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Our Process

A clear process, shaped around your project.

Every project is different. Some need both stages, others only one. We agree what your project needs at the start, so you always know what happens next. Below is the route most projects follow.

You’re welcome to bring us in at any stage. Whether you already have planning permission, have conditions to clear on an approved application, or just need Building Regulations compliant drawings and a specification, get in touch.

Before we start

Tell us about your project and we’ll arrange an initial chat by phone or video call, or at your home if you’d prefer. It’s a relaxed chance to talk through your ideas and for us to understand the scope of what you’re planning. We’ll then send you a fee proposal, which you can accept online when you’re ready.

Stage 1 · Planning
Creating the design and getting the right permissions for what you want to build.
01
Step 01

Your brief

Once you’ve instructed us, we go through your brief in detail, often at your home alongside the measured survey. We’ll talk through your ideas, how the space will be used, your budget and your timescale, explain the process in as much or as little detail as you need, and confirm which permissions you’re likely to need.

02
Step 02

Measured survey & constraints review

We measure your home and draw it accurately as it stands. Alongside this, we check every planning constraint on the site, so the design starts from what is actually possible.

What the constraints review checks
  • Conservation areasTighter controls on materials and extensions
  • Listed buildingsIncluding listed building consent
  • Article 4 directionsWhere permitted development is withdrawn
  • Permitted development rightsWhether earlier conditions have removed them
  • National Park & National LandscapeSouth Downs, High Weald and Kent Downs
  • Flood zonesEnvironment Agency flood map
  • Tree Preservation OrdersAnd trees within conservation areas
  • Planning historyPast approvals, refusals and conditions

…and many others, depending on your site and its location.

03
Step 03

Concept design

We develop layout options, talk them through with you and refine one into a scheme you’re happy with. This is where listening matters most.

04
Step 04

Planning: the right route for your project

Once you’re happy with the design, we agree the right route to approval:

  • Pre-application advice first, for sensitive sites or ambitious schemes, when an informal view from the council is worth the extra time. We’ll always tell you whether it’s worth it.
  • Lawful Development Certificate, if the project qualifies as permitted development. It confirms the work is lawful and forms a vital part of your home records.
  • Prior approval, for larger single-storey rear extensions.
  • Planning application, for most extensions and alterations.

If specialist reports are needed, such as trees, ecology or flood risk, we’ll tell you early and help you appoint the right people. Their fees are separate, and most householder applications don’t need any. We handle all contact with the council on your behalf.

TimescalePlanning applications usually 8–10 weeks · prior approvals decided within 42 days
Stage 2 · Technical Design
Adding the technical detail and compliance, so you’re ready to build.
05
Step 05

Technical design

We think about building regulations and buildability from the very start, but this is where it gets resolved in detail: how it will be built, how the structure works with the design, and how to keep it within budget. You get a full set of 2D CAD drawings and a specification, taken through building control approval so you’re ready to build.

By this stage, builders have everything they need to give you accurate quotes. We’re on hand to answer any questions they have while they review the drawings and price the work.

  • Structural engineer. We’ll obtain a fee quote on your behalf and coordinate their calculations with our drawings throughout. As with all external consultants, their fees are quoted and invoiced separately.
  • Building control. You can choose who checks your project: a private registered building control approver or your local authority’s building control service. We’ll run through the options, obtain quotes on your behalf, then take the drawings through to approval.
  • Party wall agreements. If you’re building on or near a shared boundary, or digging close to a neighbour’s foundations, you’ll usually need to serve notice on your neighbours under the Party Wall Act. Many neighbours simply give their consent in writing, and the government publishes free guidance and example letters to help. If a neighbour doesn’t consent, a party wall surveyor will need to be appointed, and we’ll recommend one and help coordinate. Notice periods are one to two months, so it’s worth starting early.
TimescaleLocal authority plan check within 5–8 weeks
06
Step 06

Additional services & build support

  • Sewer build-over agreements. If you’re building over or within 3 metres of a public sewer, you’ll need approval from your sewerage company (Southern Water across most of Sussex and Kent). We can deal with the application on your behalf. You’ll usually need an additional drawing showing how your proposal works alongside the public sewer. This is a chargeable extra, and we’ll give you a fee before any work is undertaken.
  • Additional drawings and schedules. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) layouts, window and door schedules and other registers, where your project requires them. These may carry an additional fee, which we’ll agree with you first.
  • Build support. Once work starts, we answer site queries and issue revised drawings if anything changes, as your project needs.

It starts with a conversation.

Tell us what you’d like to change. We’ll get back to you promptly with an honest view of what’s involved.

Start Your Project → 07467 398 827