Building regulations approval

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To comply with the Building Act 1984 and the subsequent statutory instruments known as the Building Regulations, Building regulations approval is required to construct certain structures in the United Kingdom.

Building Regulations approval can usually be obtained in 1 of 3 ways:-

1. By the full plans method where drawings are deposited with the Local Authority or other designated body (eg. Approved Inspector) and are subsequently checked for compliance with the Building Regulations.

The various stages of the work are also inspected and checked for compliance with the relevant technical requirements of the Building Regulations; by a Building Control Surveyor employed by either the Local Authority or an Approved Inspector. It should be noted that unlike planning permission, work may start before approval has been granted. It is also quite usual for the final building to differ in some respects to that which received full plans approval, in which case amended "as built" plans are often required to be submitted to the appropriate Building Control Body.

2. By the building notice method where notice of commencement of (minor) building work is given to the Local Authority at least 2 days prior to the commencement of work. The various stages of the work are then inspected and approved by the L.A but no plans are checked. Note that this method may not be used if the premises contain a workplace, or creates new flats.

3. Approved inspectors must issue their "Initial Notice" (stating that that particular Approvbed Inspector is the building control body for the specified work project, at a specific address and/or building site) to the relavant local authority at least 5 days before any controlled building work starts on site.

Generally Fees are paid to the Building Control Body, with each application, will vary depending on the size and value of the project and between different Local authorities across the country and each Approved Inspector is free to set their own levels of charges. Some types of work may be exempt fees, e.g adaptations or alterations for Disabled Persons.

Some work such as Electrical and Heating installations can be carried out by persons who can certify work as being Building Regulation compliant, without further inspection by either the Local Authority or an Approved Inspector. Any work certified in this way must however be registered with the Local Authority in the geographical area in which the work has been carried out.

A Building Control Body should issue a "Completion Certificate" or "Final Certificate" upon the practical completion of each building project, to state that the work meets the technical requirements of the Building Regualtions.

If an Approved Inspector can not do this due to ommisions and/or known failures of the building work to show complance with the relevant technical requirements of the Building Regualtions, then the relevant local authority should investigate and consider the need to take appropriate enforcement action.

Building Regulation 'Enforcement Action' and/or 'incomplete work status' is normally recorded in the Local Lands Charges Register, held as a 'public record' by the relevant local authority. Solicitors must search these records prior to any purchase of any building.