Building control frequently asked questions


General
What is the difference between planning and building control services?
Which type of application should I use?
What charges must I pay if I need to send in a building regulation application? 
How do I complain if I am not happy with your service?
Do you deal with maintenance and repair to council houses?
Who do I report a dangerous building to?

Council notification of building work
What will happen if I don't send in an application for work which needs your approval? 
Do I need to let you know if I have my roof re-tiled?
Do I need to let you know if I want to build a conservatory or porch?
Do I need to let you know if I want to take down a chimney breast or remove a wall?
Do I need to let you know if I want to build a detached shed or garage?
Do I need to inform you if I am changing my windows?
My gas boiler has to be replaced. Do I need to notify the council?

Building works
Do I need permission to convert my garage into a habitable room? 
Can I draw my own plans?
Can you recommend a builder, architect, building surveyor or structural engineer? 
Can you come to my house and discuss building plans before I send in an application?
When can my builder start work?
How big can I have my extension?
How near to the boundary can I build my extension?
Can you help make sure my neighbours do not leave a mess or create a noise or nuisance while they are carrying out building work?

House plans
Can you help me in a disagreement about the boundary of my home?
Can I look at plans which you might have to my house?



General
What is the difference between planning and building control services?
Planning and building control perform different functions. We ensure that building work is carried out to the correct minimum standards of public health and safety, and that the prescribed provisions for energy conservation and access for people with disabilities have been included. Disabilities that are addressed include aiding those with sight, hearing and walking difficulties. Planning services ensure that any development is designed to blend in with its surroundings.

Which type of application should I use?
If work is to be done to a domestic property, you can either use a Building Notice Application or a Full Plan Building Regulation Application.

With both types of application, if you have drawings, written specifications and structural calculations they should be submitted. There is no difference in the charge payable for either application type. A Completion Certificate will be issued after a satisfactory final inspection of the completed works.

In the case of a Building Notice application, we may not check the submitted information until work is being inspected on site. You should submit the Building Notice at least two working days before works start on site. You should ensure that our surveyor is contacted at the various stages to inspect work as it is being constructed. At the first inspection, the surveyor will discuss the details of the work with you or your builder.
 
If you send in a Full Plan Application form, you will need to supply detailed drawings and, if appropriate, calculations for us to check and approve. Our Charter requires us to check plans within 10 working days. An approved drawing can help with assessing the cost of your building work and ensure that all work is finished to a good quality standard.

What charges must I pay if I need to send in a building regulation application?
Our charges depend on the type of work you want to carry out. You can find details on the back of our application forms and on the internet.

How do I complain if I am not happy with your service?
If you are not happy with our service, you can contact building control services on tel: (020) 8825 8669. They will try to resolve any problems you might have and can send you a leaflet that explains our procedure if you want to take the complaint further.

Do you deal with maintenance and repair to council houses?
No we do not deal with repair and maintenance work. If you live in a council house or flat and you need repairs done you should contact the Housing Departments Repairlink service for your area. If however, you are intending to do building works such as structural alterations, a building regulation application is required in the same way as privately owned property.

Who do I report a dangerous building to?
If you see a dangerous structure which is privately owned, you should contact us on (020) 8825 5000.


Council notification of building work
What will happen if I don't send in an application for work which needs your approval?
If you do not send in an application for work that needs our approval, we will treat this as a contravention on our records. This will make it difficult for you to sell your house because we will inform potential buyers of the changes made that we did not approve. It might also be difficult for you to get a mortgage and your house insurance may be invalid if you need to make a claim. If the contravention is recent, we can make you keep to the building regulations. If you ignore our notices we can take the matter to court. 

Do I need to let you know if I have my roof re-tiled?
Yes, you will need to send building control an application. If you live in a conservation area or a listed building, you will also need to get planning permission.

Do I need to let you know if I want to build a conservatory or porch?
If you want to build a conservatory at ground level or a porch to your house, you will need to find out if you need planning permission first. You do not need building control approval if it has less than 30 sq metres floor area and you use safety glazing. A conservatory must have at least ¾ of its roof and half of its outside walls made of glass and must be separated from the rest of the dwelling by external wall and door construction. A conservatory at first floor level and a two-storey conservatory are controllable. An application is needed.

Note: conservatories are expected to be made controllable and therefore will require approval. You are advised to contact us to check if the Regulations have been changed.

Do I need to let you know if I want to take down a chimney breast or remove a wall (eg to make a through lounge)?
Yes. If you want to take down a chimney-breast or remove a wall, you should send us an application along with the appropriate fee charge. You do not normally need planning permission for this type of work unless you live in a conservation area or a listed building. You may also need to get your neighbour's agreement under the Party Wall Act. If you live in a flat, in addition to getting the written agreement of neighbours, including other flat owners, you will also normally need to obtain the landlord's written permission.

An information sheet on the Party Wall Act is available.

Do I need to let you know if I want to build a detached shed or garage?
If you want to build a detached shed or garage you must first find out if you need planning permission. You do not need building control approval if the building is less than a 15 sq metre floor area, or if it is under 30 sq metres and has no sleeping room provided and that it is:

Do I need to inform you if I am changing my windows ?
From 1 April 2002, replacement glazing came within the scope of Building Regulations for commercial and domestic buildings. Even if only one window is replaced it needs to be to the new standards. This does not include replacement of an existing broken pane where it is replaced by a similar pane of glass, nor does it include secondary glazing to an existing window. For vertical sash windows, replacement of one rot damaged sash is considered as a repair, and not within the scope of building regulations. However, if both sashes are removed and replaced with a new window system within the existing frame, this would be building work to which building regulations would apply.

Some installers are trained and registered under the Glass and Glazing Federations FENSA scheme. These are able to self-certify replacement glazing, and give householders a compliance certificate. If they are not registered to the FENSA scheme, you will have to let us know, and we will inspect the work, and on satisfactory completion, we will issue a completion certificate. It is important that you keep the completion or compliance certificates as they will be needed when you come to sell your property.

My gas boiler has to be replaced. Do I need to notify the council?
Replacement boilers are controlled by the Building Regulations. If the person doing the installation work is: "A person, or an employee of a person, who is a member of a class of persons approved in accordance with regulation 3 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1988[6]. Corgi, etc." then they are exempt from the requirement to submit an application to building control. You are advised to ask for proof that the installer is adequately qualified. This exemption only applies where the boiler is not part of general building work being done at the same time.


Building works
Do I need permission to convert my garage into a habitable room?
Yes, you will need to first get planning permission to convert your garage into a room and then send building control an application before you start any work.

Can I draw my own plans?
Yes, you can draw your own plans if you know about the current building regulations and you are a good draftsman. Otherwise it is advisable to get an Architect or Chartered Building Surveyor to draw them for you. Chartered Structural Engineers can produce calculations for you.

Can you recommend a builder, architect, building surveyor or structural engineer?
We cannot make recommendations because we have to be independent. The Federation of Master Builders has a Warranty Insurance scheme for renovations, extensions and home improvements. Some of their builder members are part of the Warranty Insurance Scheme. For more details telephone: 08000 965765.

Advice can also be obtained from:

Can you come to my house and discuss building plans before I send in an application?
Unfortunately, we cannot come to your house before you have sent in an application. However, if you want to discuss your building plans with one of our surveyors, you are welcome to come to Perceval House. We have a duty surveyor every day to deal with these enquiries.

When can my builder start work?
Your builder can start work 24 hours after you have sent in your application. You must tell us when you want to start and ensure that we are contacted to carry out our inspections at the various stages. If you have sent in a Full Plan Application and you want to start work before your plans are approved, you may do so at your own risk. You must still contact us to arrange all the necessary inspections. 

How big can I have my extension?
There is no building regulations restriction on the size of your extension. If the internal floor area exceeds 10 sq metres there is a higher charge to pay. Similarly if the floor area exceeds 40 sq metres and 60 sq metres there are increased charges. The additional requirement of planning permission may sometimes not apply to a small extension. Please discuss with development control in planning.

How near to the boundary can I build my extension?
You can build your extension as close to the boundary line as you want. But it is a good idea to tell your neighbours what you are going to do. This could prevent problems in the future. The Party Wall Act may apply. An information sheet on the Party Wall Act is available.

Can you help make sure my neighbours do not leave a mess or create a noise or nuisance while they are carrying out building work?
If building materials are left on the pavement or road, our highways control section can instruct the owners tidy up the mess. If however, the mess is on private property, such as a shared drive, we cannot help.

If your neighbours upset you by doing their building work at an unreasonable time, you should contact Pollution Control.

If your neighbour's builders are creating a health hazard in the way they are carrying out their work, you should contact the Health and Safety Executive.

House plans
Can you help me in a disagreement about the boundary of my home?
No, we do not have any legal power to help you, if you disagree with your neighbour about the boundary of your home. You should get advice from a solicitor if you cannot resolve the problem with your neighbour. You may even need to take matter to court.

Can I look at plans which you might have to my house?
If we have plans of your house in our records, you can come and see them at our reception on the first floor of Perceval House. If you need copies of the plans, we can provide these as long as the copyright no longer applies. We charge a fee for this service.