A planning certificate is not an approval. It is information: the council tells you what the local plan allows on your plot and which approvals will be needed. It is read before any drawing.

What is in it
The height limit (how many storeys), site coverage, floor area ratio, and the setbacks from boundaries and street. Together, these four decide how big the house can be.

The list of approvals
The part that scares people: water and sewage, electricity, gas, waste, environment, sometimes fire brigade or the Ministry of Culture. Each has its own deadline. This is where most time is lost, and also where it can be won, if they are filed in parallel.

Validity
Usually 12 months, extendable once. If it expires before the documentation is filed, you start over.

What we do
We can obtain it on your behalf, but it is often faster if you request it yourself. We tell you exactly what to write in the application — the wording matters, because a purpose stated too narrowly will block you later.