Do I Need Planning Permission To Render My House?

When the weather is nice and the sun shines on your home, you might suddenly come to the realisation that your current rendering is looking a little bit tired and rough around the edges. Or, you may not have rendering but might be considering adding it to your property to help spruce it up a little. But what about planning permission? Could this scupper your plans?

Planning permission is one of those tricky areas that people either forget about and fall foul of later, or get put off by the term without ever realising it wasn’t something they had to worry about to begin with.

Here at Bosaco, we’re here to help this month, breaking down whether you need planning permission to render a house and under what circumstances you can carry out the work. But first, let’s talk a little bit about what rendering is, so that you’re clear what we’re talking about.

What Is Rendering?

The term rendering is used in construction and house design to refer to the exterior finish of a property. Rendering is usually an additional layer that is added over the brickwork – sometimes completely covering it, sometimes only covering it partially – to elevate the look of the property.

There are many different types of house rendering, with a variety of materials used across the UK to render homes, including stone, plastic, timber and tiles. Some rendering, such as polymer rendering, has colour already built in while other, basic cement rendering will require painting if you want to add a little bit of colour to your home. Previously, pebble dash render was popular, but the options these days are a lot wider.

Rendering isn’t for everyone, but when done right it can create either a smooth finish or add additional texture. If you do decide to render or replace the existing rendering on your home, always use a professional for the best results.

Do I Need Planning Permission To Render A House?

The great news is that when it comes to planning permission, there are lots of little things you can do to your home to maintain it that fall under the permitted development rights. This includes repairing and replacing your existing rendering.

However, the one caveat to this is that you must use materials that are the same or similar to those used originally in the construction of your home. This means you need to find something that either is exactly the same or very similar in order to avoid requiring planning permission. For example, changing tiled rendering for a smooth, grey cement rendering means changing the look of your home substantially and may contravene planning permission rules.

And what if the exterior of your house is simply exposed brickwork? Well, this is something of a grey area, since technically there are no existing materials to match. The likelihood in this instance, especially if you consider that none of your neighbours have rendered homes, is that you could end up creating a dispute. However, for clear guidance on the matter, we always recommend consulting your local authority to find out what is allowed.

The only cases where you will need planning permission to replace rendering or repair your rendering is if you live in a listed building, a conservation area or a National Park. These are instances where tighter restrictions are in place to preserve the look of the area, so it’s always a good idea to check that your property doesn’t fall into one of these categories before starting any work. If you’re unsure about this, again, you should contact your local authority to check.

Choose a Reliable House Rendering Company

The way your house looks is important. Not only do you have to look at it each and every day, but when it comes to selling it, you want to make the best impression possible. Rendering, therefore, can be an important part of that, especially if your property is either partially or fully rendered already. While some choose to tackle repairs and re-rendering themselves, it isn’t advised as it can go badly wrong, resulting in even more costly repairs being required.

For this reason, it’s always better to choose a reliable, experienced house rendering company for your property. Not only do you get the assurance that the job will be done well, but you’ll also get it done right the first time. A professional in the building and construction trade will also be able to ensure the work is done in line with building regulations – this could be especially important if rendering more than a quarter of the property exterior.

At Bosaco, we’re here to help with all your exterior property work and building services as professional builders and tradesmen in Nottingham. Our experienced and trustworthy team offer quality workmanship and reliable results, so whether you’re rendering a house or want to discuss whether you’d need planning permission, simply contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.