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When considering what approvals you need for your building project, it's not only Planning Permission that you need to think about. For while not every project requires Planning Permission, all building work must comply with Building Regulations. This brief guide aims to provide homeowners with answers to some frequently asked questions on this topic, including:
While Planning Permission is more about how your house relates to its surroundings and the strategies of your Local Authority, Building Regulations are a set of legal minimum standards around the safety, accessibility and performance of your building, as established by The Building Regulations 2010.
Key topics covered by the regulations include structural integrity, fire safety, electrical safety, drainage, ventilation and prevention from falling. If you're doing new work that touches on any of these areas, then it will need some form of approval and you are legally required to inform the council. (Repairs are generally considered exempt projects.)
Remember too that when you come to sell your home, you will need to provide the buyers with the Completion Certificate to prove compliance .
There are three different routes to proving compliance:
1) Competent Persons Scheme
If you use a tradesman who is a member of a Competent Persons Scheme, then they can self-certify their work without the need for further approval. There are 16 such schemes, the most well known being Fensa for glazing, Gas Safe Register for plumbing, and ELECSA/NICEIC for electrics.
2) Building Notice
Suitable for small, straightforward projects.
3) Full Plans
For larger, more complex projects and all non-domestic projects, including HMOs and flats above shops.
No, you can chose to apply to your Local Authority or to use a private registered building inspector. However, if you are applying for retrospective approval (known as Regularisation), then you can only use the Local Authority.
If you are using a Building Notice, you can start work two days after filing the notice.
For Full Plans, you should wait for approval before starting to avoid costly changes. One of the duties of your inspector is to visit the site at key milestones, including when foundations are dug, so they need to be engaged from the start.
The government publishes guidance split into 17 different parts called Approved Documents and known by a corresponding letter from A to S. For example, Part P deals with electrical safety.
Following these is the best way to ensure your project meets regulations. And the best way to do that, is to employ experts, including an architect and, if undertaking structural work, a structural engineer. Your architect can produce a detailed drawing pack demonstrating compliance with all relevant regulations, including drainage, ventilation and fire safety. This might include the build-up and specification of materials to be used in new floors, walls and roofs, showing the required levels of thermal insulation and fire resistance. These detailed drawings can also be used to obtain accurate quotations from builders.
When applying to your Local Authority, their fee is the same whether it's a Building Notice or Full Plans application and depends on the size and cost of your project (Regularisation costs around 50% more). Kingston's fees range from £310 for removing a chimney breast to £1,325 for large scale work, with a medium size extension coming in at £865. Higher fees apply to new builds and conversion.
In terms of professional fees, every project is different and the number of drawings needed will be determined by its scale and complexity, so your architect will want to discuss this with you first before quoting a fee.
Local Authority approval takes up to 5 weeks, although this can be extended to 8 weeks if they request more information or revisions.
All building work must comply with Building Regulations and must be approved by either your Local Authority or a registered inspector. It's therefore important to factor the associated time and cost into your project programme and budget.
An architect will be able to provide you with the required drawings and co-ordinate the input of other specialists if needed. As an RIBA Chartered Practice, you can rest assured that Kingston Architects has the knowledge and expertise to successfully guide you through the Building Regulations approval process. Give us a call on 020 8240 2167 to discuss how we can help with your project.