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Building approvals are best checked through your conveyancer’s local authority search, followed by targeted enquiries about any work that appears in the property but is not clearly covered by the records. For a house or bungalow in England or Wales, check planning permission and building regulations separately, compare the paperwork with the visible alterations, and resolve gaps before exchange. The rules and search process differ elsewhere in the UK, so establish the property’s jurisdiction first.
How do I verify building approvals before buying?
Ask your conveyancer to order and review the local authority search for the exact property. That search can disclose planning decisions, relevant building-regulations information and restrictions affecting the property. It is an important starting point, not a guarantee that every question about the building or its history has been answered.
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Then compare four things: the authority’s records, the seller’s replies, documents supplied for the work, and the physical property. If an extension, loft conversion, changed layout or other alteration is visible but its approval is unclear, ask your conveyancer to raise specific written enquiries with the seller or the relevant authority before exchange. The Law Society’s home-buying guidance describes local authority searches and enquiries as part of the buyer’s solicitor’s checks; the government’s guide to buying a home explains that searches have a defined scope.
- Confirm the jurisdiction and address. Verify whether the property is in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and make sure searches and enquiries refer to the correct property.
- Ask your conveyancer to review the local authority search. Specifically ask what it shows about planning decisions, building regulations and restrictions relevant to the property.
- Request the seller’s documents. Ask for permissions, building-control records, completion evidence and relevant guarantees for work carried out by current or previous owners.
- Match records to the building. Check whether the documents relate to the same address and the work you can see. Read any conditions or requests for further details rather than treating a decision notice as an unconditional green light.
- Investigate gaps before exchange. Ask your conveyancer to raise written, work-specific questions with the seller or authority. If a particular structure is central to your plans, get property-specific advice from the authority and an appropriate professional before committing.
Make the enquiries concrete. Rather than asking only whether “the extension is approved,” identify the part of the building, the apparent work, any relevant dates the seller can provide, and which record or document is absent. Ask whether the search identifies a decision for that address, whether it appears to relate to the work present, and whether conditions or further steps are recorded. This gives the conveyancer a specific discrepancy to investigate instead of relying on a broad assurance.
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What does a local authority search show—and what might it miss?
A local authority search is a central part of the purchase checks, but it has a defined scope. It can provide information about planning decisions and whether building-regulations consent has been granted, as well as restrictions affecting the property. It is not a complete account of every development or issue that could matter to a buyer. The government buying guide notes that searches may not disclose development on neighbouring land; specialist searches may be needed where there is a particular concern.
If the property’s value or your plans depend on a nearby site, a specific structure or a possible future alteration, tell your conveyancer what you want to establish. Ask whether the ordinary search covers the question or whether additional enquiries or a specialist search are appropriate. Do not assume that a search result about the property answers a question about neighbouring land.
Likewise, treat a search result as one part of the evidence, not as a substitute for comparing it with the seller’s answers and the building itself. If a visible alteration is not clearly reflected in the records, ask for follow-up rather than treating silence in the search as confirmation that no approval was needed.
How do I check if an extension has planning permission?
Ask your conveyancer to check the local authority’s planning records and the local authority search for decisions relating to the property, then match any application or decision to the actual extension. Review the decision and any conditions, including whether additional details or steps were required.
Planning permission concerns whether development is permitted. A new building, a major change such as an extension, or a change of use is generally likely to need permission, but the answer depends on the particular work and circumstances. The GOV.UK planning-permission guidance for England and Wales explains when permission may be needed and directs applicants to the local planning authority.
Do not assume that an application record alone settles the question. Check that it is for the right address and describes the work that exists, and note whether the decision imposed conditions or required further information or prior steps. If the property’s visible layout differs from what the records appear to cover, ask the conveyancer to clarify the discrepancy rather than relying on a verbal summary from the seller or agent.
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Does permitted development mean an extension needed no checks?
No. Some work may be allowed under permitted development rights, but the claim should still be checked against the specific property and work. Certain rights involve prior approval, neighbour consultation or other notification procedures, and local restrictions can affect what is allowed.
Ask the seller what basis they rely on and ask your conveyancer or the local planning authority to check the circumstances. The government’s guidance on when planning permission is required describes permitted development and situations where local-authority procedures may still apply. A seller’s or agent’s assurance is not a substitute for checking whether the relevant right and any required procedure fit the work in question.
In practical terms, ask whether the permitted-development claim depends on a procedure having been completed, such as prior approval or neighbour consultation, and whether a local restriction changes the position. The point is not to assume every alteration needed a full planning application; it is to establish which route applied and whether the steps for that route were followed. If the answer is uncertain, have the conveyancer seek clarification from the relevant authority before exchange.
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First establish whether the work required building-regulations approval; then request the relevant approval and completion evidence from the seller and ask your conveyancer to check the authority’s records. Building regulations deal with technical requirements for relevant work, while planning permission deals with whether development is permitted. One process does not establish approval or compliance under the other.
The documents to look for depend on the work, the approval route and the authority, so there is no single document set that applies to every alteration. For the work described in its guidance, West Lindsey District Council’s guide to buying and selling property and building regulations identifies an approval notice and completion certificate as documents to check. Ask your conveyancer what records are relevant to the particular work rather than assuming that the same paperwork is required in every case.
Building regulations may be relevant to work such as an extension or changes to a home, but do not infer the exact approval requirement from the name of the project alone. The work, its circumstances and the route followed matter. Citizens Advice’s guidance on home improvements in England discusses building-regulations requirements and other restrictions; for a purchase, use it as background and have the conveyancer check the property-specific records.
When asking for evidence, separate the question of approval from the question of completion evidence. A document showing an approval route was followed may not, by itself, answer whether the relevant completion evidence is available. Ask what the authority’s records show for the particular work, and whether the seller has further records, such as the completion certificate where applicable. The appropriate evidence varies, so the conveyancer should identify what is relevant rather than applying a one-size-fits-all checklist.
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What documents should the seller provide for an extension?
Ask for the planning decision or relevant evidence for the planning route, building-control approval and completion evidence where applicable, and any relevant guarantees or handover documents. Which documents are appropriate depends on the work and how it was dealt with; do not treat a generic list as proof that every item applies to every extension.
For each document, check that it identifies the correct property and corresponds to the work that is actually present. A planning decision may contain conditions or require further details, and building-control records may differ according to the route and authority. If documents are missing, incomplete or refer to different work, ask your conveyancer to put focused questions to the seller and check the relevant authority records.
For a newly built property, the checks extend beyond a later alteration. RICS advises that a conveyancer should check for proper planning permission and the final certificate from the local authority building inspector, as well as guarantees and other handover documents. See the RICS consumer guide to buying a home.
It is also worth asking the seller to identify work carried out by previous owners, not just alterations they commissioned themselves. If they do not have a document, ask them to say what is missing and what they know about the work and its timing. Then compare that reply with the authority records. This does not turn the seller’s account into proof of approval, but it helps your conveyancer frame the next enquiry and distinguish an incomplete file from a record that appears to relate to different work.
What if the house has work with no building-control certificate?
Do not conclude from a missing certificate alone that approval was unnecessary, or that the work was unlawful. Ask your conveyancer to identify what approval appears relevant to that specific work, check the authority’s records, and raise written enquiries with the seller before exchange.
There is no universal remedy that can be assumed to resolve every missing-record case. The possible consequences and options depend on the work, dates, authority records, lender requirements and transaction. Do not assume that retrospective approval or insurance will solve the issue; ask for advice on the particular property and your purchase before deciding whether to proceed.
A practical way to keep the enquiry focused is to identify the alteration, when it was carried out if known, the documents supplied, and exactly what is absent or inconsistent. Ask the conveyancer to report what remains uncertain and whether any further authority or professional input is needed. Resolve material uncertainty before exchange, especially if your decision to buy or your plans for the property depend on that structure.
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Keep the distinction between “not found” and “not required” in view. A search may not answer every question, and a seller may not hold paperwork for older work. The next step is not to guess which explanation is correct: have the conveyancer check the records and obtain a clear response about the specific alteration. If the answer affects your willingness to proceed, your intended use of the space or your future plans, make sure that uncertainty is addressed before you commit.
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Do listed-building or conservation-area restrictions matter?
They can. Planning and building-regulations records are not the only checks that may matter: listed-building or conservation-area controls can affect work, and separate consent may be relevant depending on the property and alteration.
Ask your conveyancer to check the local authority search for restrictions and to follow up anything unclear. The Citizens Advice guidance for England covers additional restrictions, and the government’s planning guidance explains that local circumstances can affect permission requirements. If you are considering future alterations, ask the relevant authority and an appropriate professional about the specific proposal; do not assume that a past approval settles what can be done next.
This check matters both for work already completed and for what you hope to do after buying. If a property is subject to a restriction, an ordinary planning decision for one alteration may not resolve whether another consent was also relevant. Tell your conveyancer about any planned change and ask what property-specific checks are needed before treating the existing paperwork as a guide to future options.
Can a survey confirm that an extension was approved?
A survey can help assess the property’s physical condition, but it does not replace checking official planning and building-control records. Use the survey and the conveyancing checks for different purposes: one informs you about the building’s condition, while the other investigates recorded decisions, relevant consent and unresolved paperwork.
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Compare the visible work described in the survey with the seller’s replies and authority records. If a survey identifies an alteration or raises a concern that the approval paperwork does not address, ask the conveyancer to make a targeted enquiry. The home-buying guidance from the Law Society and government places local authority searches and legal enquiries within the purchase process; it does not make a physical inspection proof of approval.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should I compare when buying between two properties?
Compare how well the records explain each property’s visible work, whether relevant building-control approval and completion evidence are available, and whether conditions or other restrictions affect use or future alterations. Also compare the amount of unresolved enquiry each property would require before exchange.
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- Planning match: Do the planning records correspond to the alteration that exists, and are relevant conditions or further steps clear?
- Building-control evidence: Where approval was relevant, is the appropriate approval and completion evidence available or accounted for?
- Restrictions: Are listed-building, conservation-area or other controls relevant to the property or your plans?
- Open questions: What is missing, inconsistent or still awaiting clarification, and can it be resolved before exchange?
A cleaner-looking file is not automatically proof that a property is compliant, and a missing document does not by itself establish that work was unlawful. The useful comparison is the quality of the evidence and the clarity of the remaining questions, assessed with your conveyancer.
For a fair comparison, look at the same categories for each house or bungalow. One file may have a clear planning decision but incomplete building-control evidence; another may have more paperwork but a condition or restriction that needs explaining. Record what is confirmed, what is still unknown and what follow-up is needed. This helps you weigh the practical work left to do without treating a thicker folder as automatic proof or a thinner folder as automatic evidence of a problem.
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Which rules apply in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The guidance and links in this article support a practical overview for England and Wales, not a single UK-wide procedure. Establish the property’s jurisdiction at the start and ask your conveyancer to use the appropriate local authority and legal process there.
The GOV.UK planning-permission page cited here is explicitly for England and Wales, and the Citizens Advice home-improvement guidance cited here is scoped to England. Do not assume that the same guidance, terminology or process applies in Scotland or Northern Ireland; ask a conveyancer familiar with the property’s jurisdiction to confirm the relevant checks.
How we picked the checks that matter
The checks above follow the purchase guidance from the Law Society and UK Government on conveyancer enquiries, local authority searches and their limits, alongside government planning guidance, local-authority building-regulations guidance, Citizens Advice and RICS consumer guidance. Together, those sources support checking planning and building regulations separately, matching documents to the property and work, investigating restrictions, and treating missing or inconsistent records as property-specific questions to resolve rather than as automatic proof either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a house if building-control records are missing?
A missing record does not by itself decide whether you should buy, because the significance depends on the work, dates, authority records, lender requirements and transaction. Ask your conveyancer to explain the unresolved issue and the available property-specific options before exchange.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDoes a planning permission document prove building regulations were met?
No. Planning permission and building regulations are separate processes, so a planning decision does not establish building-control approval or compliance. Check the relevant records for each process where applicable.
Should I ask about work done by a previous owner?
Yes. Ask for documents and seller replies covering alterations by current and previous owners, not just work the seller personally commissioned. Then compare the answers with the visible property and authority records.
Do the same approval checks apply to a bungalow in Scotland?
The guidance here is focused on England and Wales, and the GOV.UK planning page cited is explicitly for those jurisdictions. For a Scottish property, use a conveyancer familiar with the Scottish process and the relevant local authority.
Does a local authority search cover development next door?
Not necessarily. The government buying guide says searches have a defined scope and may not disclose development on neighbouring land. Tell your conveyancer about a specific concern and ask whether further enquiries or a specialist search may be appropriate.
