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The process
We handle every step of your project — survey, design, planning and building regulations. Here’s exactly what happens when you work with us.
Five steps
Tell us about your project — by phone, email or site visit. We’ll discuss what you’re hoping to achieve, confirm whether planning permission is required, and give you a clear breakdown of what our service will cost. No commitment needed at this stage.
Our surveyor visits your property and carries out a full measured survey, recording existing floor plans, elevations and key dimensions. This forms the basis of all design work and any planning submission. We cover the full survey of existing and proposed layouts.
We produce architectural drawings showing the proposed works: floor plans, elevations, sections and site plan. We work collaboratively with you through this stage — revisions are included until you’re satisfied with the design before submission.
Depending on your project, we’ll advise on the right consent route: Householder Planning Permission, Lawful Development Certificate, Prior Approval or Full Planning Permission. We submit as your named agent, handle all correspondence with the planning officer, and keep you updated throughout. Where a decision goes against you, we can advise on and manage the appeals process. For building regs, we coordinate a full-plans submission — bringing in trusted structural engineers and building-regs specialists — and liaise with building control on your behalf.
Once planning permission or building regs approval is granted, we issue you the full approved drawing package. If you need a contractor, we can provide recommendations for builders we have worked with. Our job is done when you’re ready to build.
Common questions
Not always. Many extensions fall under Permitted Development (PD) rights, which means you can build without a formal planning application. However, PD rights can be removed by Article 4 Directions, conservation area designations or previous planning conditions. We’ll confirm what applies to your property during the free consultation — there’s no guesswork involved.
The statutory determination period for a householder planning application is 8 weeks. In practice, some councils take longer — particularly Ealing and Brent during busier periods. Our job is to submit a clean, complete application that minimises queries and delays.
Planning permission is about whether a building can be built at all — its size, appearance, and impact on neighbours. Building regulations are about how it’s built — structural safety, insulation, fire safety, ventilation and drainage. Most extensions need both. We handle both through the same package.
Refusal isn’t the end of the road. We review the reasons for refusal and advise whether an appeal is viable or whether a revised submission is a better route. We have successfully secured approvals through the Planning Inspectorate appeals process, and will give you an honest assessment of the prospects before committing to either route.
We can advise on whether your project is likely to trigger the Party Wall Act and recommend a party wall surveyor if needed. Party wall agreements are a separate legal process to planning and building regs, but we’ll flag it early so you’re not caught out mid-project.
Yes. In addition to our West London core (Ealing, Brent, Hounslow, Harrow), we work across East and South London and regularly take on projects in Surrey, Milton Keynes and the wider Home Counties. Call or email to confirm whether your area is covered.
Free consultation
Book a free consultation and we’ll talk through your project, confirm what approvals you need, and give you a clear fee breakdown. Most consultations take 20–30 minutes.
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