Building Regulation Applications

Building Regulations Applications and Approval

‍Building Regulations approval is required for all but the simplest of structures and non structural building works. The building owner (or their agent) must make a building regulations application & pay a fee. This involves submission of detailed drawings and specifications.  All work must comply with the 2010 Building Regulations and the technical design and constructional requirements of the current Approved Documents. The person carrying out the building works is to liaise with and meet the requirements of the LA Building Control/Certifying Body, giving required notices of stages of works as required by the Building Regulations.

There are two methods of making a Building Regulations application and these are briefly described as follows:

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‍1. A Full Plans application.

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‍This is often thought of as the traditional way of applying for Building Regulations Approval. We will draw up detailed plans and supporting information for the proposed scheme and submit this on your behalf.  Building Control will check these for compliance with Building Regulations and when they are satisfied an approval will be issued. Work can start any time after the application has been submitted although it is wise to wait until the scheme has had its initial check under the Building Regulations, this usually takes between two and three weeks.

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‍2. A Building Notice application

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‍This system is best suited to minor domestic work carried out by a competent and experienced builder. Under this scheme no formal Approval of plans is issued and work is approved on site as it progresses.  However, if your builder is not competent or sufficiently experienced then you may experience some problems.

The Building Notice process involves submitting a completed Building Notice application form together with a site location plan, any structural calculations and the required fee. Work can commence 48 hours after the notice has been received by Building Control.

When the project is satisfactorily completed a Building Regulations Completion Certificate will be issued showing that the project has been independently inspected and that it complied with the Building Regulations. If you carry out any works before they are checked and approved by Building Control / Approved inspector then you do so at your own risk and may have to open up the works to be checked and will have to do them again if they do not comply. Where works have been done without the necessary approvals and no completion certificate is obtained, then this will cause problems when it comes to selling your property.

Works to commercial, retail, or industrial properties are required to have a full plans application made to the local authority prior to any works starting on site. A Building Notice is not acceptable.

If you want us to help you with the above, please do not hesitate to contact us.