Building regulations explained
There are two main procedures for giving notice to the Local Authority of your intention to carry out work:
Full Plans
Building Notice
The following information outlines the difference between the two applications and will help to identify which route would suit your needs. Other useful information in this section includes:
Full plans procedure
The most widely known procedure is by the deposit of ‘full plans’ whereby the person wishing to carry out the work, or their agent, submits plans showing full details of work. These plans are then checked for compliance with the Building Regulations and if satisfactory, an Approval Notice is issued.
Advantages of the full plans system
You will receive a formal decision after the checking process has taken place. An approval notice can be presented to financial institutions, solicitors, surveyors etc., when seeking loans or moving home. You have the assurance that providing work is carried out in accordance with the approved plans the Regulations will be satisfied.
This is normally the best choice for work that includes:
- Loft conversions
- Major internal structural alterations
- Large extensions
- New buildings
- All works to non-domestic buildings
How do I submit a full plans applications?
Complete the application forms in duplicate and include at least two copies of:
- All detailed plans, sections and elevations, incorporating all necessary technical notes, supporting calculations and specifications.
- A 1:1250 scale plan showing the size and position of the building, or the building as extended and it’s relationship to adjoining boundaries (commonly known as a block plan).
- Where appropriate a written estimate based on professional costings but excluding VAT.
- The appropriate fee (see current fee scales)
An additional two copies of the plans are normally required if the application is for the following types of buildings: Offices, Shops, Factories, Hotels and Boarding Houses.
Building notice procedure
The Building Notice procedure is a useful facility for carrying out work on smaller domestic projects and also where the person carrying out the work is familiar with the requirements of the Regulations, as it enables work to proceed quickly without the deposit of plans. It may not be used for certain projects such as shops and offices, where the Regulations make requirements for means of escape in case of fire.
Advantages of the building notice system
Detailed plans are not always required saving time and cost.
Disadvantages of the building notice system
You must feel confident that the works comply with the Building Regulations or you risk having to correct it after inspection. You may have to submit plans and calculations at a later stage. Also it should be noted that no approval notice will be issued and nor may a Building notice be accepted for mortgage purposes.
The type of work suitable for a Building Notice application includes:
- Simple structural alterations
- Drainage alterations
- Small domestic extensions
- Underpinning work
- Installing a bathroom
- Re-roofing work
- Detached garages and outbuildings
How do I submit a building notice?
Complete the Building Notice form and include the following:
- Where appropriate a written estimate based on professional costings but excluding VAT.
- The appropriate fee (see current fee scales), and in the case of new buildings and extensions a 1:1250 scale plan showing the size and position of the building, or the building as extended and its relationship to adjoining boundaries (commonly known as a block plan).
Starting Work
Building work must be inspected during its progress and sufficient notice must be given to enable the Building Control Section to arrange site visits. This applies to work sanctioned under both the Full Plans and Building Notice procedures. You must contact the Building Control Officer before you start work, preferably two days prior to commencing. It is very important that the Building Control officer is called into inspect various stages of work as it progresses.
In particular you are required to notify us before:
- the commencement of work
- excavations for foundations
- any foundation is laid
- any damp proof course is laid or built off
- any concrete of other material is laid over a site
- putting in drains or sewers which come under the control of the Building Regulations
- completion of haunching of a drain
- final and satisfactory completion of building work
To request site inspections please telephone the office on: 01254 844160. Same day site inspections are available between 10 -12 and 2 – 4pm providing the request is received by the office before 10am of the same day. Notice of Commencement can be given by contacting the Building Control team.
Completion of work
When the work is completed (excluding decorating and furnishing) you must arrange for a completion inspection by your Building Control Officer.
A Completion Certificate will be issued providing the work is satisfactory.
It is strongly recommended that this completion certificate is obtained before final payment is made to the contractor. Solicitors may also require a copy of this certificate which confirms that the work has been completed in accordance with the Building Regulations. It is a valuable document which should be kept safe as without it you may have difficulty selling your property.
Notice of Completion can be given by contacting the Building Control team.
Payable fees: explanatory notes
Fees are payable for work undertaken by the Building Control Surveyors in relation to Building Regulation applications.
Fees may be payable either:
- up front for Building Notices or for minor works under a Full Plan submissions or
- in two stages for larger projects under Full Plans submissions.
The two stages are as follows:
- the plan fee - this is payable on submission of the application to the Building Control Office.
- the inspection fee - this is payable when the work starts on site. The person specified on the application form and will be invoiced for this fee following commencement. The fee coves all inspections carried out during the course of the works.
1. Before you build, extend or convert, you or your agent must advise your local authority either by submitting Full Plans or a Building Notice. The charges payable depends on the type of work, the number of dwelling in a building and the total floor area. Please consult the attached Scale of Charges to calculate the required fee. If you have difficulties calculating the charges, please contact us
2. Charges are payable as follows:
2.1. Should you submit Full Plans you will pay a plan charge at the time of submission to cover their passing or rejection.
2.2. With Full Plans submissions, for most types of work, an inspection charge covering all necessary site visits will be payable following the first inspection.
2.3. Should you submit a Building Notice, the appropriate Building Notice charge is payable at the time of submission and covers all necessary checks and site visits. The Building Notice charge is equivalent of the sum of the relevant plan charge and inspection charge.
2.4. Should you apply for a regularisation certificate, in respect of unauthorised building work, commenced on or after 11 November 1985, you will pay a regularisation charge to cover the cost of assessing your application and all inspections. The charge is equivalent to the building notice plus 20%.
2.5. In certain case the local authority may agree to charges being paid by installments for large commercial projects. For enquiries please contact us.
3. Schedule 1: Charges for small domestic buildings e.g. certain new dwelling houses and flats. Applicable where the total internal floor area of each dwelling, excluding any garage or carport, does not exceed 3000m² and the building has no more than three storeys, each basement level being counted as one storey. In any other case, Schedule 3 applies.
4. Schedule 2: Where work comprises more than one domestic extension the total floor areas of all the extensions shown on the application may be added together to determine the relevant charge. If the extension(s) exceed 60M² or three storeys in height, then Schedule 3 applies (subject to a minimum plan charge).
5. Schedule 3: Applicable to all other building work not covered by Schedules 1 or 2. Total estimated costs mean an estimate accepted by the local authority of a reasonable cost that would be charged by a person in business to carry out the work shown or described in the application, excluding VAT and any professional fees paid to an architect, engineer or surveyor etc., and also excluding land acquisition costs.
6. Exemptions / reductions in charges:
6.1. Works to provide access and/or facilities for disabled people to existing dwellings and building to which the public have access are exempt from charges. In these regulations, ‘disabled person’ means a person who is within any of the descriptions of persons to whom section 29(1) of the National Assistance Act 1948 applied, as that section was extended by virtue of section 8(2) of the Mental Health Act 1959, but not taking into account amendments made to section 29(1) by paragraph 11 of schedule 13 to the Children Act 1989.
7. With the exception of the regularisation charge, all local authority building regulation charges are subject to VAT at the current rate.
Note
1. When it is intended to carry out additional work on a dwelling at the same time that any of the work in Schedule 2 (section 1, 2 or 3 only), then the charge for this additional work may be discounted by 50%, subject to a maximum estimated cost of £9,000.