Two approvals, the same confusion
Planning permission and a Building Warrant are entirely separate legal requirements. They are assessed by different departments, under different legislation, against different criteria. Getting planning permission does not give you the right to start building.
Put simply, planning asks whether a home should be built here and what it should look like. The Building Warrant asks whether the home will be safe, healthy and energy efficient, and whether it meets the Scottish Building Standards.
The key differences
| Planning permission | Building Warrant | |
|---|---|---|
| The question | Should this home be built here? | Is it safe and compliant to build? |
| What it covers | Appearance, siting, scale, landscape, access and land use | Structure, fire safety, energy, ventilation, drainage and accessibility |
| Council department | Planning | Building Standards |
| Legislation | Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 | Building (Scotland) Act 2003 |
| Assessed against | The Local Development Plan and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) | The Building Standards Technical Handbooks |
| Drawings | Typically 1:100 or 1:200, focused on appearance and siting | Typically 1:50 and 1:20, with structural and thermal detail |
| The outcome | A decision notice, often with conditions to discharge | An approved warrant, then an accepted Completion Certificate |
| When | Before detailed design | After detailed design is complete |
Which comes first?
Planning permission almost always comes first. Building Warrant drawings take much more work to produce, so investing in them before planning is secured is a risk. Planning conditions can also change the design, for example by specifying materials, window positions or landscaping, and those changes need to feed into the warrant drawings.
In our eight-stage process, the planning application is stage 4 and the Building Warrant application is stage 6, with detailed design in between.
- 01Planning permissionShould it be built here?
- 02Detailed designTechnical drawings and engineering
- 03Building WarrantIs it safe and compliant?
- 04ConstructionWith stage notifications
- 05Completion CertificateAccepted before you move in
Do you always need both?
For a new house, in practice yes. A new home will generally need planning permission, and it always needs a Building Warrant.
For extensions and alterations it depends. Some smaller extensions fall under permitted development and don't need planning permission, but most still need a Building Warrant. Some minor works don't need a warrant, although most of these must still meet the building regulations, and a smaller group is fully exempt. If you're unsure, check before you start, because building without the right approval can cause real problems when you come to sell.
What happens at the end?
Planning permission is usually complete once any conditions have been discharged. The Building Warrant runs right through construction. When the work is finished, a Completion Certificate is submitted to Building Standards, and the council inspects and accepts it if the work matches the approved warrant.
You shouldn't move into a new home until the Completion Certificate has been accepted, unless the council has agreed temporary occupation. Our guide to Completion Certificates explains the process.
Store these with your title deeds: the planning decision notice, evidence that every condition was discharged, the approved Building Warrant and stamped drawings, any certificates from structural or energy certifiers, and the accepted Completion Certificate. Buyers' solicitors and mortgage lenders will ask for them when you sell.
How we help
ED Design prepares and manages both applications for you, so the planning drawings, conditions and warrant package all fit together. Find out more about the planning application stage and the Building Warrant stage, or read about our fixed fees.
Questions
Can I start building once I have planning permission?
No. You also need an approved Building Warrant before work starts. Planning permission only confirms that the home is acceptable in principle and in appearance.
Which should I apply for first?
Planning permission, in almost every case. Warrant drawings are more detailed and expensive, and planning conditions can change the design.
Do extensions need a Building Warrant?
Most do, even when they don't need planning permission under permitted development rights.
General guidance for Scotland, not legal, tax, financial or planning advice for your project. Rules change, so check current official guidance and take advice specific to your site before acting.
