The United Kingdom Building Regulations are statutory instruments that seek to ensure that the policies set out in the relevant legislation are carried out. They are in place to ensure that buildings are safe, energy-efficient, and accessible and that they provide adequate facilities for people in and around the buildings. These regulations apply to most new buildings and many alterations of existing buildings in England and Wales, whether domestic, commercial, or industrial. This article will explore the different surveys and certification for your property.
Buildings in the United Kingdom:
Every newly constructed home needs to adhere to the existing statutory building regulations. These regulations, as mentioned above ensure the safety and well-being of individuals in and around the buildings and they address the concerns that relate to energy conservation and accessibility of these buildings.
As the owner of a building, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with building regulations, as non-compliance could result in you receiving an enforcement notice.
Building regulations consist of a set of legally mandated minimum standards that apply to all newly constructed homes. These standards are objective and characterized by highly quantifiable criteria.
Building control:
The responsibility to oversee these regulations has been decentralized to national governments throughout the United Kingdom. Compliance with Building Regulations is enforced through the building control system. In England and Wales, you have the option to select from various Building Control Bodies, which can be either the Local Authority or private sector-approved inspectors, who will carry out inspection work. If you opt for the latter, you must then notify the local authority of your intentions, and then the approved inspector assumes responsibility for plan verification and on-site inspections. In Scotland and Northern Ireland engaging with your local authority is the only option available.
For certain specific types of work, compliance can be attained through the Competent Persons scheme. Therefore with this option, tradespeople can self-certify their work eliminating the need for on-site checks by the local authority or an approved inspector, examples include installations by FENSA-vetted window fitters and Gas Safe-registered heating engineers.
The Building Act:
Building regulations in the United Kingdom, particularly in England set standards for the construction and refurbishment of buildings. They are derived from the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2010 and they ensure minimum standards for design, construction, and performance of new buildings. Building control bodies which can either be, as mentioned, the local authority control or privately approved inspectors, need to ensure that they approve the new buildings to ensure that they meet these standards.
These regulations are performance-based, they define outcomes that must be met but however, do not dictate how these outcomes need to be achieved.
For example; a building must meet specific energy efficiency requirements, but it does not have to be fitted with a particular type of insulation or heating system, therefore allowing flexibility in achieving the set objectives.
Building regulations are applied to existing buildings only when they undergo specific changes, such as refurbishment. Anyone who is carrying out work that is controlled under these building regulations needs to secure the necessary approval from a building control body.
The approval process:
The approval process consists of 3 stages:
- Notification to the local authority before starting,
- Regulatory inspections during construction, and
- Issuance of a completion or final certificate after the work (if found to be satisfactory).
The impact of the Building regulations and requirements:
The new Act has strengthened local authorities’ enforcement powers to deal with violations of the building regulations. They can issue stop or compliance notices and time limits for existing enforcement powers will be either extended or removed.
The application process:
Before commencing any work, detailed drawings need to be submitted to Building Control for approval. These drawings help to assist tradespeople in providing accurate quotes and help to prevent disputes later on.
Site Inspections:
Your project will continuously have inspections at predetermined stages, either by local authority or your appointed approved inspector, these stages include:
- Commencement
- Foundations
- Damp proof course
- Oversite
- Surface drainage
- Structural members
- Completion.
Upon the project’s completion and successful inspection, you will receive a completion certificate. This is of great importance. This certificate will help you one day when you decide to sell your house.
