When building a new staircase in your home, you’ll want the design and construction process to go as smoothly as possible. Perhaps you’re designing a bespoke staircase as part of a property refurbishment, or you’re building an extra space such as a loft conversion in your home. Whatever the plan, you must ensure your designs meet the approval of your local authority. Here are some expert tips to make the process easier.
What Is Planning Permission?
Planning permission is the process homeowners go through to gain approval for some building work projects at their property. It’s your responsibility to determine whether planning permission needs to be sought before job commencement, so it’s a good idea to have an expert team on board from day one to help steer the project in the right direction. Experienced staircase design companies will guide you through the process and ensure plans comply with regulations to increase your chances of success.
Is Planning Permission Required for New & Replacement Staircases?
Whether you need planning permission for a new staircase will depend on the scope of the project. For example, builds where a staircase is replaced with an exact replica would often be considered repair work, so approval wouldn’t be required.
However, for most new staircases (even if similar to a previous design), you would need approval, so it’s essential to get advice from your local authority first. The project will usually fall under the domain of building regulations, ensuring designs are safe and perform as they should.
These regulations are in place to protect you and anyone else using the property now or in the future, so should give you peace of mind the design, construction and installation are completed to the highest of standards.
What Are Staircase Building Regulations?
One of the critical pieces of legislation which applies to staircase builds is Approved Document K, which covers protection from falling, collision and impact in a property, specifically in relation to people moving between different levels of a building. This includes safety measures required for new staircases, as well as the position of features such as balustrades.
It means that designs will have to meet specifications for the steepness of the stairs, how far open riser treads need to overlap, headroom, the width and length of each flight, handrails and more. For new property levels, such as loft conversions, you’ll also need to comply with building regulations for aspects such as access and fire safety.
Ready to start your new staircase design project?
At DDC London, we’ll guide you through the staircase design and construction process, preparing all the drawings and documents you’ll need to help gain the proper planning approvals for the work. We offer our services across London, Surrey and surrounding locations, including Kent and East Sussex. To arrange a consultation, contact DDC London now.
