How to Find Out If Your House Is Listed: And What Listed Building Consent Covers

The idea in one minute

If your house is listed, the rules for altering it are stricter than for most homes, and breaking them can be a criminal offence.^[1] Finding out takes minutes. This guide shows how, for houses in England, and explains what listed building consent covers.

Wales and Scotland have their own systems, run by Cadw and Historic Environment Scotland, and they differ from England’s. If your house is there, use their registers: Step 6 says where.

What you need: the full address and postcode, a browser and a notebook. If you are planning work, add a list of what you intend to change.

This is not legal advice. The council decides whether your work needs consent. Check with your local planning authority’s conservation officer before you start anything.^[1]

For the age of your house see how to date a house from the outside, and if you plan to repoint, how to read brick bonds and pointing.

Step 1: search the list

The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is where Historic England publishes listed building entries.^[2] Wiltshire Council tells owners to use ‘Search the List’ on the Historic England website,^[3] and Central Bedfordshire Council points to the same site and its interactive map.^[4] Search by address or postcode, and try neighbouring numbers, because one entry can cover several units, such as a terrace of houses.^[5]

If nothing appears, the house is probably not listed, but check Step 5 before you decide, and ask the council to confirm if work is planned.

Step 2: read the entry

Open the entry and read it field by field: category, grade, list entry number, dates, name, address, location, details and a legal note.^[10] The details describe the building, but Wiltshire Council says the description is not exhaustive and that features may still be protected even if they are not mentioned.^[3] Cadw says the same of Welsh descriptions.^[6]

The protection note in the Historic England entry says the listing covers the structure, fixed objects and objects in the curtilage that date from before 1 July 1948, unless the entry says otherwise, and that older ‘legacy’ text may be incomplete.^[10] The government’s planning guidance says a listing covers the whole building inside and out, plus fixed objects and structures in its curtilage.^[9] The curtilage is the ground that belongs with the building: that is our plain-English gloss, so ask the council in any doubtful case.

Step 3: know the grade

Listed buildings are graded. Historic England says Grade I (about 2.5%) is of exceptional interest, Grade II* (5.5%) is of more than special interest and Grade II (92%) is of special interest.^[5] It reported about 376,099 entries in England at March 2015, and thinks there may be around 500,000 listed buildings, because one entry can cover several units.^[5]

The government’s guidance says a listing covers the whole building, inside and out.^[9] We found no source that treats Grade II as lightly controlled, so take the same care whatever the grade, and ask the council.

Step 4: what listed building consent covers

Historic England says consent is needed to alter or extend a listed building in a way that affects its character or appearance, or to demolish it. You apply to your local planning authority, and there is no fee.^[1] The government’s guidance says listed building consent is separate from planning permission, and that carrying out unauthorised work is an offence under section 9 of the 1990 Act.^[9] Historic England adds that the authority can require unauthorised work to be reversed.^[1]

What about small jobs? Central Bedfordshire Council says repairs may usually be carried out without consent if they are exactly like-for-like, but that even fairly minor work, such as replacing an internal door, might need consent. It says kitchen units, bathroom fittings and decoration can typically be changed if they are not part of the building’s historic fabric.^[4] The government’s guidance also refers to a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Works; ask your council whether it suits your case.^[9]

Step 5: conservation areas and local lists

A conservation area is a different thing from a listed building. Historic England says there are about 10,000 in England.^[8] The government’s guidance covers demolition in conservation areas and the treatment of locally listed buildings.^[9] A house can be listed, in a conservation area, both or neither. If yours is in a conservation area but not listed, ask the council what is controlled. We give no rule here because the details depend on the area.

Step 6: Wales and Scotland

In Wales, Cadw runs the register, known as Cof Cymru. Its guide says Grade I is under 2% of listed buildings, Grade II* about 7% and Grade II about 91%, with about 30,000 entries.^[6] In Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland uses categories A, B and C, not grades.^[7] The rules for work differ, so follow each body’s own guidance and ask the local council.

Step 7: ask the conservation officer

Historic England says to check with your local authority’s conservation officer first, who can confirm whether consent is needed and outline what might be acceptable.^[1] Say what the work is, room by room, and ask for the answer in writing. Do not start before you have a clear answer: Historic England notes that owners may struggle to sell a property if work was done without consent.^[1]

Worked example: reading a real entry

Take list entry 1068346 as an illustration of reading. It is 52 Catharine Street, Liverpool, a Grade II 1830s stucco house, first listed on 14 March 1975 and amended on 19 June 1985.^[10] We say nothing about it beyond what the entry says.

1. Find it. Search by address; the entry number is 1068346.
2. Grade. Grade II, the grade of 92% of listed buildings.^[5]
3. Dates. From first listing in March 1975 to amendment in June 1985 is 10 years and 3 months (our arithmetic). It has been listed for about 51 years as of October 2026.
4. What it covers. The protection note: structure, fixed objects and curtilage objects from before 1 July 1948, unless the entry says otherwise.^[10] A garden wall built in 1920 would be within it; a garage built in 1960 would not (our illustration of the note).
5. Your question. You want to replace an internal door. Central Bedfordshire says that might need consent.^[4]
6. Next step. Ask the conservation officer before buying the door.

Common mistakes

• Reading only the grade. The entry text and the protection note matter more.^[10]
• Assuming the description is a full list. It is not exhaustive.^[3]
• Assuming Grade II is a lesser listing. The listing still covers the whole building.^[9]
• Starting work first. Unauthorised work is a criminal offence.^[1]
• Mixing up listing and conservation areas. They are different designations.^[8]
• Using the English list for a Welsh or Scottish house. Use Cadw or HES.^[6][7]

Quick-reference table

Glossary

What to do next

Search the list for your address, read the entry, and write down your questions. Then ring the conservation officer. If the work involves old brick, read how to read brick bonds and pointing first, and for what a period restoration looks like in practice see restoring a period home in Shropshire. For ceilings and cornices see repairing cracked plaster cornice.

Keep reading

• How to date a house from the outside
• How to read brick bonds and pointing
• Restoring a period home in Shropshire
• Repairing cracked plaster cornice
• Shropshire architectural heritage

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out if my house is listed?

Search the National Heritage List for England with your address or postcode. If there is an entry, the building is listed. Check neighbouring numbers too, because one entry can cover several units, such as a terrace.

What are the grades of listed buildings?

In England: Grade I (about 2.5%), Grade II* (5.5%) and Grade II (92%), according to Historic England. Wales uses the same grades through Cadw; Scotland uses categories A, B and C.

Does listing cover the inside of my house?

Yes. The government's planning guidance says a listing covers the whole building, inside and out, plus fixed objects and curtilage structures, even if the description does not mention the interior.

What does listed building consent cover?

Altering or extending a listed building in a way that affects its character or appearance, or demolishing it, according to Historic England. It is separate from planning permission and there is no fee.

Do I need consent to replace an internal door?

Central Bedfordshire Council says even fairly minor work such as replacing an internal door might need consent. Ask your conservation officer, because the council decides.

What happens if I do work without consent?

Historic England says unauthorised work is a criminal offence, and the authority can require it to be reversed. This is not legal advice: ask your council.

Is a conservation area the same as being listed?

No. Conservation areas are designated areas, about 10,000 in England according to Historic England. A house can be listed, in a conservation area, both or neither.

Is the list description a full inventory of what is protected?

No. Wiltshire Council says the description is not exhaustive, and features may still be protected even if not mentioned.