Quick answer: most rear conservatories on houses in England and Scotland can be built without a planning application, but the answer changes if you live in a conservation area, a listed building or a flat, and whether you need building control depends on size and design. The guides below set out what each city’s council publishes, alongside national price ranges.
Conservatory rules in the UK are local in practice. England and Scotland have separate permitted development rules, planning fees and building regulations, and within each country every council keeps its own conservation area maps, Article 4 directions and, in England, its own building control charges. Two neighbouring streets can fall under different rules.
Our local guides are built from what councils and the government publish, read in September 2026: conservation area lists, planning and building control fee schedules, and permitted development guidance. National private price ranges sit alongside, so you can see the whole budget.
Local guides
- Conservatories in London: planning, conservation areas and installers
- Conservatories in Birmingham: planning, conservation areas and installers
- Conservatories in Manchester: planning, conservation areas and installers
- Conservatories in Glasgow: planning, conservation areas and installers
- Conservatories in Leeds: planning, conservation areas and installers
Comparing UK installers
If you already know what you want to build, our conservatory options comparison explains the main choices, and you can ask for quotes with one short form. For the rules themselves, start with planning permission and building regulations.
Compare Conservatories is a comparison and referral service, not a conservatory installer. We do not design, build or approve conservatories, and a listing here is not a recommendation.