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Havering, London

L-shaped dormer drawings in Havering

We prepare L-shaped dormer drawings in Havering for houses with a two-storey rear wing, where one roof extension can run across the back slope and along the wing. Most of the borough is outside conservation areas, but Havering still has 11 of them, so the address check comes first.

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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 l-shaped dormer drawings

    Nine 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.

    8. Building regulations

      Technical drawings are coordinated with the structural engineer's calculations, the drainage and the planning conditions.

    9. Approval and hand-over

      Building control approval, then a next-steps pack covering the commencement notice, party wall timing and CIL.

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

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    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window

    What Havering gives us to work with

    Havering is a borough of houses. 76.7% of its households live in a house or bungalow, and 69.5% own their home, so the people asking us about roof space are usually the ones who will live under it. That mix explains why householder work dominates the council desk: 985 householder decisions in the latest published year, out of 1,446 decisions of every kind.

    For roof extensions the document we read first is the Residential Extensions and Alterations SPD, which sits under the Havering Local Plan 2016-2031, adopted in 2,021. It is an older guide, so we do not assume it says what a recent London borough guide would. We read the current wording, check the address against the council map and then decide whether the roof can be drawn as permitted development or needs an application.

    Heritage is the second filter. Besides the conservation areas, Historic England lists 146 entries inside the borough, and the Heritage SPD applies where a roof is seen from a protected setting. A listed house is a separate consent altogether, and we say so at the start rather than after the survey.

    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline

    Local figures for Havering

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas11 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries146 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions985 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted85.9 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time97.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area53 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house76.7 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted21 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused27 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class B, para B.1(d)40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume—legislation.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 Havering
    Loft enlargement in section: the permitted development limitsExtra roof volume allowed: 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume. Set-back from the eaves: Original eaves maintained; enlargement set at least 0.2 m from the eaves measured up the roof slope, so far as practicable (not required for hip-to-gable or roofs joining a rear/side extension). Height limit: No part higher than the highest part of the existing roofABC

    Loft enlargement in section: the permitted development limits

    A dormer on the rear slope, with the limits that decide whether it needs planning permission.

    A · Extra roof volume allowed
    40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume
    B · Set-back from the eaves
    Original eaves maintained; enlargement set at least 0.2 m from the eaves measured up the roof slope, so far as practicable (not required for hip-to-gable or roofs joining a rear/side extension)
    C · Height limit
    No part higher than the highest part of the existing roof

    Why an L-shaped dormer on a Havering house

    A plain rear dormer gives one good room. Where a Havering house has a rear wing, carrying the dormer round the corner can give a second room and a landing that does not feel like a cupboard. The price of that gain is bulk: the roof on the wing and the roof on the main house are both being enlarged, and the combined volume is what decides the route.

    The national allowance is 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume. A semi-detached or detached house takes the larger figure, but earlier roof additions count against it. We ask whether anyone has already built into the roof before we sketch anything.

    If the L would exceed the allowance, the choice is a smaller shape or a planning application. Our planning drawings in Havering cover the second route, and we will show you both versions side by side so the difference in cost and time is visible.

    How the council has been deciding

    Havering granted 85.9% of its householder applications in the latest year and decided 97.8% of them inside eight weeks or an agreed extension. That is quick, and it matches what we see: a clear, well-drawn roof scheme rarely stalls on process.

    Larger home extensions under the prior approval route tell a more mixed story. In the latest four quarters reported, 21 were granted and 27 refused. That route is for single-storey rear extensions, not roofs, but it shows neighbours do object and the council does listen. If you plan both a rear extension and the dormer, our prior approval drawings in Havering show how we keep the two applications consistent.

    These figures describe the borough, not your house. We quote them to set expectations about timing and never to predict a decision.

    Green Belt, trees and the Community Infrastructure Levy

    Green Belt polygons cover 53% of the council area. A dormer does not usually stray into Green Belt policy on a house inside the built-up area, but houses on the edge, and any with a large outbuilding or extension history, need that check. We read the title plan and previous permissions to see which side of the line the house is on.

    Any borough levy is checked on the council charging schedule for the address. A levy normally bites on new floorspace above a size threshold, so a loft conversion inside the existing envelope often escapes it. We tell you if the drawings change that answer. The Mayor of London levy works the same way, at 30.3 pounds per square metre for permissions granted this year.

    What we draw and what comes next

    The set shows the existing and proposed floor plans, the roof in section, the new stair, and every elevation, with the rear wing roof junction detailed. If the work is permitted development, we turn the same drawings into an application for a lawful development certificate in Havering. Havering handled 578 certificates in the latest four quarters, so the route is familiar to the officers.

    Structure follows. The engineer sizes the steel at the junction of the two roofs, and our loft conversion drawings in Havering page explains how the building regulations set builds on the same survey. If the straight version is enough, dormer loft conversion drawings in Havering may be the cheaper shape. For the wider picture of the borough, start from architectural drawings in Havering or compare nearby L-shaped dormer drawings in Barking and Dagenham.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    Slate-clad roof extension on a yellow-brick London terraced house
    Storey by storey
    Move up and down — the car travels between floors.

    Other services in Havering

    L-shaped dormer drawings nearby

    Questions

    Do I need planning permission for an L-shaped dormer in Havering?

    Not always. Outside conservation areas and Article 4 land it can be permitted development if it stays within the volume allowance and the roof rules. Havering has 11 conservation areas, so we check the address before confirming the route.

    Is Havering quick at deciding householder applications?

    Havering decided 97.8% of householder applications within eight weeks or an agreed extension in the latest year. That describes the borough, and your own case depends on the drawings and the neighbours.

    Does a Havering listed house need different drawings?

    Yes. Historic England lists 146 entries in the borough, and roof alterations to a listed house need listed building consent, which we do not draw on this site. We would tell you before the survey.

    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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