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It's a legal requirement for building work to meet the Building Regulations (2010) and building control services, also known as building control bodies, check that work complies with the Building Regulations and associated legislation. Work that needs to be checked by building control includes:

• extensions
• conversions (loft, garage)
• internal alterations
• basements
• new buildings.

On our website we have a full list of projects which need building control and you can also read our page which explains the reasons why building control is important.

Back to the homeowner's guide to building regulations

Watch our short and easy to follow video explaining the building regulations basics.

It depends on the project but for most major construction projects in your home, such as extensions and conversions, you'll need to make a building regs application so that your local building control team can visit the site and check that your work is compliant.

Take a look at our getting started page for some handy links and resources, or visit our quick list page which tells you all the construction projects which need building control.

We also have a page on building control exemptions.

Most building projects - even small extensions, knock-throughs or improvements - need to comply with the Building Regulations. This applies in cases where planning permission is not needed. So have a look at Do I need a Building Regulations application? or ask for advice from your local council building control team.

Read more about reasons why building control services are important when you're carrying out major home improvement works.

You will usually be provided with an Inspection Service Plan

For domestic work there is a choice of building control application routes, full plans, building notice and regularisation application for retrospective works. Read on for further information...

That will depend on the type of project, the type of application and the local council area you live in. All local council building control teams are only permitted to recover the cost of the work they carry out, they do not make a profit on their services.

This is in contrast to private Approved Inspectors who are allowed to make profits on the work they do. Contact your local council building control team to get more information.

Some types of minor building or improvement works like putting up sheds, car ports or porches don't need building regulations consent.

The general rule is that if they are small (less than 30m2), built of non-combustible material, are separated from nearby buildings or land and don't contain sleeping accommodation, they are exempt (visit our exemptions pages - link below). However it is always best to check with your local council building control team before starting work.

Other kinds of minor improvements - such as installing central heating can be carried out by competent persons. Visit the competent persons’ website.

If you're looking to do home improvements to make your property more energy efficient read this guide to find out more about when the building regs apply.

Visit the

For an application by Building Notice, there are no detailed plans to inspect and approve so you can start work as soon as the notice is accepted - usually within 48 hours.

With a Full Plans application the plans have to be thoroughly examined before being approved. And by law a council must give a decision on an application within five weeks of receiving it (unless it's extended with your written consent), but usually it takes much less time than this.

Approval of building plans lasts for three years and if you don’t start work in that time your council may serve you with a notice declaring your plans to be “of no effect”– meaning you will need to submit a fresh application.

To find out the difference between a Building Notice and Full Plans visit What type of building regulations

Guidance from the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in 2005 stated that if the building is a ‘small detached building’ , then the regulations don't apply to either its erection or any subsequent work done to it as long as it remains a small detached building.

DCLG further advised the only control is with regard to Parts G (sanitation, hot water and water efficiency) and P (electrical safety).

Your local building control team will be happy to provide advice and guidance on your home improvement building project.

Use our local authority search to find your local building control department by simply entering your property's postcode.

Back to the Homeowner's guide to building regulations

We have an article with some FAQs specifically about Approved Inspectors' insurance issues. Find out more here.

Yes. You should discuss any proposed building work with those neighbours who are most likely to be affected – either by the finished structure or the building process through things like noise or dust.

If your building plans involve shared walls or boundaries you may also need to get your neighbour’s formal agreement through a party wall agreement. See DCLG guidance.

England Building Regulations Approved Documents

Wales Building Regulations Approved Documents

 

Yes. If your local council building control team judges the work not up to standard it has powers to order you to pull down or alter the work. Serious and persistent cases of failure to meet building standards can result in legal action and a fine.

There are many reasons why building control is important in the construction process – read more about them here.

If your home has been improved or extended by a previous owner, you will need to have the proper certification for it when you come to sell. If you do not have the relevant building certificates and no building regulation approval was given before work started, then you can apply for ‘regularisation’ - retrospective approval. A local council building control surveyor will assess the work to see if it is up to standard and, if not, recommend improvements to bring it up to standard so they can issue the appropriate certificates. You will have to pay a fee to your local council. (View further information on regularisation.)

You'll need a regularisation certificate for any unauthorised building work. This is a retrospective application that your local authority will issue.

You'll find further details in No building regulations approval? What's the solution?

 

Plans you submit under Full Plans applications will only be rejected if they don't meet the technical requirements of the building regulations, or if you have not provided enough information to show compliance. You can submit plans showing corrected or omitted information.

If you don't agree with the interpretation of the regulatory requirements it's possible to apply to the Secretary of State for a determination provided the work hasn't already started. This will involve an additional cost and can be a lengthy process, so we strongly recommend discussing your plans with your local council if possible.

If the complaint is about your own building work, you should initially raise it with your builder. You should always use a reputable builder who is a member of a trade association (check their credentials on the association's website to avoid employing unscrupulous people). The association will also have a published complaints procedure, which sets out what you can do if your building work has gone wrong.

Local council building control teams inspect building work and certify it meets building standards. If they find work is not up to minimum legal standards they have the power to require the builder to bring it up to the required level. So if you have concerns about the quality of work on your building site you should contact the local council building control team to discuss your

You may receive an enforcement notice from your local authority if they believe that building work in or around your home doesn’t comply with building regulations. What this means is that you'll have to rectify or even remove the work which is in breach of building regulations.

I've got an enforcement notice but I think my building work is compliant. What can I do?

If you feel that your work does comply you can appeal against the notice in two ways:

• Contact your local authority and request a report, which is written by a suitably qualified person, about the compliance of your work and try to reach agreement on the issues. In this case the 28 day period that the local authority gives you to alter or remove the building work is extended to 70 days.
• Take your appeal to the magistrates'

This video explains what to do if you didn't get building regulation approval for your building work, and what to do if the property you want to buy hasn't had a building regulation application.

Yes, you can get retrospective building control approval. If you didn't apply for building regs approval for the work before, or perhaps building work carried out by the previous owner didn't have the relevant approval before starting, you can apply for 'regularisation' – retrospective approval.

This involves a local council building control surveyor visiting the site and assessing the work to see if it's up to standard and if not, recommend improvements to bring it up to standard so they can issue the appropriate certificates.

Read more on Front Door

Find out more by visiting the following links:

• Retrospective regularisation applications
• No building regulations approval? What's the solution?
• Help – we didn't get permission for our building work! (Video)