Agricultural land
Agricultural land, where building is generally not permitted. Green Belt and countryside policy usually apply.
Mains drainage
Public sewer network.
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The terms you will meet when buying a plot and building a house in England, explained in plain language.
Each entry gives the name used by councils, lenders and professionals, so that the documents on your project read the way the people producing them intended.
Agricultural land, where building is generally not permitted. Green Belt and countryside policy usually apply.
Licensed architect registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB); a protected title.
Detailed statutory plan for a specific area, sitting under the Local Plan. Nearest instruments, but neither grants development rights.
As-built record of what was actually constructed.
Itemised schedule of works and materials with prices. NRM1 and NRM2 are the RICS standards behind it.
Survey procedure fixing a disputed or unrecorded boundary.
Colloquial term for a plot you are allowed to build on.
Contract between client and contractor. JCT forms are the standard.
Permission to occupy the finished building.
Statutory inspection of construction work for compliance with the building regulations; distinct from planning enforcement.
Ground area covered by the building, measured as a vertical projection.
Line on which the building facade must sit.
Plumbing, heating, ventilation and electrical services. First fix is the on-site stage.
The area where construction takes place.
Licensed land surveyor.
Clear height from floor to the underside of the ceiling.
The person commissioning and financing the build. Where the person is building their own home, self-builder is also used.
Charge levied by the local authority on new development to fund infrastructure. Self-builders must claim the exemption before commencement or they lose it.
Full concept project; the basis for requesting design conditions. Roughly RIBA Stage 2.
Fee paid to the network operator for connection.
Formal consent from a consultee.
Contingency held back for unforeseen costs.
The company carrying out the construction.
Roofed open-sided structure, typically for parking.
Written administrative decision on an application.
Demolition of existing structures on the plot.
Written description of the building and its regulatory compliance.
The set of drawings and reports for a given project phase.
Professional producing the design for one discipline.
The consent route for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Detailed building rules applying within a given planning unit.
Right to use another party's land, e.g. for access or utility runs.
Certificate rating the building's energy performance.
The point at which a decision can no longer be challenged. Six weeks in England.
Driveway, paving, fencing, retaining walls and planting. Split into hard and soft landscaping.
The building's external face, and also the drawing of it.
First design concept: layouts, massing, siting and a cost estimate. Roughly RIBA Stage 1.
Floor finishes, tiling, internal doors and decoration. Second fix is the on-site stage.
Flood-risk area; restricts basements and triggers assessment. Defined by the Environment Agency.
Horizontal plan drawing of a storey.
Construction of the foundations.
Total floor area of all storeys, measured to the outer face of external walls. Not GIA, GIA measures to the internal face and runs roughly 7% lower.
Total floor area of all storeys measured to the internal face of the external walls (RICS Code of Measuring Practice). It still includes internal walls, stairs and circulation, so it is a gross measure, not a net one. The Nationally Described Space Standard sets its minimum sizes in GIA, and LynxCraft quotes construction cost per m² of GIA, as BCIS cost benchmarks do.
Ground investigation establishing soil bearing capacity.
Excavation and ground preparation.
Official register of ownership and other property rights.
Land allocated for building.
Officially designated permitted use of a parcel.
The professional responsible for the whole design package.
Heritage-protected site or building requiring conservation consent.
The local authority; adopts the Local Plan and levies the infrastructure charge.
The statutory development plan that sets land use and general building conditions for a local authority's area. England's Local Plan guides decisions but does not grant rights, the system is discretionary.
The authority that runs the planning process and issues the decision.
Procedure allowing a minor departure from planning conditions.
Fixed total price for a defined scope.
Public sewer network.
Public water supply network.
The large-scale development category; single houses never fall here.
The category covering single-family houses; a full planning application is required.
Usable area measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls, leaving out stairwells, lift wells, plant rooms, toilets and permanent circulation (RICS Code of Measuring Practice). It is mainly a commercial letting measure. UK residential normally quotes GIA, so always state which measure is shown.
Notification to the authority before work starts.
Permitted number of storeys.
Construction from prefabricated elements. Also modern methods of construction (MMC).
Register extract proving ownership.
Evidence that the applicant has the right to build on the plot. Completed on the planning application form.
Work allowed without a planning application under nationally granted rights. Can be withdrawn by an Article 4 Direction.
Application submitted to an authority.
The full set of drawings and documents submitted with a planning application.
Administrative fee for processing an application.
The consents that permit construction, England splits them into planning permission and building regulations approval.
Planning permission granted together with an Environmental Impact Assessment.
The national portal for submitting planning applications online.
The plot functionally serving the building; the denominator for coverage ratios.
Ratio of total gross floor area to plot area.
Sub-area of a local authority's territory with one uniform set of planning policies.
Documentation submitted to obtain consultee requirements.
The person responsible for site health and safety. Statutory role under CDM 2015.
Simplified consent route where the authority checks only specified matters before minor works may start.
Retrospective legalisation of unauthorised building work. A Certificate of Lawfulness is used where the work is now immune from enforcement.
Prescribed or permitted roof pitch.
Strip alongside infrastructure where building requires the operator's consent. Also consultation zone.
Vertical section through the building.
Someone managing or carrying out part of the build themselves.
Minimum permitted distance from the building to a boundary or road. England sets no fixed statutory setback; distances come from Local Plan policy and daylight rules.
Whether the plot is served by public utility infrastructure.
Licensed supervisor overseeing construction on the client's behalf.
Ratio of building footprint to plot area.
Site set-up before construction begins. Also enabling works.
Surveying the approved building position onto the ground before work starts.
Water-source protection area with building restrictions.
Nature-protected area such as Natura 2000.
Body that must issue an opinion or consent on the project.
Requirements a consultee imposes that the design must satisfy.
A single storey of the building.
Structural engineer.
Structure and roof complete, openings not yet closed.
Construction-grade drawings with structure, services and details. Roughly RIBA Stage 4.
The unique identifier of a registered piece of land at HM Land Registry. England has no cadastral parcel number; the UPRN plays the addressing role.
Topographic survey of the site used as the design base.
Traditional masonry construction built on site.
One contractor delivering the house ready to move into. Often delivered as design and build.
The part of net floor area serving the building's primary purpose.
Physical connection of the building to a public network.
Public utility and transport networks.
Work outside the original scope that increases cost.
Value added tax. New-build housing is zero-rated, and self-builders reclaim the VAT on materials through the VAT431NB scheme.
Building closed with windows and external doors, weathertight.
Estimate of total project cost, not just construction.