Building Regulations

• What are the Building Regulations?
• Do I need Building Regulations approval?
• What is covered by Building Regulations?
  • Approved Documents
• Building Regulations Update
• What happens if I contravene Building Regulations?
• Contact us

What are the Building Regulations?

Building Regulations ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings by providing functional requirements for building design and construction. In addition, the Regulations promote energy efficiency in buildings and contribute to meeting the needs of disabled people.

Builders and developers are required to obtain building control approval, an independent check that the Building Regulations have been complied with.

The Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) are the current regulations.

Please see the  Manual to the Building Regulations (PDF, 9MB).

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What is covered by Building Regulations?

The Building Regulations cover a wide range of building work from major office, shop and residential developments to small domestic works like extensions, through lounges and loft conversions.

Please see our 'Do I need Building Regulations approval?' page for information on common building projects and whether or not they require Building Regulations approval.

Approved Documents

Approved Documents offer guidance on how to comply with the regulations and cover the following aspects of construction:

Part A - Structure:

• Approved Document A - Structure (PDF, 5MB)

Part B - Fire Safety:

• Approved Document B - Volume 1: Dwellings (PDF, 6MB)
• Approved Document B - Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings (PDF, 4MB)

Part C - Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture:

• Approved Document C - Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture (PDF, 4MB)

Part D - Toxic Substances:

• Approved Document D - Toxic substances (PDF, 129KB)

Part E - Resistance to the passage of sound:

• Approved Document E - Resistance to the passage of sound (PDF, 4MB)

Part F - Ventilation:

• Approved Document F - Ventilation Volume 1: Dwellings (PDF, 859KB)
• Approved Document F - Ventilation Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings (PDF, 956KB)

Part G - Hygiene:

• Approved Document G - Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency (PDF, 324KB)

Part H - Waste Disposal:

• Approved Document H - Drainage and waste disposal (PDF, 2MB)

Part J - Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems:

• Approved Document J - Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems (PDF, 3MB)

Part K - Protection from falling, collision and impact:

• Approved Document K - Protection from falling, collision and impact (PDF, 2MB)

Part L - Conservation of fuel and power:

• Approved Document L - Conservation of fuel and power Volume 1: Dwellings (PDF, 5MB)
• Approved Document L - Conservation of fuel and power Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings (PDF, 1MB)

Part M - Access to facilities and buildings:

• Approved Document M - Access to and use of buildings: Volume 1 - dwellings (PDF, 2MB)
• Approved Document M - Access to and use of buildings: Volume 2 - buildings other than dwellings (PDF, 1MB)
• Approved Document M - Access to and use of buildings: FAQs (PDF, 507KB)

Part O - Overheating

• Approved Document O - Overheating (PDF, 3MB)

Part P - Electrical Safety:

• Approved Document P - Electrical safety - dwellings (PDF, 2MB)

Part Q - Security:

• Approved Document Q - Security - dwellings (PDF, 289KB)

Part R - Electronic communications networks:

• Approved Document R - Physical Infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks (PDF, 295KB)

Part S - Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles

• Approved Document S - Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles (PDF, 858KB)

Compliance Guides:

• Domestic Building Compliance Guide - 2010 (PDF, 834KB)
• Non-Domestic Building Compliance Guide - 2010 (PDF, 677KB)
• Domestic Ventilation Compliance Guide (PDF, 698KB)

Approved Document to support Regulation 7:

• Approved Document to support Regulation 7 - Materials and workmanship (PDF, 2MB)
• Approved Document to support Regulation 7 - Materials and workmanship - 2018 Amendment (PDF, 86KB)

Further guidance can be found on our Useful Downloads page.

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Building Regulations Updates

All changes and proposed changes to the Building Regulations are regularly put into our Building Regulations Updates, this can be found in the attached files section below.

Regular information about changes to the Building Regulations is also available from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Please see the external links section below to view the circulars.

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What happens if I contravene Building Regulations?

The Building Regulations can be contravened by not following the building control procedures set out for handling your building work, and/or by carrying out building work which does not comply with the requirements contained in the Building Regulations.

Haringey has a general duty to enforce the Building Regulations in its area and will seek to do so by informal means wherever possible.

If a person carrying out building work contravenes the Building Regulations, the local authority may decide to take them to the Magistrates’ Court where they could be fined level 5 on the standard scale (unlimited) for the contravention, and £50 for each day the contravention continues (section 35 of the Building Act 1984). This action will usually be taken against the builder or main contractor, although proceedings must be taken within 6 months of the offence (section 127 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980).

Alternatively, or in addition, Haringey may serve an enforcement notice on the owner requiring them to alter or remove work which contravenes the Building Regulations (section 36 of the 1984 Act). If the owner does not comply with the notice the local authority has the power to undertake the work itself and recover the costs of doing so from the owner. Although an enforcement notice cannot be served on you after the expiration of 12 months from the date of completion of the building work, this does not affect a local authority’s (or any other person’s) right to apply to the Courts for an injunction for the same purpose.

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Contact us

Should you be in any doubt as to whether your proposals would require consent or would like further information about Building Regulations, please do not hesitate to contact us:

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

Tel 020 8489 5504

Make a general enquiry

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Quick links

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