Adding a balcony to your home

A glass balcony can open an upstairs room to the view. In England, a balcony usually needs planning permission. A Juliet balcony is the usual exception. This page sets out what to check before the work is planned.

A balcony needs planning permission

The Planning Portal describes a balcony as a platform with a rail, balustrade or parapet that extends outside the upper storey of a building. Householders in England can make some changes to a house without applying, under permitted development rights. These rights are for houses. The order's definition of a house leaves out flats, so the Juliet exception below applies to houses only. Those rights are set out in the General Permitted Development Order 2015. "The construction or provision of a verandah, balcony or raised platform" falls outside the rights for altering a house.

The government's technical guidance on those rights says balconies "will require planning permission". The Planning Portal puts it as balconies "will often require planning permission".

The Juliet balcony

A Juliet balcony has no platform to step out onto. The technical guidance says one "where there is no platform and therefore no external access, would normally be permitted development".

The Planning Portal gives the same exception, for Juliet balconies "which do not have any external access or platform".

Neighbours, listed buildings and conservation areas

When you apply for a balcony, the Planning Portal says to consider your neighbours' privacy and garden. If the building is listed or in a conservation area, it says this may have a bearing on any decisions. The features and location of the property may also have a significant impact.

The Planning Portal also says local rules may affect what permissions are needed. It suggests checking before applying or starting work, and contacting your local planning authority if in doubt.

Building regulations

The Planning Portal says building regulations will apply to the construction of most external platforms. It lists fire safety, especially in a building over 18 metres tall, the height of the barrier, security, and the structure of the building and the balcony.

Approved Document K, the government's guidance on protection from falling, gives a barrier height of 1100mm for external balconies on a single family dwelling. That height covers Juliet balconies too. The Planning Portal has a tool to find your building control authority.

In a flat

A leaseholder needs the landlord's permission to change the parts of the building that the landlord owns. The Leasehold Advisory Service says you would need permission if the landlord owns the external walls and you want to add a balcony.

It says that if your lease asks for written permission, you must get it before starting the work. Even with planning permission or building regulations approval, you still need the landlord's consent if the lease requires it.

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