When you need approval

You must check if you need approval before you construct or change buildings in certain ways.

You do not need to get approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme.

Find out about the rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Building regulations approval is different from planning permission. You might need both.

Work covered by building regulations

The Building Regulations 2010 cover the construction and extension of buildings.

You might also need building regulations approval for many alteration projects, including if you plan to:

• replace fuse boxes and connected electrics
• install a bathroom that will involve plumbing
• change electrics near a bath or shower
• put in a fixed air-conditioning system
• replace windows and doors
• replace roof coverings on pitched and flat roofs
• install or replace a heating system
• add extra radiators to a heating system

You could need approval, or to follow special rules, for works not listed here - so always research your particular project.

Check with a building control body if you cannot decide if you need approval.

You do not need advance approval for emergency repairs to your boiler or heating system, but there are rules you must follow.

Penalties and problems

The person doing the work could be prosecuted and fined if they do not comply with building regulations.

Your local authority could make you pay for faulty work to be fixed.

Without approval you will not have the certificates of compliance you may need when you want to sell your home.

When you do not need approval

You do not need to apply for approval yourself if the work is not covered by building regulations, or if it’s carried out by someone who’s registered with a competent person scheme.

Work that does not need approval

You do not need building regulations approval for some exempt projects, including:

• most repairs, replacements and maintenance work (except heating systems, oil tanks, fuse boxes and glazing units)
• new power and lighting points, or changes to existing circuits (except around baths and showers)
• like-for-like replacements of baths, toilets, basins and sinks

Find out more about common projects and check when you do and do not need approval.

Check with a building control body if you’re still not sure what to do.

Hire a competent team

If your project needs approval but you’d rather not apply yourself, Dependon Limited have years of experience helping our clients with filing the correct paperwork, and working with Architects and planners to make sure your project runs smoothly.