“I have recently moved into a three-bedroom house which has had a loft room constructed. Building Regulations Consent was not obtained before doing this work though we are informed that the works conform to the required standards. How do I go about applying for Building Regulations Consent in retrospect? I know that planning permission was not required.
You will need to contact your local authority Building Control office and apply for a Regularisation Certification for this ‘unauthorised building work’. This could be very disruptive as some of the covered building work may need to be exposed, e.g. to verify the size of a steel beam or the spacing and size of floor joists.”
16) What are ‘Use Classes’ and what are the rules about change of use?
You will need planning permission for certain changes to the use of a property such as changing from a residential use to a business use. However, it is possible to change use between some classes without having to make an application for planning permission.
15) What is the Party Wall Act?
“Some kinds of work carried out to a property may not be building work that is controlled by the Building Regulations but may be work covered by the rules about the Party Wall.
Put simply, the Party Wall is the dividing wall or partition between two properties which is shared by the owners or tenants of each side.
The Party Wall Act introduced a procedure for dealing with disputes between owners of neighbouring properties.
There will be some cases where both the Party Wall Act and the Building Regulations will apply to work being carried out.
You must find out whether work you intend to carry out will be affected by the Party Wall rules.”
14) What if you find an issue after the job is signed off?
“The process of plan checking and subsequent number of site inspections will never guarantee fully compliant buildings but on the whole it ensures a high proportion of building works meets the high standards we have in the UK.
The Building Regulations are not a substitute for a Clerk of Works and in any case generally concerned with the bigger picture being health and safety in and around buildings. You should have a formal contract with a reputable contractor and in the absence of your own knowledge hire a designer or architect to provide quality construction plans for your contractor to build to – doing none of this and simply choosing a contractor based on the lowest price could mean problems during and even after the building works.”
13) Invoicing
Our accountants reconcile the invoices once a month. If you want a remittance of your payment contact the office.
12) How long will the Initial Notice stay active once registered with the Local Authority?
Like the planning permission, the Initial Notice will stay active for 3 years once registered however only if works have not started. If the works have started there is no time limit for the works to then be completed. We can issue you a commencement inspection report, as evidence of a start of works within the expiration date of your planning permission.
11) What is the process for ALL BUILDING CONTROL building control?
After submitting the initial notice to the local authority ALL BUILDING CONTROL takes on the responsibility for plan checking and site inspections. Also, a Fire and a Sewer consultation will be undertaken if the job requires it. If your job is satisfactorily completed, we will issue a Final Certificate. A copy will also be issued to the Local Authority. When you come to sell your property a solicitor or estate agent enquiry will reveal the works were regulated and satisfactorily completed.
10) When can I start on site?
When you instruct ALL BUILDING CONTROL you are appointing us to act on your behalf. As part of the Building Regulations process ALL BUILDING CONTROL will notify your local authority of your intended building work and you may start work just as soon as this Initial Notice has been accepted, usually by default after 5 working days or sooner should we receive acknowledgment from the local authority before that.
9) What geographical area does ALL BUILDING CONTROL cover?
“We are licensed to cover the entire of England and Wales.
We are London based and have surveyors available throughout the country.”
8) What is the difference between Planning Permission and Building Regulations?
Planning Permission rules determine whether you can go ahead with a building project essentially based on Appearance and Use whereas the Building Regulations set technical standards for the design and construction of buildings.