Making an application
How do I obtain Building Regulation approval?
There are two methods to choose from:
- Deposit full plans
- Give a Building Notice
Deposit full plans
This is the traditional way of gaining Building Regulation Approval. Detailed scale plans of the proposed work are drawn up, usually by a competent person, and submitted to the council with an application form and part of the total fee (the 'plans fee').
The Building Control Officers examine the plans to see if the work shown will comply with the Regulations, and will negotiate amendments with the applicant or agent. When the plans are satisfactory, an Approval Notice will be issued. This is a useful document to keep with the property deeds, and will answer many questions if the property should come to be sold.
Applicants using the full plans procedure also have the opportunity of requesting an official Completion Certificate, to be issued automatically when the work is finished.
When the work starts on site, the builder must notify Building Control at various key stages in the work, and these stages are inspected. At this point the balance of the total fee (the 'inspection fee') becomes payable and an invoice is sent to the applicant.
Give a Building Notice
This is a simple, direct procedure especially suited to small or straightforward jobs. The applicant must submit a special application form called a Building Notice at least 48 hours before it is intended to start the work. No plans are required other than a site plan if the work involves the erection or extension of a building, although further details may be requested later. A fee must be paid (the 'Building Notice fee') which is exactly equal to the total plans and inspection fees from the full plans procedure.
When work starts on site, inspection of key stages is required as before. Obviously because there are no 'approved plans' to consult, the onus is on the applicant to ensure that the work on site meets the requirements of the Regulations. The Building Control officer will require the alteration or removal of any defective work.
Although simple and requiring little preparation, there are some disadvantages to the Building Notice method:
- no official Approval of Plans, so no guarantee that difficulties or problems may not arise in the course of the work,
- no automatic right to a Completion Certificate,
- advance payment of the whole fee, non-returnable unless the work has not been started after three years.
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