Max height of an exempted single storey structure.

antiskeptic

The exempted development rules lay down parameters for single storey extensions onto residential properties. In a recent use of same, I built a single storey extension to the rear of my property. The layout of the original property had a portion of the stairs located in a rear-of-house lean-to scullery (i.e. protruding beyond the rear wall of the property proper). The stairs then rises from back of house towards front of house.

Due to the height of the stairwell, the extension design used a sloped roof, sloping left to right of the house, the high point being high enough to clear the stairwell (about 3.4m interior ceiling height), the low point being about standard ceiling height.

I've done this previously on a house I subsequently sold and the architect providing a planning clearance cert raised no issue with it as standing outside the exempted regs.

The exempted regs don't state the max height of a single storey structure, merely the max height of the structure (which seem to presume a two storey structure)

My question are these:

- is it the case that a single storey structure can be as high as that laid out as absolute structure height

- are mezzanines element (say a viewing platform) considered additional stories to single storied structures?

Gumbo

Max height for extension is the eaves of the main dwelling.
Men floor could be considered a 2nd storey.

Poor Uncle Tom

kceire wrote: »

Max height for extension is the eaves of the main dwelling.
Men floor could be considered a 2nd storey.

Max height of the wall of the extension is the eaves of the main house unless you have a rear facing gable as part of the original dwelling.

Angry bird

A mezzanine is an additional floor and with this additional separation distances to side boundaries kick in. In a standard housing estate in practice it's difficult to get a two storey extension exempt. As ever look at what the exemption actually states, it's pretty black and white.

antiskeptic

Thanks for the pointers. I'll dust off the exempted regs, grab some dunny time and refamiliarize myself.

As an aside:

It strikes me that taller ceilings add so much to a house - folk love the feature in period houses and it can make an otherwise small room seen spacious. Yet standard houses have comparatively low ceilings even though it would only take a little more brick/mortar/plaster and paint to raise them a foot.

Why is this? Surely it can't be the length of a standard sheet of plasterboard which sets the architectural tone for a nation?

Gumbo

antiskeptic wrote: »

Thanks for the pointers. I'll dust off the exempted regs, grab some dunny time and refamiliarize myself.

As an aside:

It strikes me that taller ceilings add so much to a house - folk love the feature in period houses and it can make an otherwise small room seen spacious. Yet standard houses have comparatively low ceilings even though it would only take a little more brick/mortar/plaster and paint to raise them a foot.

Why is this? Surely it can't be the length of a standard sheet of plasterboard which sets the architectural tone for a nation?

Typically the building regulation for room ventilation is set at 2.4m so we work from there.