Building Regulations

Building Regulations and Planning Permission are two separate laws.

The Planning Act (Planning Permission) deals with permission to build & the Building Act (Building Control) with how you build it.

ADS Ltd provides comprehensive designs which will comply with the Building Regulations, indeed we guarantee it.
We know the “devil is in the detail” and it is that we ensure is correct.

We provide the design, submit the application, and see it through until you get the approval document.

Building regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings, Originally this was to ensure the safety and health of people in or about those buildings. Today they also encompass conservation of Energy as well facilities and access for the infirm and disabled.

Compliance with the building regulations is the responsibility of the person carrying out the building work and the owner of the building. How to comply with the regulations is set out in 16 Guidance documents A to Q these can be found on the Planning portal  http://www.planningportal.co.uk
( we know its nothing to do with planning but its still be best place for the up to date documents and guidance)

Most types of building work will need building regulations approval:
The erection or extension of a building, alterations, even those seeming minor like changing windows.

If when selling your property you have not had your work approved and certified, you may find the sale is stalled.

There are three ways to gain Building regulations approval
1) Full Plans submission
2) Building Notice
3) Competent registered installers certification- for limited works .

1) Fulls Plans submission means that work your design is submitted and checked by Building Control Inspectors before you start work. They have 5 weeks to either approve or reject ,they may also approve with conditions that further information must be supplied at a later date .Typically this can be depth of foundations or details of manufactured items not available at the time of submission.
This form of submission means the client has some comfort the design has been checked independently and shown to be correct and less chance of on site changes which are invariably expensive and cause delays.An added bonus is the drawings and any amendments can be costed by the builder so clients can be more confident of the builders estimates.
After the check the Inspectors visit site at regular intervals to ensure the works is as the approved drawings
ADS recommends  this form of submission and full drawings  ,we are confident our designs will comply.

2) Building Notice application. This needs to be made at least 48 hours before work commences. In this case no check is made of any drawings , indeed drawings may not be submitted. The works are checked by inspectors directly as the work progresses. This opens the client to risks that the work is non compliant and changes need to made on site. invariably unexpected and extra costs. When there are no drawings there can be conflict between the client and builder as to what is included in the work, this unfortunately only materialises after work has commenced.
ADS advises this form of submission should only be used for minor simple alterations.

3) Competent Installers
Certain limited works can gain approval directly from the contractors which are registered with a competent contractors scheme. Those registered have had and continue to have checks carried out on their work by the scheme administrators
Replacement windows
Cavity Insulation
Roofing
Electrics
Gas works
But you must ensure
1) the company is registered – normally they should supply their registration details so you can check
2) They must register the works when complete and give you a certificate- If not the work is incomplete

If you do not use a registered installer then you must make a Building regulation application .

This is just a brief outline, please call our office on 01293 782670 for further advice.