When you want more extension work, the first challenge is often finding out where suitable projects are being proposed. Planning applications can give you a starting point: a description of intended work, a location and, where available, supporting documents.
The useful part is what you do with that information. A long list of records is not a work pipeline until you have decided which proposals fit your business and what needs checking next.
Understand what a planning record can tell you
Councils publish information about proposed developments that require planning permission. GOV.UK provides a service for finding the relevant planning register.
For a builder, a record can help answer an initial question: is there proposed work here that resembles the projects we want to deliver?
It cannot, on its own, establish the homeowner's budget, the likely start date, whether a builder is appointed or whether the work will happen. Keep those questions separate from the fact that an application exists.
Begin with a definition of a good-fit job
Before opening results, write down three things:
- The areas you can serve efficiently.
- The kinds of work your team does well.
- The project characteristics that would make you decline an opportunity.
For example, you might want domestic extensions within your usual working area but avoid schemes outside your team's experience. This is your selection rule, not something a planning database can decide for you.
A clear rule stops interesting-looking proposals from consuming time even when they are unlikely to fit.
Read the description before committing to deeper research
Start with the proposed works. Does the description actually indicate an extension project that fits your business? Or is it an amendment, a different type of application or work that does not suit your team?
Descriptions are summaries. Use them to decide what to inspect, not as a substitute for understanding the proposal. If the scope is unclear, mark it as unclear rather than filling in the gaps with assumptions.
Check the source and current position
For a potentially relevant record, review the original council application and the documents that are available. Note the date you checked it and any material uncertainty.
An application can change after you first see it. Before spending time on a detailed proposal, revisit the record and establish the circumstances through an appropriate channel. Do not treat an old description as a current instruction to price work.
Keep a small, useful shortlist
Your shortlist needs enough structure to support a decision. A simple entry might contain:
- The project reference and source link, where available.
- Why the project fits your business.
- What remains unknown.
- A next action, or a reason to leave it alone.
Keep this in your existing business system. The purpose is to avoid researching the same project repeatedly or mistaking a large number of records for progress.
For an illustrative example, a local rear extension matching your recent work might merit further review. A larger project outside your operating area may be one to set aside. Both are valid results of the process.
Where Trade Watch Alerts fits
Trade Watch Alerts provides a focused view of selected extension-related planning opportunities, with weekly and monthly results. The free preview lets you explore the app; paid access unlocks the available full details.
Its role is to make the discovery stage more manageable. You still assess the fit, check the current source information and decide whether the project deserves further attention.
See how the app works and check its coverage before deciding whether it suits your business.
Choose a responsible next step
Published personal information is not automatic permission to market to someone. Before outreach, check the rules for your intended use and channel using the ICO's guidance on lead generation. This article is a research workflow, not legal advice.
Turn occasional searching into a repeatable habit
Choose a regular time to review new opportunities and revisit only the records that still justify attention. Judge the process by the relevance of your shortlist and the quality of your next decisions, rather than by how many records you collect.
Use our weekly review routine to put that approach into practice, or explore the Trade Watch Alerts free preview to see the starting point for yourself.
Continue your research
Read the complete guide to planning leads for the wider workflow, or browse all practical guides.
