New build and self-build architects

A new-build or self-build architect designs a home from a bare plot or a cleared site and takes it through planning, technical design and, if you want, the build itself. Self-build means you commission or build the house to live in yourself. Custom build means a developer or enabler delivers a plot or shell and you shape the design. GOV.UK says the owner must have primary input into the final design and layout, so a house bought off plan with no say in the design does not count. Everything below applies to England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own planning and building rules.

What is the self-build register and does it help me find a plot?

Each district, borough and unitary council in England has to keep a register of people who want a serviced plot in its area. It is often called the Right to Build register, although the official guidance calls it the self-build and custom housebuilding register. Joining tells the council how much demand there is. It does not reserve a plot for you.

What the register does do is set a target. After each base period, which runs from 31 October to 30 October, the council has three years to grant development permission for enough suitable plots to match the number of entries (GOV.UK self-build guidance). Applicants must be 18 or over, be a British, EEA or Swiss national, and meet any local conditions such as a local connection test or a small fee. Check the register rules for each area you would live in, then ask the council how many permissions it has counted so far.

Should I apply for full planning permission or outline permission first?

Full permission fixes every detail of the design, so you can build once conditions are cleared. Outline permission tests the principle of a house on the plot with some matters held back, and the Planning Portal is plain that it does not act as consent for development to begin (Planning Portal, outline planning consent). You then need a second application, for reserved matters, covering appearance, means of access, landscaping, layout and scale. The council should decide that application in 8 weeks, or up to 13 for larger developments (Planning Portal, reserved matters).

Most small self-builds are a better fit for a full application, because the council sees the real house and you avoid paying two fees on an uncertain outcome. Outline makes sense when you are still negotiating to buy the land and would pay for a house design only if the principle is accepted. Ask the council about pre-application advice first, because a plot that looks straightforward on a map can carry flood, ecology, access or conservation constraints. Our guide to whether you need planning permission for an extension shows how permitted development differs; a new house always needs permission.

Do I have to pay the Community Infrastructure Levy on a self-build?

If your council charges the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a new home normally attracts a bill based on floor area. Self-builders can claim an exemption, but the rules are strict and a missed step can cost you the whole saving.

1. Claim before you start. GOV.UK says the exemption must be applied for and obtained, and a commencement notice received by the council, before the development starts.
2. Submit the first part of the self-build exemption form with your own declaration that you will live in the home.
3. Build, then occupy it as your principal residence for at least three years after the work is completed.
4. Return the second part of the form with proof of occupation, within six months of the compliance certificate.
5. Tell the council within 14 days if you let or sell the whole home inside the three years. The exemption is then withdrawn and the full levy becomes payable.

Which Building Regulations and energy standards apply to a new house?

A new house must meet the Building Regulations as well as planning. Plans can be deposited as a full plans application, which the Planning Portal says is mandatory where a new building will front a private street, and the council inspects at stages such as foundations and drains (Planning Portal, full plans). You have to ask for the completion certificate when you first apply, and you will want it later for a mortgage or sale.

On energy, the standards that apply depend on when you give notice and start work. The amendment to Part L that came into force on 15 June 2022 sets today's requirements for new dwellings, and the current Approved Document is the 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments (GOV.UK, Approved Document L). A further set of regulations comes into force on 24 March 2027, including a new requirement for on-site renewable electricity generation in new homes. Work on a building that has begun before 24 March 2028 is protected by transitional provisions if the notice or plans were in on time (GOV.UK, Building Circular 01/2026). If your start date is near these dates, your architect needs to confirm which version your project falls under.

Warranties, lenders and insurance

Most self-build mortgage lenders and later buyers ask for some form of defects cover or an independent professional's certificate at completion, and the options and prices vary by provider. Raise it with your lender before you sign a building contract. Insurance for the site during construction is a separate cover that your builder may or may not carry.

What does an architect actually do on a new-build project?

1. Feasibility: read the title, planning history and constraints, test the plot against the council's policies and sketch what the site can take.
2. Concept and planning design: develop drawings, choose materials and prepare the application, including any supporting reports the council asks for.
3. Technical design: produce the detailed drawings and specification that building control, structural engineers and builders price from.
4. Tender: invite quotes from builders on the same drawings so the prices can be compared like for like.
5. Contract administration: if retained for the build, inspect progress, certify stage payments and handle variations.
6. Completion: check the work against the drawings, chase the completion certificate and compile a handover pack.

You can hire an architect for the whole sequence or only the early stages, and many self-builders appoint a builder directly for the construction. Ask how the fee changes between those arrangements, and how each stage is paid. Our guide to how architect fees are calculated explains the three charging methods, and we make no claim here about typical prices: they depend on the size, complexity and site, so get written quotes on the same brief.

What should I ask an architect before hiring them for a new home?

• What is your ARB registration number, so I can look it up?
• Which similar new homes have you taken from planning to completion, and can I speak to a client?
• Who will do the work day to day, and who is my main contact?
• Which stages does the fee cover, and what happens if the council asks for redesign?
• Do you handle the CIL exemption, planning conditions and Building Regulations submission, or do I need other consultants?
• What professional indemnity insurance do you hold?
• How will you help me hold the build to the budget and the programme?

How do I check a self-build architect is on the ARB register?

1. Go to the Architects Register run by the Architects Registration Board (ARB), the statutory regulator.
2. Search by name or practice and confirm the registration number and status match what the architect has told you.
3. Read the ARB guidance for the public, which says that using the title architect in business without being registered is a criminal offence.
4. Compare practices in your area through our city pages before you send an enquiry, which goes to one practice only.

For work that touches a neighbour's wall or boundary, read about party wall notices early, and see the planning applications page for what to expect after you submit.