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Upper floors of a large yellow-brick Victorian house in London with chimney pots

Bexley, London

HMO conversion drawings in Bexley

In Bexley the control sits in planning more than in licensing: a borough-wide Article 4 direction means consent is needed for a shared house, while licensing reaches only larger HMOs and one selective area. Our HMO conversion drawings in Bexley start from £879 and put your effort where the council looks.

From £679 drawings + £200 survey (£879 total), no VAT to add

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  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, no VAT to add

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on hmo conversion drawings

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    One planning rule, everywhere

    The council's Article 4 page says it made a borough-wide direction in response to growing issues around small HMOs. The page records it as borough-wide from 24 September 2017, and it removes the permitted development right for a change from a dwellinghouse to a small HMO.

    Large HMOs, with more than six unrelated occupants, never had a permitted route, so every shared house in the borough now needs an application. The council's advice for anyone planning a conversion is to contact its development control team before starting work.

    A borough-wide rule is simple for an investor to price, because there is no ward map to check. The work is in the case you make for the specific house.

    Red-brick mansion blocks and shopfronts on a street corner

    Local figures for Bexley

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    The council made a borough-wide Article 4 direction on small HMOs which came into force on 24 September 2017; it removes the permitted development right for a change from a dwellinghouse (C3) to an HMO (C4).borough-wide from 24 September 2017—bexley.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 Directions, HMO paragraph
    Mandatory HMO licensing applies at five or more people; a selective licensing scheme covers Belvedere ward, operative from 13 January 2025 to 12 January 2030. An HMO of fewer than five people outside a selective area needs no property licence.selective scheme in Belvedere ward to 12 January 2030—bexley.gov.uk, Guide to property licensing, licensing schemes section
    Households living in a house75.3 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area17 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions238 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted82.4 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time94.1 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas23 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL charging band3 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£40/m² (Zone 1); £60/m² (Zone 2), plus indexationschedule rate (2015)bexley.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Bexley
    Building regulations, layer by layerPart A: structure: Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments. Part B: fire safety: All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604. Part L: insulation: New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4. Part K: stairs: 2.0 m clear headroom over stairs. Full plans application: Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writingPart A: structurePart B: fire safetyPart L: insulationPart K: stairsFull plans applicationABCDE

    Building regulations, layer by layer

    The Approved Documents that shape most house projects, from structure to the application itself.

    A · Part A: structure
    Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments
    B · Part B: fire safety
    All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604
    C · Part L: insulation
    New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4
    D · Part K: stairs
    2.0 m clear headroom over stairs
    E · Full plans application
    Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writing

    Licensing is narrower than in neighbouring boroughs

    The council's guide to property licensing sets out the position: mandatory licensing applies at five or more people, the council records a selective scheme in Belvedere ward to 12 January 2030, and an HMO of fewer than five people outside a selective area needs no property licence.

    That does not make a small HMO risk-free. Fire safety and management duties still apply, and the planning consent is what protects the use. We design the layout to licensing-grade room sizes anyway, because a house that is later let to five people then needs no rework.

    If you later move into licensed territory, our HMO licence application pack uses the same measured plans.

    What an application contains

    We provide measured existing and proposed floor plans, a room schedule, shared kitchens and bathrooms, escape routes and a site plan with parking and refuse storage. Bexley has 75.3 per cent of households in houses, so most schemes start from a suburban semi or terrace and the officer weighs the family-home stock.

    If you need more rooms, see loft conversion drawings in Bexley and rear extension drawings in Bexley. Green Belt covers 17 per cent of the borough.

    The council's record

    A new HMO is decided as a minor application. Bexley decided 238 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 82.4 per cent and decided 94.1 per cent in time. The borough has 23 conservation areas.

    Levy and the alternatives

    The borough levy reads £40/m² (Zone 1); £60/m² (Zone 2), plus indexation, and the Mayoral levy is in band 3. A conversion without new floor area may be outside it.

    To compare with flats, see flat conversion drawings in Bexley. The borough overview is architectural drawings in Bexley; close by, Greenwich licenses most shared houses.

    What you receive

    Building regulations section drawing showing the construction build-up
    Sample drawing. Building regulations section showing construction build-up for a building control check.
    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule
    Unit by unit
    Move up and down — the nearest units slide out.

    Other services in Bexley

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Bexley need planning permission for a small HMO?

    Yes. The council's borough-wide Article 4 direction is recorded as borough-wide from 24 September 2017.

    Does a small HMO in Bexley need a licence?

    Mandatory licensing starts at five people. The council records a selective scheme in Belvedere ward to 12 January 2030, and a smaller HMO outside a selective area needs no property licence.

    How many minor applications does Bexley grant?

    82.4 per cent of 238 decisions in the latest published year.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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