Building control guidance notes
Support following PWC Building Control Ltd Liquidation
We are supporting residents following the liquidation of PWC Building Control Services Ltd, which had been providing building control services across the East Midlands, including from a Towcester-based office.
With PWC Building Control Services Ltd placed into voluntary liquidation, We are ready to assist residents and ensure projects remain compliant with building regulations. Many projects previously under their supervision can now transition to WNC-trusted Building Control services, which are staffed by professionally qualified and experienced surveyors.
Building control is vital for ensuring the safety and quality of construction work, and we continue to offer reliable, cost-effective services. While residents have always had the option to use private services, our Building Control team is on hand to support affected residents, and is doing this initially through clearly explaining the options for former PWC customers.
Although the sudden closure of PWC Building Control is going to have significantly concerned their customers, we will do our best to help those affected. We are currently writing to all PWC customers to set out their options, where former PWC customers choose to submit reversion applications we will do our best to determine these as quickly as staff resources allow.
While we are committed to managing this increased workload as efficiently as possible, ensuring residents receive the highest level of service and support, nonetheless we know that many people will experience a delay.
We are committed to minimising disruption for affected residents as far as resources allow, and are here to provide expert guidance and assistance through every step of the building control process.
The prices in the charge tables are current from 1 April 2023, and include VAT at the current rate of 20%.
Building Control charges fall into different categories - plan charges, inspection charges, building notices and regularisation charges.
With the exception of regularisation applications, the charges are subject to VAT at the appropriate rate.
The following notes are for guidance only and are not a substitute for the Statutory Instrument 1998 No 3129, which contains a full statement of the law.
Full plans
The plan charge(s) must be paid on the deposit of the plans with us.
Inspection charges
These will be payable after the first inspection has been undertaken.
Building notices
The charge must be paid when the building notice is submitted to us. In certain circumstances the building notice charge is 10% higher than full plan (table 1).
Regularisation charge
This is for retrospective approval of work, which has already started/completed (in the event the work cannot be regularised, the fee is non-refundable). This charge should be submitted with your application. VAT does not apply to regularisation applications.
The charge is 30% and in some cases 40% (new housing) higher than the full plan charge without VAT and represents additional works carried out by us. (See table 5)
Floor area (tables 1 and 2)
Is the total of the floor areas in all the storeys of a house or extension (more than one extension you may aggregate the area of all the floors) measuring to the internal faces of the external walls.
Estimated cost of the building works (table 4)
This means a reasonable estimate that would be charged by a professional builder, but excluding architectural fees and VAT.
Multiple works
Where plans show more than one type of work (e.g. two separate extensions) the charges payable will need to be individually determined.
Payments/instalments
Cheques should be made payable to “West Northamptonshire Council”. In certain cases the charges may be paid by instalments - contact us for more information.
Electrical works
The standard charges listed in Tables 1 and 2 only apply if electrical work is to be undertaken by a person registered under the Competent Persons Self-Certification Scheme, or the works are non-notifiable. Where a notifiable electrical installation is to be undertaken by a person not registered under the Part P Competent Persons Self-Certification Scheme an additional charge amounting to £200 + VAT is payable.
Exempt buildings
A fee of £44.00 (including VAT) should accompany an application for registration of an exempt building.
Supplementary charges
These may be made, and an invoice sent to the owner, where the builder or building owner:
- causes additional inspections to be carried out through needing closer supervision
- causes additional inspections by suspending progress of work and failing to notify us, which results in the project taking longer than 12 months
- proceeds with the works on a Full Plans application where the plans have been rejected on substantive grounds
- undertakes works normally covered under a Competent Persons Self-Certification Scheme, and that work is not carried out by a person registered under such a scheme
Last updated 19 April 2023