whole application at once and make any amendments within five working days.

Neighbouring boroughs

For the wider area, start at architectural drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham. The same service is available in Ealing, Hounslow and Kensington and Chelsea, and the garage conversion plans hub sets out the national rules.