Guides · 5 min read · Updated 2026-07-21

How to read a planning application: a trade's guide

A planning application looks like paperwork, but to a trade it's a shopping list of upcoming work. Here's how to read one and pull out what matters.

The description of works

This is the gold. It sets out what's being built or altered — and the words tell you the trades. Mentions of re-roofing, cladding, steel frames, groundworks, demolition or new glazing are direct demand signals for those trades.

The applicant vs the agent

The applicant owns the project; the agent (architect, planning consultant or developer) runs it — and usually decides who gets the work. The agent's details are the contact that matters.

Status and dates

An application at validation or consultation stage is early — the ideal time to make contact. Approved-but-not-started projects are close to procurement. Both beat waiting for a public tender.

Let the sifting be done for you

Reading applications by hand across hundreds of council portals doesn't scale. BestLeads reads them for you, keeps only the projects that need your trade, and adds the contact — see it live by area and trade or start free.