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Obtaining Building Control Approval

The Building Control Department of the Local Authority is charged with ensuring that building development complies with the various building regulations. There are essentially two ways in which the department will grant approval. The choice of which method to use is up to the applicant.

'Full Plans' submission

The first method is to make what is known as a 'Full Plans' submission. For this you submit plans to the Building Control Department of your Local Authority. This would normally be done well in advance of the proposed start date for the work. The proposals will be checked against the various Parts of the Building Regulations and consultations made with statutory authorities such as the fire service. The Council will usually try to issue a decision within 6 weeks, although this may be extended by agreement. When the Council approves the drawings you will receive a formal approval notice setting out any conditions related to the approval. The major advantage of this procedure is that you know from the start exactly what you will need to do in order to comply with the regulations. It also means that the builder has a solid basis from which to prepare an estimate for the work.

Make sure you know where you stand before you start work

Building Notice application

The second method is to apply for what is known as a 'Building Notice' application. In this case no approval notice is issued and there is no right of application for a determination. The main advantage of this process is that it requires less detailed plans. Generally it is only used for very minor works or works where there are many unknowns.

In both cases Building Regulation fees are payable and these are identical regardless of the method chosen. Usually, when a full plans submission has received approval, the authority then uses it's notification process to monitor and track the work as it progresses.

There are a few areas of work where Building Regulation Approval is not needed but for most of the time, if the work that you propose to undertake involves any form of construction, then the local Building Control Authority will need to be informed.