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Last edited 17 Dec 2024

Building regulations

1 What are the building regulations for?
2 What do the building regulations include?
3 What is the procedure for obtaining building regulations approval?
- 3.1 Full plans or building notice
4 Building standards in Scotland
5 Building regulations in Wales
6 Building regulations in Northern Ireland
7 Reform
8 Related articles on Designing Buildings
9 External references

[edit] What are the building regulations for?

The first set of national building standards was introduced in 1965. Now known as the Building Regulations, they set out:

What qualifies as ‘building work’ and so falls under the control of the regulations.
What types of buildings are exempt (such as temporary buildings).
The notification procedures that must be followed when starting, carrying out, and completing building work.
Requirements for specific aspects of building design and construction.

For more information see: The history of building regulations and control.

In December 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister asked the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to undertake a fundamental review of how building regulations guidance is produced, updated, and communicated to the construction industry. The announcement came during Angela Rayner's opening speech at the House of Commons debate on the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report. which was published 4 September 2024. For further information see the article Fundamental Review of Building Regulations Guidance and the Building Safety wiki.

[edit] What do the building regulations include?

In England, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is responsible for the Building Regulations 2010 and The Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010. The regulations apply to most new buildings and many alterations to existing buildings. They have become more onerous and new parts have been introduced over time.

A series of approved documents provide general guidance about how specific aspects of building design and construction can comply with the Building Regulations.

The requirements of the Building Regulations are set out in Schedule 1:

[edit] Part A: Structure

Part A: Structure, requires that buildings are designed, constructed or altered so as to be structurally safe and robust, and so as not to impair the structural stability of other buildings. Along with approved document A, it stipulates design standards for all buildings and gives simple design rules for most masonry and timber elements for traditional domestic buildings. It includes diagrams of structures such as roof frames and brick walls, and tables of material strengths.

For more information see: Approved document A.

[edit] Part B: Fire safety

Part B: Fire safety, covers all precautionary measures necessary to provide safety from fires for building occupants, persons in the vicinity of buildings, and firefighters. Requirements cover means of escape, fire detection and warning systems, the fire resistance of structural elements, fire separation, protection, compartmentation and isolation to prevent fire spread, control of flammable materials, and access and facilities for firefighting.

See Approved document B for more information.

[edit] Part C: Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture

Part C: Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture, regulates the weather-tightness and water-tightness of buildings, subsoil drainage, site preparation, and measures to deal with contaminated land, radon, methane, and all other site related hazardous and dangerous substances.

See Approved document C for more information.

[edit] Part D: Toxic substances

Part D: Toxic substances, controls hazards from the toxic chemicals used in insulation relating to the use of urea formaldehyde (UF) foam.

See Approved document D for more information.

[edit] Part E: Resistance to the passage of sound

Part E: Resistance to the passage of sound, deals with requirements for sound insulation between buildings, including both new dwellings and the conversion of buildings to form dwellings. It covers sound reduction between rooms for residential purposes and designated rooms in dwellings, and acoustic conditions for common areas in flats and schools.

See Approved document E for more information.

[edit] Part F: Ventilation

Part F: Ventilation, includes standards for ventilation and air quality for all buildings. It also covers requirements for the prevention of condensation.

See Approved document F for more information.

[edit] Part G: Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency

Part G: Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency, lays down standards for the provision of sanitary and washing facilities, bathrooms and hot water provision. It also covers safety requirements for unvented hot water systems.

See Approved Document G for more information.

[edit] Part H: Drainage and waste disposal

Part H: Drainage and waste disposal, requires that adequate drainage is provided, and also deals with pollution prevention, sewage infrastructure and maintenance. Technical design standards cover sanitary pipework, foul drainage, rainwater drainage and disposal, wastewater treatment, discharges and cesspools.

See Approved Document H for more information.

[edit] Part J: Heat producing appliances and Fuel storage system

Part J: Heat producing appliances and Fuel storage system, covers the construction, installation and use of boilers, chimneys, flues, hearths and fuel storage installations. Also requirements for the control of fire sources and the prevention of burning, pollution, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc.

See Approved Document J for more information.

[edit] Part K: Protection from falling, collision and impact

Part K: Protection from falling, collision and impact, sets standards for the safety of stairways, ramps and ladders, together with requirements for balustrades, windows, and vehicle barriers to prevent falling. Also included are requirements for guarding against and warning of, hazards from the use and positioning of doors and windows.

See Approved Document J for more information.

[edit] Part L: Conservation of fuel and power

Part L: Conservation of fuel and power, controls the insulation values of buildings elements, the allowable area of windows, doors and other openings, the air permeability of the structure, the heating efficiency of boilers, hot water storage and lighting. It also controls mechanical ventilation and air conditioning systems, space heating controls, airtightness testing of larger buildings, solar emission, nad the certification, testing and commissioning of heating and ventilation systems, and requirements for energy meters. It also sets requirements for Carbon Index ratings.

See Approved Document L for more information.

[edit] Part M: Access to and use of buildings

Part M: Access to and use of buildings, Requires the inclusive provision of ease of access to, and circulation within, all buildings, together with requirements for facilities for people with disabilities.

See Approved Document M for more information.

[edit] Part N: Glazing - Safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning (withdrawn)

Part N and its associated Approved Document N were withdrawn from use in England on 6 April 2013, with their requirements and guidance subsumed into Part K of the Buildings Regulations and Approved Document K: Protection from falling, collision and impact.

See Approved Document N for more information.

[edit] Part O: Overheating

Part O: Overheating, relates to overheating mitigation requirements for new residential buildings. It came into effect on 15 June 2022 and applies to construction work started after 15 June 2023.

See Approved Document O for more information.

[edit] Part P: Electrical safety

Part P: Electrical safety, covers the design, installation, inspection and testing of electrical installations in order to prevent injuries from electrical shocks and burns, and to prevent injuries arising from fires due to electrical components overheating or arcing.

See Approved Document P for more information.

[edit] Part Q: Security - Dwellings

Part Q: Security - Dwellings, requires that reasonable provision is made to resist unauthorised access to any dwelling; and any part of a building from which access can be gained to a flat within the building.

See Approved Document Q for more information.

[edit] Part R: Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communication networks

Part R: Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communication networks, introduces requirements for infrastructure enabling the installation of copper or fibre-optic cables or wireless devices capable of delivering broadband speeds of more than 30 Mbps.

See Approved Document R for more information.

[edit] Part S: Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles

Part S: Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles, requires that certain buildings with associated parking must have access to electric vehicle charge points. It came into effect on 15 June 2022, and applies to construction work started after 15 June 2023.

See Approved Document S for more information.

[edit] Regulation 7: Materials and workmanship

Regulation 7: Materials and workmanship, creates a requirement for carrying out building work using the proper materials and in a workmanlike manner.

See Approved document 7 for more information,

[edit] What is the procedure for obtaining building regulations approval?

Building Regulations approvals can be sought either from the building control department of the local authority or from an approved inspector. In either case, a fee will be payable, relative to the type of building and the construction cost. Fee schedules can be obtained from the building control department of the local authority. It is now also possible for competent persons to self-certify that their work complies with the building regulations without submitting a building notice or incurring local authority fees.

[edit] Full plans or building notice

Generally on larger, new-build projects, a 'full plans' application will be made, meaning that full details of the proposed building works are submitted for approval before the works are carried out.

For more information, see Full plans.

On small projects, or when changes are made to an existing building, approval may be sought by giving a 'building notice'. In this case, a building inspector will approve the works as they are carried out by a process of inspection. This does leave the client at risk that the completed works might not be approved, resulting in remedial costs.

For more information, see Building regulations inspection.

Full plans approvals are also subject to inspection during the course of the works at stages decided by the local authority (typically during the construction of foundations, damp proof courses and drains and perhaps other key stages).

In the event of disagreement about an approval, a ‘determination’ can be sought (before the works start) from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government or from Welsh Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government. It is also possible to seek relaxation or dispensation of the regulations from the building control department of the local authority under certain circumstances.

It is important to ensure that a completion certificate is sought from the approving body as evidence that the works comply with the regulations. NB: Under changes to the building regulations made in December 2012, Local Authorities must give completion certificates, they do not need to be requested.

A full plans approval notice is valid for three years from the date of deposit of the plans. This can be very important given the speed at which the regulations change, meaning that a building which has been approved, but not built may require re-design and further approval if construction is delayed and the regulations change.

Failure to comply with the Building Regulations can result in a fine and/or an enforcement notice requiring rectification of the works. There is also a regularisation process for getting approval for works that have been carried out without approval.

For more information see: Failure to comply with the building regulations.

NB: Where demolition work is proposed, the owner must give the local authority building control department six weeks notice under Section 80 of the Building Act.

It is possible to appeal against building regulations decisions if:

The applicant considers the project should not have to comply with building regulations.
The project is refused building regulations approval and the applicant believes the decision is unfair.

For more information see: Building regulations appeal.

[edit] Building standards in Scotland

In Scotland, Scottish Ministers are responsible for the Building Regulations (Building Standards) and associated guidance (Ref. The Scottish Government: Building Standards). The local authorities administer the Building Standards system and are responsible for granting permissions (Building Warrants) and Completion Certificates.

For more information see: Building warrant (Scotland).

[edit] Building regulations in Wales

In Wales, Building Regulations that previously applied to England and Wales continue to apply, but from 1 January 2012, any revisions to the English regulations apply to England only. New regulations and guidance are the responsibility of the Welsh government. Approvals are granted by the local authorities.

See Welsh building regulations for more information.

[edit] Building regulations in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 are made by the Department of Finance and Personnel. They are administered by the District Councils.

For more information see: Northern Ireland building regulations.

[edit] Reform

On 14 July 2017, following the Grenfell Tower Fire, the BBC reported that a full review of the building regulations would be undertaken. (Ref. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40602991)

On 19 July 2017, the Local Goverment Association (LGA) called for the review to be “urgent and immediate”. Lord Porter, LGA Chairman, said; "We cannot wait for the result of the public inquiry or coroner’s report before this review is started. We have to act based on what we know now". (Ref. https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/lga-calls-urgent-and-immediate-building-regulation-review)

On 28 July 2017, Communities Secretary The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP announced an independent review of the building regulations and fire safety. See Independent review of the building regulations and fire safety for more information.

In April 2020, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government published the Final report of the expert group on structure of guidance to the building regulations. The report considered the structure of the current guidance that supports the building regulations and identified 8 high level recommendations for reform.

In December 2021, Approved Document L was revised to help UK deliver net zero and to require that new homes produce around 30% less CO2. In addition, a new Approved Document O was published setting new requirements to control overheating. Ref https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-homes-to-produce-nearly-a-third-less-carbon