Building Regulations

When you have obtained the necessary Planning Permission and/or Listed Building Consent for your property, or if your development is permitted without local authority approval, you then need to obtain Building Regulations approval for the construction phase.

The Building Regulations cover life safety issues such as fire escape, ventilation, structure and environmental issues.

Routes to Prove Compliance

There are two routes to prove compliance with Buildings Regulations: submitting an application to the Local Authority Building Control, or appointing an Approved Inspector:

A Building Control Officer (Building Inspector) works directly for your local authority.

Approved Inspectors are independent consultants who review the drawings and conduct site inspections on the local authority’s behalf.

It is your choice which route you choose for your project.  Your decision to use one or the other might be based upon one of the following:

• – Professional fee
• – Workload – one might assess your plans quicker than the other.
• – Relationship with you and/or Hayes & Partners. You may have worked with a specific person before and would like to again.

Methods of Building Regulations Application

There are two choices available when seeking Building Regulations approval: via a Full Plans Application, or a Building Notice Application:

Full Plans Application (Recommended)

A Full Plans Application comprises drawings and structural calculations for checking by an inspector before construction starts on site.  The main benefit of a Full Plans Application is that it can identify potential building issues early, allowing time for corrections prior to starting on site.  This avoids abortive work – giving you peace-of-mind, and crucially saving time and money.

Once all the drawings, details and calculations required to prove compliance are complete they are submitted for approval by either a Building Control Officer or Approved Inspector.  A plan checking fee is due at this point.

Before construction starts, a second fee is payable for either the Officer or Inspector to carry out site inspections at significant and predetermined stages of the build.  During the inspections they verify the works are carried out in accordance with the approved drawings.

Once the building work is complete and Building Regulations compliance has been demonstrated, the Inspector will issue a Final Certificate.

Building Notice (Suitable for very small, simple projects)

This route does not require the submission of drawings before construction. This can result in abortive work, such as demolition and rebuilding if work does not comply with the Building Regulations.

A Building Notice should only be used where projects are small and simple (e.g. minor domestic alterations).  You should also be confident that your builder has sufficient experience and excellent knowledge of the Building Regulations.

Prior to construction, your Approved Inspector will submit a Building Notice Form to the Local Authority.  This form notifies the local authority that work is about to begin on site, and if an Approved Inspector has been appointed, that they will undertake the inspections on site.

You will also need to pay a Building Notice fee which allows for either a Local Authority Building Inspector or your Approved Inspector to undertake site inspections at significant and predetermined stages of the construction process.

Although this route does not require it, your inspector may still ask the builder to provide structural calculations or details to prove compliance.  They can also request completed works to be uncovered for inspection and the re-building of non-compliant work.

When the building work is complete, and Building Regulations compliance has been proven by the submission of the appropriate calculations and testing certificates, the Inspector will issue a Final Certificate.

Specialists

You will need to appoint a Structural Engineer to produce the structural calculations necessary to prove compliance with the Building Regulations.  Hayes & Partners would obtain quotations for this service and then appoint a specialist on your behalf.

Although builders may be able use the Building Regulations package drawings for construction, further details would in most cases be required to complete the work, read more about these in our Technical Design page.