Permit for a dormer window

Are you planning to have a dormer placed but don’t know whether you need a permit? Here you can read all about the price of a permit for a dormer, and what the options are for installing your dormer without a permit. In this article you can also read more about applying for a dormer permit and how this works.

What does a permit for a dormer window cost?

The dormer permit price starts at £150 and is on average 2% of the total building costs. This exact percentage varies per municipality. These costs are therefore in addition to the dormer costs.

A standard dormer window of 2.5 metres wide costs an average of £6,500 to £8,500. This mainly depends on the choice of material and whether you choose a prefab dormer or have it built on site.

Is a permit required?

It is possible in certain cases to install a dormer without a permit. To do so, however, your dormer must comply with a number of rules. These rules mainly concern the position and dimensions of your future dormer. Firstly, your house may not have monumental status and must be permanently occupied. Secondly, it is a requirement that your dormer has a flat roof and opaque sides. In addition, the following conditions apply:

Front and rear approach

It is important to decide where to have your dormer placed. From the council’s point of view, anything adjacent to public areas (the road, public greenery or water), such as the front of your house, is considered to have a major impact on the immediate surroundings. A dormer placed at the back of your house logically has less influence on the streetscape. That is why a dormer window at the front and side of your house usually may not be placed without an environmental permit.

Dimensions

There are specific requirements around the size and placement of your dormer window if you want to have it placed without a permit.

• Height: maximum 1.75 m
• Bottom: placement 0.5 m to 1 m above the eaves
• Top: placement at least 0.5 m below the roof ridge
• Sides: placement at least 0.5 m from sides of the roof plane
• Sides at terraced house: placement at least 0.5 of house separating wall

Advantages of a permit-free dormer window

The biggest advantage of building a dormer window permit-free is that you do not spend money on the price of the permit. This saved money can then be used to give your dormer a better finish or have various extra options, such as a roller shutter installed.

If you can work permit-free, moreover, your dormer specialist can start work immediately and you can enjoy your new dormer earlier. After all, applying for and receiving a permit can be a time-consuming undertaking.

When in doubt: do the permit check

Are you still not entirely sure whether you need to apply for a dormer permit? By filling in the permit check you can check within minutes whether you need a permit for your project. A specialist can also help you with this and advise you.

Applying for a dormer permit

Do you still need to apply for a permit because you want to place your dormer on the front of your house, for example, or with a sloping roof? You can apply for a permit at the Environment Counter. Of course, you can also contact your municipality for all information on permits.

At the Environment Counter you log in with your DigiD. Here you can see which documents you need to submit. For example, construction drawings of your dormer. You can also contact the dormer specialist to ask whether he will take care of the application. Specialists are experienced in this and know exactly which documents are needed.

After application

After applying for your dormer window building permit you will hear within 8 weeks whether you have permission to build your dormer window. Please note: during the 6-week objection period, third parties may still object. If this happens, the permit may be withdrawn. So always inform your neighbours in good time to avoid misunderstandings. After this period, a permit is irrevocable and you can have your dormer placed with peace of mind.