Helping to Build a Better Bexley:
A Householder's Guide to Building Control
Now that you have decided to go ahead with the building works
you have been planning, we feel that it may be appropriate
to introduce ourselves to you and outline the involvement
that Building Control will have in the building programme.
Building Regulations apply to many types of building work and are
there to safeguard health and safety. They cover a range
of matters including:
- Structure
- Fire safety
- Site preparation
- Resistance to moisture
- Toxic substances
- Resistance to the passage of sound
- Ventilation and condensation
- Hygiene
- Drainage and waste disposal
- Heat producing appliances
- Protection from falling, collision and impact
- Conservation of fuel and power
- Access and facilities for disabled people
- Glazing safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning
Building Regulation consent, if needed, can be obtained either
by submitting plans or a building notice. Either way inspections
will be made of the work in progress. Whether or not you
employ a builder to do the work it is essential that someone
liaises with Building Control to inform us that work has
commenced on site. Depending upon the nature of the work
we will also need to be notified when your project reaches
certain other stages of construction.
These being, excavation of foundations, covering the foundations,
DPC, oversite, the laying of drains, the covering of drains,
if you occupy the site before it is completed and when
the building work is complete. There may also be other
items that the Building Control surveyor may wish to see.
If this is the case we will let you know during the construction
stage.
If you have decided to ask your builder to liaise with us
then it may be that you will not have any contact with
our Building Control staff, but you can rest assured that
we will be calling both when requested and unannounced,
to inspect the work and ensure that the Building Regulations
are being complied with.
Please do not hesitate to contact your Building Control surveyor
if you have any concerns with the work particularly before
final payment is made to your builder.
When the work has been completed to a satisfactory standard
Building Control will issue a 'completion certificate'
informing you that the work meets the requirements of
the Building Regulations.
The completion certificate should be kept with the approval
and it is suggested attached to the deeds of the property.
This generally is how Building Control is involved in the works
you are carrying out. There are many other matters that
you will have to consider and the purpose of this guide
is to highlight some of them.
What if I have works in my house, which do not have Building
Regulation permission?
If works have been carried out to your house since 11 November
1985, then an application for a Regularisation Certificate
can be made to Building Control. Common works without
permission are:
- Chimney breast removal or
- Removal of load bearing walls.
It is always worth checking for this when buying a house.
When submitting a regularisation application you need to:
- Complete the regularisation application form.
- Provide a plan of the works that have been done and how the
layout was before the works.
- Provide additional plans or details showing how you will bring
the works up to the Building Regulation standards in
force at the time – if required.
- Submit the required fee (120% of the current plan charge).
Once your application is received you can contact the officer
dealing with your property who will inform you of what
may need to be exposed or checked.
Once the works are deemed acceptable then a Regularisation
Certificate can be issued.
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