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Richmond upon Thames, London

New build drawings in Richmond upon Thames

New build drawings for a house in Richmond upon Thames are the plans, elevations, sections and site layout the borough reads before it decides a new-dwelling application, and we prepare them from £1,450 including VAT. Richmond is a green borough with a heavy heritage layer, so the set has to show garden space, trees and neighbours as carefully as the building itself.

From £1,450 (VAT included)

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, VAT included

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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 new build 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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    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule

    Richmond's private outdoor space rule for new homes

    Start with the garden, because Richmond does. The borough expects each new home to offer private outdoor space of 5 sqm + 1 sqm per extra occupant: the base area covers one or two people, and each further occupant adds the second figure. Family homes should also open straight onto a usable garden. A balcony on the wrong side of the plot, or a lawn that is really the bin store's approach path, will not pass that reading.

    We dimension the amenity space on the site plan and in a small schedule beside it, dwelling by dwelling, so the case officer can tick the rule without a calculator. The wider guidance sits in the council's Residential Development Standards SPD and the Richmond Local Plan 2024-2039, adopted in 2,025. Where a plot is tight we test two or three layouts on the 3D model before choosing one, because moving a stair core by a small distance can free a whole garden depth.

    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London

    Local figures for Richmond upon Thames

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Minor application decisions324 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted75.3 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time94.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area2 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Conservation areas85 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries819 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    worldHeritageSites1 World Heritage Sites intersecting the LPA boundary—planning.data.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL rate (indexed)96.97 £/m² (indexed, permissions granted in 2026)—london.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£418.41/m² (Residential Higher Band); £317.99/m² (Residential Lower Band)indexed rate for 2026richmond.gov.uk
    New homes should have at least 5 sqm private outdoor space for 1-2 person dwellings plus 1 sqm per extra occupant, and family homes direct access to a good private garden.5 sqm + 1 sqm per extra occupant—richmond.gov.uk, Residential Development Standards SPD 2010, paras 4.1.1-4.1.2 (PDF p.6)
    Erection of dwellinghouses, not more than 10: per dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026610 GBP per dwelling—ribblevalley.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 Richmond upon Thames
    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

    What the council's own figures say about a new house here

    The numbers that matter for a single new dwelling are the minor-application ones, because most infill houses and small terraces fall in that class. In its latest twelve months of published figures Richmond decided 324 minor applications and granted 75.3 per cent of them, with 94.8 per cent decided within eight weeks or an agreed extension. Householder schemes fare better, at 83.3 per cent granted, so a new house is the harder ask.

    Three layers of protection explain much of that. The borough holds 85 conservation areas, 819 listed building entries and 1 World Heritage Site, and a further 16 registered parks and gardens touch its boundary. About 2 per cent of the area is mapped as Green Belt, which matters on the few sites at its edge. These layers tell us which neighbouring views and which street rhythm we must draw.

    What we draw for a Richmond plot, and the route it takes

    A new dwelling here goes through a full planning application, not permitted development. Our set includes a proposed site plan with levels, floor plans for every storey, a roof plan, elevations to each face, sections through the stair and the ridge, and a street scene wherever the neighbouring houses sit close. Where the plot touches a tree canopy or a flood line, we mark both so the officer sees the constraint resolved on paper.

    Decision periods are statutory: 8 weeks for a non-major scheme and 13 weeks for a major one, where major means Major development: 10 or more dwellings, or a site of 0.5 ha or more where the number is unknown. Our guide to planning drawings in Richmond upon Thames covers the householder side, and the Richmond upon Thames architectural drawings hub lists every service we offer in the borough.

    Levies and fees on a new home in the borough

    Richmond charges twice. The Mayor of London's levy sits in band 1 at £96.97 per square metre for permissions granted this year, and the borough adds its own: £418.41/m² (Residential Higher Band); £317.99/m² (Residential Lower Band). Both are charged on new floor area, and the national rule is that Any new dwelling is liable to CIL regardless of size (unless relief applies). We flag the likely levy at the first call, because it changes what a basement or loft room is worth.

    The council's own application fee is separate again, at £610 per dwelling for up to nine houses. Property prices in the borough average £803,249, and detached homes reach £1,814,548, so the drawings are a small fraction of the project and the quality of the set protects the larger spend.

    Working with us on a Richmond new build

    We start with a free constraints check on the address, covering the conservation area, trees, flood zone and neighbouring planning history. We then measure the site, model it in 3D and send you the options with the garden-space schedule marked. A second chartered technologist checks every sheet before it is submitted, and if the council asks for changes we redraw them without a further fee.

    Once a decision is made, the same model becomes the construction drawings in Richmond upon Thames and feeds the engineer's structural calculations. For a comparison with a Green Belt-edge borough, see our new build drawings in Sutton.

    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.
    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline
    Points, not guesses
    Paint across the grid with the pointer.

    Other services in Richmond upon Thames

    New build drawings nearby

    Questions

    How much garden does a new home in Richmond upon Thames need?

    The council's rule is 5 sqm + 1 sqm per extra occupant, with family homes expected to have direct access to a good private garden. We show the figure for each dwelling on the site plan.

    Does Richmond grant many new-house applications?

    In its latest twelve months of published figures the council granted 75.3 per cent of its 324 minor applications. That is a council statistic, not a prediction for your site.

    Do I pay the Community Infrastructure Levy on a new house in Richmond?

    Yes: Any new dwelling is liable to CIL regardless of size (unless relief applies). Richmond's borough rate is £418.41/m² (Residential Higher Band); £317.99/m² (Residential Lower Band), alongside the Mayoral levy.

    How long does a decision take?

    The statutory period is 8 weeks for a non-major scheme and 13 weeks for a major one, unless you agree an extension.

    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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