Building regulations drawings for an Edmonton house cost £695 with us, fixed, and the measured survey is included in that figure. Enfield building control then charges its own fee for checking the plans and inspecting the work: for 2026 to 2027 that is £1,112 for a rear extension of 6 to 40 square metres and £1,091 for a loft conversion under 40 square metres (Enfield building control charges). Those council figures are the totals Enfield asks you to pay.
On this page
- What do building regulations drawings cover for an Edmonton extension?
- Why does the sewer behind an Edmonton terrace matter?
- Full plans or building notice: which suits an Edmonton job?
- What does a loft conversion on an Edmonton terrace need?
- What does the whole building regulations stage cost?
- What happens if the work has already started?
- Do I also need planning permission in Edmonton?
- Frequently asked questions
What do building regulations drawings cover for an Edmonton extension?
The parts building control actually checks. For a single-storey rear extension on an Edmonton terrace, that means the foundations and the steel beam where the back wall opens up, the floor, wall and roof insulation, ventilation and extraction, the drainage, and the fire safety of the new kitchen. Enfield's own guidance lists what a full plans submission must hold: elevations, sections and floor plans at 1:100 or 1:50, a specification of materials and methods, and structural or thermal calculations where needed (Enfield building control applications).
Our £695 covers the survey at £150, the construction drawings at £425 and the submission at £120. The beam calculations are a separate fixed fee, and if the work needs no planning application the building regs and structural pair is from £1,095.
Why does the sewer behind an Edmonton terrace matter?
Because it decides which application you can use. Enfield allows a building notice, the quicker route with no plan approval, only for a single private house, and not if you are building over or within 3 metres of a public sewer or the property fronts a private road (Enfield building control applications).
Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Edmonton, on streets off Fore Street, Hertford Road and Church Street, were usually drained by one shared pipe running behind the houses. Since October 2011 most of those shared drains count as public sewers, under the private sewer transfer regulations. A rear extension on a terrace often covers or sits close to one, so the building notice route is closed and full plans are the only way. Across Enfield there are 47,900 terraced houses out of 128,340 homes (VOA, Council Tax stock of properties), and the shared rear drain is a feature of that housing type wherever it was built.
We record the drains at survey, from manhole covers and the visible runs, and show the sewer on the drawings. Where the extension goes over it, building over also needs the water company's agreement, which we flag before you book a builder.
Full plans or building notice: which suits an Edmonton job?
Full plans, in most cases, even where a building notice is allowed. With full plans, Enfield checks the drawings before work starts and issues a passing of plans, so the builder prices and builds from an approved set. With a building notice, Enfield's own page warns that you receive no passing of plans, that the notice should only be used where everyone involved is fully competent, and that work found on site not to comply may need to be altered or removed (Enfield building control applications).
On a terrace, where a party wall, a shared sewer and a steel beam all meet at the back of the house, finding a problem on site is the expensive way. Enfield's charge is the same for both routes, so the approved set costs you time, not money. Work under a building notice still cannot begin until two working days after an acceptable notice is deposited.
What does a loft conversion on an Edmonton terrace need?
A loft is the most regulated job most homeowners ever do. The new floor needs its own joists, the dormer needs steel, and the escape route needs a protected stair from the loft down to a front door, with fire doors onto every room off it. Our Part B guide explains that route. Insulation of the new roof and walls has to meet the current Part L standards, covered in our Part L guide.
Narrow Edmonton terraces have a tight stair, and fitting the new flight above it with enough head height is the usual design problem. It is worth solving on paper before a builder quotes, because a stair that does not work can cost a bedroom.
What does the whole building regulations stage cost?
A worked example for a single-storey rear extension of about 20 square metres on an Edmonton terrace, built over a shared sewer:
| Item | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building regulations drawings, survey included | Us | £695 |
| Structural calculations for the rear wall opening | Us | from £425 |
| Building control charge, extension of 6 to 40 square metres | Enfield Council | £1,112 |
If you add a loft conversion in the same job, Enfield charges each part but gives a discount on each additional standard charge, according to its charges schedule. You can use a registered building control approver instead of the council; their fee is theirs to quote. The water company's build-over agreement, where needed, is separate again.
What happens if the work has already started?
Then the cost goes up. Enfield's regularisation charge, for work started without approval, is 150% of the building notice charge, and you may have to open up finished work for inspection (Enfield charges schedule). The law requires a building notice or full plans before building work starts (Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12), so drawing first is always cheaper. If you are already past that point, see our regularisation certificate post.
Do I also need planning permission in Edmonton?
Often not, for a single-storey rear extension or a rear dormer within the permitted development limits. But parts of Edmonton are conservation areas, including Church Street, Fore Street and The Crescent, and The Crescent has had its own Article 4(2) direction since 2008 (Enfield, Article 4 directions). There, the same extension can need a planning application first. Our Enfield page lists the council's rules, and the building regulations drawings service shows what the set includes.
Frequently asked questions
Is a building notice cheaper than full plans in Enfield? Enfield's standard charges for an extension or loft are the same for both routes. The difference is risk: a building notice gives no approved plans, so problems are found on site.
How long does Enfield building control take to approve full plans? Enfield says that if issues are not resolved within 5 weeks, or 2 months if agreed, it must reject the plans or approve them with conditions.
Do I need building regulations for a kitchen knock-through in an Edmonton terrace? Removing a load-bearing wall needs approval and a beam calculation. Our Part A guide lists when calculations are needed.
Can you submit to a private approver instead of Enfield? Yes. The drawings are the same; you choose who checks them and pay their fee directly.
