Building Regulations
What are building regulations?
The Building Regulations are minimum standards for design, construction and alterations to virtually every building to ensure the safety and health for people in or about those buildings.
Building regulations approval is different to planning permission. You might need both.
Building regulations approval is different to planning permission. You might need both.
What qualifies as ‘building work’ and falls under control of the regulations?
All extension work requires building regulations approval and you may need building regulations approval for many alteration projects, including:
- Roof
- Structural alterations
- Significantly different roof covering
- Replacing more than 25% of the roof covering
- Replacing windows and doors
- External walls
- Work that affects more than 25% of an external wall
- Insulating a cavity wall
- Internal walls
- Building, removing or forming an opening in an internal wall
- Replacing fuse boxes and connected electrics
- Installing a kitchen/bathroom
- Plumbing/drainage
- Changing electrics near a bath or shower
- Installing a fixed air-conditioning system
- Heating and boilers
- Installing or replacing a heating system
- Adding extra radiators to a heating system
However, you do not need to get approval yourself if you use someone registered according to building regulations with a competent person scheme.
Inside this easy to read free guide, we will teach you the key things you need to know about planning permission.
What types of building projects are exempt?
- Most repairs, replacements and maintenance work (except heating systems, oil tanks, fuse boxes and glazing units)
- New power and lighting points, or changes to existing circuits (except around baths and showers)
- Like-for-like replacements of baths, toilets, basins and sinks
- Some conservatories
- Non-habitable buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m² such as greenhouses and sheds
Click here for more information about building regulation exemptions
What happens if I don’t comply with building regulations?
- The person doing the work could be prosecuted and fined
- Your local authority could make you remove the faulty work/pay for it to be fixed
- Without approval you will not have the certificates of compliance you may need when you want to sell your home
How do I apply for building regulations approval?
If you are carrying out the building works yourself, or you’re working with someone who’s not registered with a competent person scheme, then you can apply for building regulation approval via the Planning Portal.
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