We are often asked about mezzanine flooring planning permission. Do you need it? Will it apply to your project? Is it complex and challenging to comply with?

As every mezzanine floor plan is different, there will be some cases where planning permission applies and others where only Building Regulations Approval is needed.

From the design stage onwards, we’ll make sure your mezzanine floor meets all the relevant planning laws and building regulations, ensuring you benefit from capacity, flexibility and compliance.

We use an approved independent inspector to ensure our mezzanine floor plans comply with Building Regulations, and to make further checks during installation. On completion of the works, the inspector will provide the local authority with a certificate of compliance to show your installation conforms to the mezzanine floor regulations and has Building Regulations Approval.

The short answer is, probably not. Generally, mezzanine floor building regulations do not have a requirement for planning permission. However, they will almost certainly need Building Regulations Approval.

The section below explains those instances where your mezzanine floor installation will be subject to planning permission.

The specific situations where you’ll need planning permission are determined by your mezzanine floor requirements, how it will be used and whether it will alter the building externally.

You may need mezzanine floor planning permission if:

• You’ll be using the mezzanine floor as work or office space

• You’ll be using the mezzanine as a retail space exceeding 200m2

• Installing the floor means altering the building externally, e.g. for a window to be added

• The mezzanine will enlarge the floor area of your site, and permission to expand your site has previously been restricted.

To obtain Building Regulations Approval for your mezzanine floor, it will need to meet certain criteria for health and safety, design and construction.

The regulations cover:

• Mezzanine floor requirements

• Floor standard height

• Mezzanine height

• Mezzanine load rating

• Warehouse rules and regulations

We have an in-depth understanding of all these criteria and incorporate them during our mezzanine floor design process, to make obtaining Approval as smooth and easy as possible.

The ‘Raised Storage Areas’ section of the Building Regulations 2010 include the following mezzanine floor regulations:

• Structural safety – Approved Document A

• Fire safety – Approved Document B

• Protection from falling (e.g. stairs, ramps, guards and handrails) – Approved Document K.

• Access to and use of buildings for the disabled – Approved Document M.

Again, we regularly work with these mezzanine floor regulations, so you can be confident we will apply them throughout design and installation.

The size and use of a mezzanine floor determines whether it will be subject to the fire regulations part of Building Regulations Approval. Generally, the mezzanine will have to comply if it is:

• Used as offices or is accessed by the public

• More than 20 metres long or wide

• More than 400m2

• Takes up 50% or more of the floor area where it’s installed.

A mezzanine floor used purely for storage is exempt from fire regulations for Building Regulations Approval, as long it is less than 20m long or wide, does not exceed 50% of the area where it’s installed and has a maximum of three people working on it at any time.

For more details, see our page on mezzanine floor fire regulations.

Access and escape arrangements for mezzanine floors, comprising stairs and handrails are covered by BS5395 and Building Regulations Approval.

Access must be safe and meet fire evacuation requirements. It also needs to comply with the Equality Act 2010, providing a safe means of entry and exit for all persons with disabilities covered by the act.

The mezzanine floor plan we design for you will conform to all the legal requirements for able-bodied and disabled users.