You want a porch over the front door - somewhere to leave muddy shoes, hang coats, and stop the wind blowing straight into the hallway every time someone opens the door. It's one of the simplest improvements you can make to a house, and the planning rules are refreshingly straightforward.
A porch is permitted development under Class D of the GPDO if it meets three conditions: under 3 square metres, under 3 metres high, and more than 2 metres from the road. If all three are met, you don't need planning permission.
If your porch meets all three conditions, you can build it without applying for planning permission, without notifying the council, and without paying any application fee. The front door between the house and the porch must remain in place (or be replaced with a new door) - the porch is a separate structure, not an open-plan extension of the hallway.
Under 3 square metres. Under 3 metres high. More than 2 metres from the road. That's it.
The 2-metre highway rule is the one that catches people out - especially on terraced houses and properties close to the pavement. The 2 metres is measured from the closest point of the porch to the nearest boundary with the highway. If your front garden is only 1.5 metres deep between the house and the pavement, a porch is not PD regardless of its size or height.
This rule applies to any boundary with a highway, not just the front. On a corner plot, if a side boundary also borders a public road, the 2-metre rule applies to that side too. The rule doesn't apply to private driveways or access roads that aren't adopted highways.
A porch under 30 square metres is generally exempt from building regulations approval - and since the PD limit is 3 square metres, every PD porch falls well under this threshold. However, the glazing must comply with Part N (safety glazing) and any electrical work must comply with Part P. If you're installing windows, a FENSA-registered installer can self-certify compliance.
If the front door between the house and porch is removed, building regulations will apply to the entire structure as it becomes an extension, not a porch. If the house has ramped or level access for disabled people, the porch must not adversely affect that access.
Porch exceeds 3 square metres, 3 metres height, or is within 2 metres of the highway - you need a householder planning application (£548 from April 2026). A porch that exceeds Class D limits is treated as an extension under Class A, which has different and more complex conditions. For extension rules, see our extensions guide.
Flats and maisonettes - no PD rights under Class D. Listed buildings - need listed building consent even if the porch is within the PD limits. See our listed buildings guide. Properties created through change of use (Class M, N, P, PA, or Q of Part 3) - no householder PD rights including porches. If an Article 4 direction removes Class D rights in your area, you'll need to apply.
Common mistakes that cost money
Not measuring externally. The 3 square metres is measured from the outside of the porch walls, not the internal floor area. A porch that feels small inside might be over 3 square metres when you include wall thickness.
Assuming the 2-metre rule is from the road. It's from the boundary with the highway - which might be the edge of the pavement, not the edge of the road. And it includes public footpaths, not just roads.
Removing the front door. If you take out the front door between the house and the porch to create an open-plan entrance, the porch becomes an extension. Different rules, different building regulations requirements.
PD Assessment Tool
Our free eligibility check covers property type, designated area status, and the key conditions for your project. If you're also considering an extension, loft conversion, or outbuilding alongside the porch, the full assessment checks every condition and produces a formal document you can share with your builder or council.
Free eligibility check. Full assessment £47.
Content verified against the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), Class D of Part 1, Schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk) and the government's technical guidance (September 2019). Fees confirmed as of 1 April 2026. This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
April 2026