Check the approval you need

This is the most thorough option and gives you most protection.

Your full plans submission will need to include

• the completed application form, estimate of cost of work and the appropriate fee
• all detailed plans, sections and elevations, incorporating all necessary technical notes, supporting calculations and specifications
• a 1:1250 site or location plan, showing the size and position of the building or the building as extended, its relationship to adjoining boundaries and the position of public sewers

If your plans comply with the building regulations, an approval notice will be issued within 5 weeks or you may be asked to make amendments or provide more details. Alternatively, a conditional approval may be issued.

The approval is valid for three years from the date the plans are submitted. Work can begin as soon as two days after you've submitted your application, but you cannot be certain that any work carried out before you have formal approval complies with building regulations. If you also need planning permission, do not start work until you've got this.

After you've submitted your application, you must let us know when work starts.

We'll come to inspect the work at various stages to make sure it meets the building regulations standards. We will explain about the notification procedures which the regulations require you to follow at various stages of the work, for example, in connection with foundations, damp proof courses and drains.

Once work is complete and a final inspection has been carried out, we will issue you with a completion certificate, provided the completed work complies with the building regulations.

Building notices are more suited to small domestic works such as building an extension. Plans are not required with this process and no formal decisions are issued, meaning this application type is quicker and less detailed than the full plans application.

A building notice cannot be used for any non-residential work, any extension/development within three metres of a public sewer, houses fronting onto private streets and any building subject to fire safety legislation (for example commercial, industrial and retails premises).

The building control section may ask for any plans, information and/or calculations to be submitted to show that the regulations are being complied with.

Building notices are valid for three years from the date the notice was given to us after which it will automatically lapse if the building work has not begun.

We will carry out inspections of the building work once it begins. We will explain about the notification procedures and regulations you need to follow at various stages, for example, for foundations, damp proof courses and drains.

Once work is complete and a final inspection has been carried out, we will issue you with a completion certificate, as long as the work complies with building regulations.

Retrospective building regulations are referred to as Regularisation.

A Regularisation application is for work that has already started or completed without building regulations consent and started on or after 11 November 1985. The purpose of the process is to regularise the unauthorised works and to obtain a certificate of regularisation, which will act in the same way as a Completion Certificate.

You may be asked to open up and uncover work as directed by the Building Control surveyor so that it can be inspected. This may, for example, involve digging a hole alongside foundations or removing sections of walls. The Building Control surveyor will advise you at the earliest possible opportunity. Depending on the circumstances alterations may need to be made to establish compliance with building regulations.

Along with the application form, the following will be required

• plans showing the building work and as-built construction along with showing a method of complying with the regulations
• the appropriate fee equal to the comparative Building Notice charge before VAT, plus an additional 30%. At present, VAT is not payable on Building Regularisation applications. The fee will be confirmed to you once the application is submitted.

Where works are carried out without building regulations approval being sought the owner may be prosecuted. You will be invited to apply for a regularisation certificate in the first instance. Prosecution will only take place should we be given no option.

If an approved inspector is unable to carry out their function, they or the person carrying out the works must cancel the initial notice submitted to us. The work is then ‘reverted’ back to us to ensure compliance with building regulations. This is called a reversion application.

We are obliged to charge a fee for the work reverted which will be individually assessed based on the size of the project and the amount of time needed to determine compliance.

It is important we are provided with as much information as possible when submitting a reversion application, this should include items such as

• information about the inspections already undertaken
• plans
• structural calculations
• photographs of the work in progress

You may be asked to open up and uncover work as directed by the Building Control surveyor so that it can be inspected. This may, for example, involve digging a hole alongside foundations or removing sections of walls. The Building Control surveyor will advise you at the earliest possible opportunity. Depending on the circumstances, alterations may need to be made to establish compliance with building regulations.

Once work is complete and a final inspection has been carried out, we will issue you with a completion certificate, as long as the work complies with building regulations.

Dealing with reversions from approved inspectors is a statutory duty. The approved inspector’s ability to trade and the issue of any fees previously paid is outside of our control. Complaints relating to the behaviour of any approved inspector should be directed to the Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR Ltd).