Is my house listed? How to check

How to check in England

1. Go to Historic England's Search the List and search by the building's name, street or place.
2. If that fails, use the map search. It shows where listed sites are, but not the full extent protected by each listing.
3. Open the list entry. It gives the grade, list entry number, date first listed and a description.
4. Do not stop at the first blank. An entry can use an older name or address, and one entry can cover several buildings, such as a terrace.
5. If you are still unsure, ask the council's conservation officer, especially for outbuildings and boundary walls.

Where to check across the UK

What the grades mean

In England, around 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I, around 5.8% are Grade II* and around 91.7% are Grade II, so most listed homes are Grade II. The need for listed building consent applies at every grade.

Age is a strong clue. Historic England's guide for owners says buildings from before 1700 that survive in anything like their original condition are listed, along with most from about 1700 to 1840. Selection is tighter after that, but newer buildings can be listed too. If you are unsure of the date, see how old is my house.

What listing covers

Listing covers the whole building, inside and out, unless the list entry says otherwise. It is not limited to the front of the house or the features named in the description.

It can also reach objects fixed to the building, and structures within its curtilage that have been part of the land since before 1 July 1948. Cadw gives barns and stable blocks as examples. Whether something falls within the curtilage depends on the facts, so ask the council.

The description in a list entry is there to identify the building. It is not a full inventory, so a feature it does not mention can still be protected.

Consent, and what a buyer inherits

Demolishing part of a listed building, or altering or extending it in a way that affects its character, needs listed building consent. That applies whether or not planning permission is also needed. There is no fee for the application, and doing the work without consent is a criminal offence.

This matters to buyers. Councils warn that liability for unauthorised alterations passes to the new owner, and that there is no time limit on listed building enforcement. The time limits that apply to ordinary planning breaches do not protect you here.

• Ask for copies of the consents for every change since the date of listing, then check them against the council's register.
• Look closely at windows, internal walls, kitchens and bathrooms, where past changes are easy to miss.
• Ask whether a historic buildings specialist should inspect. Some councils describe a compliance check for buyers.
• Choose a surveyor with experience of older buildings. See property report vs survey.

Listed, in a conservation area, or both

These are separate protections and a home can have either or both. The TA6 form asks about them separately at questions 5.7 and 5.8, with Yes, No or Not known as answers. A Not known is a prompt to check for yourself. For the second check, see what a conservation area means for planning.

A Doorstep Report lists listed buildings recorded on the plot and nearby, with grade and distance, where available, and flags listings that carry the same street name. Each record is a single map point that does not define what is protected. A whole terrace can appear 100 metres from a house it covers, so the list cannot confirm that a house is or is not listed. Use the official register for the answer. Planning Data in a report does not cover Wales.