Do I need planning permission to install a stove?

Since 2005 it has been a legal requirement to notify your local authority Building Control department of your intention to install most fixed heating appliances in your home (whether it is a simple replacement or not), and this includes wood burning and multi fuel stoves and boiler stoves. Although this is not 'Planning Permission' in the strictest sense, you really do ignore this at your peril because Building Control approval, and the appropriate Building Regulations compliance certification for the installation work, will almost certainly be requested should you ever wish to sell your house or there is an installation-related insurance claim.

We understand that some insurance companies now ask that you inform them of such installations and that they may also wish to see any documentation. However, the Building Control route can be expensive. For example, some local authorities charge over £450 for this service and remember, that does not include the actual installation!

 

In England and Wales, when you use a specialist stove installer who is registered on the Hetas or OFTEC competent persons scheme (or other recognised  scheme for the installation of stoves) there is no need for time-consuming and expensive Building Control notification as they will be able to issue their own Building Regulations compliance certification and registration. Hetas and Oftec are the official bodies recognised by the Government to approve wood burning and solid fuel domestic heating appliance installation including the registration of competent installers.

In Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, although they have their own competent persons schemes, building control notification is still a requirement. At The Stove Yard In County Down we will happily undertake all of the Building Control paperwork for you when you purchase a stove from us and one of our independent installers is contracted to install the stove.

Where a stove is being installed as part of other building work or refurbishment that involves Building Control the installation it makes sensec to include the works in any Building Control notification (it will also keep the costs down). However in some instances you may find that Building Control themselves will still prefer to see Hetas or OFTEC paperwork. It is also worth pointing out here that a Hetas Installer or OFTEC Technician cannot issue a compliance certificate retrospectively. 

To find out more about your legal obligations regarding notifications and using a competent person the government planning portal has more information. This maybe be subject to changes depending on region.

For further information please see our pages on Stove Installation Regulations and Installation At-a-Glance.