Building Control Applications

• Do I need Building Regulations approval?
• What type of application?
  • Alternative for domestic works
  • Building Notice applications
  • Full Plans applications
  • Regularisation Certificates
  • Reversion Notices
• How to make a Building Control application
  • Submit online
  • Submit by post
  • Charges and fees
• When can you start building work?
• What happens when works are complete?
• What if building work is carried out without an application?
• View Building Control applications
• Further guidance
• Buy a Site Plan online
• Contact Building Control

What type of application is required?

There are 2 methods of applying for approval of building projects:

• For domestic alterations and extensions, you can submit a Building Notice application giving brief details of your proposals. This should be submitted 48 hours before the work starts together with the statutory fee and any drawings and details. Please also see the alternative for domestic works section below.
• Works to shops, offices, factories, hotels and boarding houses must be made by the Full Plans application route, so that we can consult the Fire Brigade to ensure that adequate Fire Precautions measures are provided.

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Alternative for domestic works

If you wish to obtain formal approval for domestic works before the work begins you can submit a Full Plans application. Decisions can take up to 5 weeks.

Once you have received Full Plans approval you should submit a Commencement Notice 48 hours before the work starts. The work is then inspected on site.

From 1 October 2006, The Fire Precaution Act 1971 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 as amended have been replaced by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This can be viewed in the attached files section below).

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Building Notice applications

A Building Notice application is an application under the Building Regulations giving brief details of your proposals for domestic alterations and extensions.

• The application should be submitted 48 hours before the work starts
• You may be able to start work earlier, if you check with us first, please find our contact details in the contact us page
• You should include the correct fee and any drawings with your application, please see charges and fees for information about fees
• You will be required to submit additional information with the notice, dependant upon the type of work you are carrying out

Submit your Building Notice online

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Full Plans applications

Works to shops, offices, factories, hotels and boarding houses must be made by the Full Plans route, so that we can consult the Fire Brigade to ensure that adequate Fire Precautions measures are provided.

If you wish to obtain formal approval for domestic works before the work begins you can submit a Full Plans application. Decisions can take up to 8 weeks. Once you have received Full Plans approval you should submit a Commencement Notice 48 hours before the work starts. The work is then inspected on site.

Submit your Full Plans application online

We require:

• Completed application form
• A copy of the drawings (unless hardcopy sent through the post, then 2 copies required)
• Structural calculations, if appropriate
• The correct charge, which we calculate using a government framework

We will:

• Deal with your application within the statutory 8 weeks, if possible sooner
• Only reject your application if there is a major contravention of the Building Regulations or insufficient information
• Apply conditions to approvals that require minor changes or additional information

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Regularisation Certificates

Where unauthorised building work has been carried out to a property, it may be possible to obtain a Regularisation Certificate from the Local Authority. Whether the works were carried out by yourself or a previous owner an application can be made if the works were commenced on or after 11 November 1985. ‘Unauthorised’ building work is work that was carried out without an application having been submitted to Building Control and accepted before works commenced. When a Regularisation Certificate is issued, it demonstrates that the works that have been carried out, comply with the Building Regulations that were in place at the time when the unauthorised work was carried out.

Please contact this department to discuss your particular situation before you apply. In doing so you can be given a clear indication of what is required, allowing for an informed decision whether to apply or not.

We require:

• A full description of the unauthorised work, and plans indicating the work carried out (existing plans – before work commenced and proposed plans – what is intended/what has been completed) – so that it is clear what works have been/intend to be carried out.
• Plans and associated structural calculations should demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations that were in force when the work was originally carried out.
• The appropriate fee - see details of fees applicable
• Photographs of the work in progress, or other evidence as may be applicable, may assist in demonstrating compliance, and may reduce exposure works required, so if you have this information, please send this also. 

We will:

When sufficient information has been received, advice will be provided as to what work, if any, is required to comply with the Building Regulations, in order to receive the Regularisation Certificate. In establishing how and what works have been carried out, it may be necessary for the owner to open up elements of the works or carry out tests.

Where such opening up of works has been carried out, the local authority will advise you of:

• (a) Any alterations which will be required in order to make the works comply with the relevant requirements, or
• (b) Any works which cannot be determined whether they comply with the relevant requirements, or
• (c) If the works are compliant    

Once the works have been deemed satisfactory, the local authority will issue a Regularisation Certificate to the building owner. A Regularisation Certificate is evidence (but not conclusive evidence) that the requirements of the Building Regulations specified in the Certificate have been complied with.Thelocal authority has no obligation to issue a Regularisation Certificate and there is no statutory time period for a regularisation application to be dealt with. Initial contact should be made with the applicant within 10 working days of receiving their application. Please note you will be charged for this regularisation service (non-refundable), and once an application for regularisation has been submitted, it cannot be withdrawn.

• Submit your Regularisation Certificate application online

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Reversion Notices

A Reversion Application is used in respect of the Building Regulations 2010 where an Initial Notice from an Approved Inspector is no longer in force and the application is to revert back to the local authority.

When we receive a Reversion Application, we may require applicants to take such reasonable steps, including the laying open of the building work for our inspection, making tests and taking samples, as we think appropriate to ascertain what work, if any, is required make sure that the relevant requirements are met. If an applicant is unwilling to comply with any reasonable request there is a risk that we will be unable to judge whether the work satisfies the applicable regulations.

Please download, complete and return the Reversion Notice form (Word, 155KB) to submit a building regulation application to our Building Control Team. Please also complete and return a copy of the  Form 7 Cancellation Notice (PDF, 580KB) under the Approved Inspector regulations, which cancels the Initial Notice submitted by the Approved Inspector. 

See further information and guidance on our Cancellation (Reversion) of an Initial Notice Application page.

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When can you start building works?

Once you have submitted a Building Notice application or Full Plans application, work can start on site 48 hours after notice has been given to the local authority of your intention to commence building.

Please remember that you must inform Building Control when inspection stages are reached so that a Surveyor can inspect the works as they go along. Please see our Inspections page for further details of when inspections are required and for information on how to request an inspection.

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What happens when works are complete?

When you or your builder have notified us that the work is completed, and a satisfactory final inspection has been made, we will issue a formal Certificate of Completion to show that the work complies with the Building Regulations. This can be particularly useful if the building is subsequently sold or if you are securing additional funds.

When submitted plans are approved and after completion of work on-site, we will send you a Customer Satisfaction Form inviting you to comment on the service provided.

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What if building work is carried out without an application?

If work is carried without a Building Regulations application enforcement action could be taken and this could also prejudice a future sale of the property.

A retrospective application may be made for unauthorised building works carried out since 11 November 1985. Applications for Regularisation Certificates may be submitted with the appropriate fee.

The submission of an application does not guarantee that a certificate will be issued. Parts of the works may need to be opened up and inspected to determine if they are adequate and remedial works may be required before a regularisation certificate can be issued.

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Further guidance

More information is available from other pages on this website including:

• Building Control Pre-application Advice service
• Building Regulations
• Dangerous Structures
• Demolition Notices
• Inspections

If you require further advice you can also contact the Building Control team.

A wide range of advice about common building works projects, building regulations, and your responsibilities when carrying out building works is available from the Planning Portal, please see the external links section below for a link to the Planning Portal.

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Contact us

Address
Building Control
Level 6, River Park House
225 High Road
Wood Green
London
N22 8HQ

Tel 020 8489 5504

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