Do I need building regulations?

Most building work will require building regulations permission. This is different to planning permission and must be applied for separately.

Different rules apply to listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas, more information on these consents can be found on the Planning portal website. 

LABC also provide information on if you require building regulations for specific projects.  

Regulated project examples

The following types of projects are regulated:

• Structural alterations to a building, such as removing a load-bearing wall
• Most extensions to a building including conservatories, porches, conversion of a loft or garage.
• Installation of heating, hot water and air conditioning systems
• Installing additional bathroom fittings
• Domestic electrical installations
• Alterations to drainage systems
• Re-roofing
• Replacing windows, doors, floors or roof lights
• New installation or replacement of a heating system or any boiler, regardless of fuel type
• Changing the energy status of a building
• Changing the use of a building, for example barn conversions

A full list of planning and building regulations

Exemptions

Building regulations do exempt some buildings from the need to make an application. The most common types of building work which are exempt include:

A detached single storey building, having a floor area which does not exceed 30 square metres, which contains no sleeping accommodation and is a building:

• No point is less than one metre from the boundary of its curtilage
• Constructed substantially of non-combustible material

A detached building designed and intended to shelter people from the effects of nuclear, chemical or conventional weapons, and not used for any other purpose, if:

• Its floor area does not exceed 30 square metres
• The excavation for the building is no closer to any exposed part of another building or structure than a distance equal to the depth of the excavation plus one metre.

A detached building, having a floor area which does not exceed 15 square metres, which contains no sleeping accommodation.

The extension of a building by the addition at ground level of:

• A conservatory, porch, covered yard or covered way; or
• A carport open on at least two sides: where the floor area of that extension does not exceed 30 square metres. Any glazing and electrical work must satisfy the requirements of approved Documentation.
• All conservatories must have thermal separation from the main dwelling, for example doors.

A full list of exemptions from building regulations can be found on the Planning Portal website.

Unauthorised building works

We can take action under the Building Act 1984 for works carried out without the submission of a Building Regulation Application where required.

If work to your property has been carried out without an application for building regulations being submitted then the work is considered to be unauthorised work.

If work is carried out to your property and it has not been inspected by Building Control, the owner of the property could find they will face difficulty when they come to selling or re-mortgaging their property.

If the unauthorised work was carried out any time since 11 November 1985 then the owner can apply for a apply for building regulation approval.

Most importantly the regularisation certificate would mean that the building work carried out complies with the Building Regulations and that the property owner would be able to sell or re-mortgage their property without any difficulty.

What is the procedure for Regularisation?

The first step will be to submit a regularisation application form to us along with the relevant fee.

Then you will need to call us to arrange an inspection of the work carried out. Depending on the type of work that was carried out you may need to expose some of the work.

Once the work has been inspected and the inspector can confirm it complies with building regulations then a regularisation certificate will be issued. 

If you have carried out work to your property which is unauthorised and you do not try and rectify the situation then a Contravention notice will be issued which will mean you will be unable to sell or re-mortgage your property or you could be taken to court and prosecuted.

If you need any further information on unauthorised works and the regularisation procedure feel free to contact us at buildingcontrol@preston.gov.uk