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Technical Guide for Conservatory Surveyors

Technical Guide for Conservatory Surveyors
Within this section we will cover most of the key points to consider when doing an intial survey for a customer requiring a conservatory. If there are still questions you need answering then don't hesitate, get in touch with us using the contact details on the menu to the left. We are able to supply you with a more indepth guide.

Planning permission and building regulations.
These two are often confused and the following notes are intended for guidance only, and are general requirements for all areas. Please consult the relevant local authority for any specific requirements for the area concerned. On some new housing estates the developers sometimes insert a clause in the deeds requiring their permission to extend the house. This should be checked and in some cases a small fee may be charged to obtain permission.

Definition of a conservatory.
According to the Department of the Enviroment, a conservatory is defined as "A building that has not less than three quarters of its roof area made of translucent material, and not less than fifty percent of its wall area made of glass"

Specific planning permission is not normally required if the following guidelines are met:
• A Detached or semi-detached dwelling may be extended without planning permission (subject to the following conditions) by up to 70 m3 or 15% of the volume of the original house , whichever is the greater (to a maximum of 115 m3)
• A terraced house (or a house in a National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, a conservation area or other specially designated area) may be extended up to 50m3 or 10% of the volume of the original house.
• The overall height of the conservatory must not exceed 4m when the conservatory is less than 2m from any boundary. If greater than 2m from any boundary, the height of the conservatory may equal the height of the house.
• The conservatory is used solely for domestic purposes.
• The roof and walls are glazed with translucent or transparent materials with safety glazing at low level (see definition of a conservatory).
• No part of the conservatory should be closer to the highway than the nearest part of the original house unless there would be at least 20m between the house (as extended) and the highway.

A guide for conservatory planners where an application for planning permission is required:
• The proposed conservatory is on any wall fronting the highway. Note: Highway includes all public roads, footpaths, bridleways and byways.
• The property is a listed building or in a conservation area.
• The property is non-residential or anything other than a single dwelling.
• The conservatory is higher than any part of the original building.
• The conservatory and other additions to the original house exceeds 50% of the total area of the garden within the boundaries of the property.
• Eaves, fascias, foundations or guttering encroach over the boundaries of the property.

Building regulations.
These are the construction and performance standards which if followed allow a structure to be built. They relate to the structural integrity of the construction and not its location. It should be noted that Building Regulations in England and Wales are different to those in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Check with local authorities for the existence of any local by-laws which may need to be considered.

A conservatory is normally exempt from any building regulation control provided it meets the following requirements:
• The conservatory is used solely for domestic purposes.
• The floor area is less than 30m2 (internal floor).
• The roof and walls are glazed with translucent or transparent materials with safety glazing at low level.
• The conservatory is built at ground level.
• The conservatory contains no sleeping accommodation.
• The construction of the conservatory does not effect the existing drainage system.

Building regualtions contd.
If a conservatory does require Building Regulation approval and the conservatory is situated within 1m of the boundary, then the wall of the conservatory adjacent to the boundary should be constructed of materials eith limited combustibility which meet fire regulations to Approved Document B of the Building Regulations 1992.

Surveying the site.
It is essential that a thorough site survey is undertaken before construction begins. A mistake made at this stage could be very costly to your company. A cost that may be incurred is rectification of the installation due to inaccurate information being supplied to the construction teams. This in turn may result in the customer retaining payment of the conservatory. A breakdown in customer relations, a lack of customer confidence and damage to the reputation of your company may ensue.
The best way to survey a property is to sketch out a plan and a elevation of the proposed site showing all existing windows, pipes, drains and other possible obstructions. The dimensions between each feature should be indicated and the position of the proposed conservatory. If you are carrying out several surveys in a day and drawing the results up at a later time, it is a good idea to reinforce your survey sketch with a photograoh of the site. A 'polaroid' camera is ideal for this purpose. This part of the survey is best conducted without the distraction of the customer present.
A thorough inspection should be made of all possible obstructions as listed in the following pages.