Building control inspections
Inspections - when do I need to notify the Building
Control Officer?
The Building Regulations require you to notify us at
certain stages of the building work. This notification gives
the Building Control Officer the opportunity to inspect the work at
different stages before you continue building. The amount of
inspections will depend on the type of work and one of our
Building Control Officers will tell you or your builder what else
requires inspection when we visit.
Please note the inspection fee is triggered upon
first inspection.
Each application is now allocated a period of time for
inspections based upon the fee paid. If the time spent
on site exceeds the time allocated then additional charges may
be made. This reinforces the need for competent contractors and the
work being ready for inspection when the visit is
booked, which should alleviate the need for extra charges.
Please be aware the inspections we carry out are to
ensure compliance with the Building Regulations. This should
not be confused with a full supervision service, which would
normally be carried out by your own Architect or
Surveyor.
Booking an inspection
Please note if you require an inspection for the
following day notification must be before 3pm the preceding
day.
To arrange an inspection call 01706 924327 or 01706
924325
Typical inspections are as follows:
Commencement of work
You must notify Building Control 48 hours before you start
work. This is particularly important for Building Notice
Applications where no plans have been submitted for
approval.
Foundation excavation
This visit allows us to inspect the ground conditions to ensure
that it is good enough to support the building or extension.
This must take place before concrete is poured.
On large building projects it is normal practice for the
developer to undertake a site investigation whereby a trial
excavation of some type is undertaken so that the type of
foundation necessary can be designed and the cost estimated.
For domestic extensions and alterations many builders assume a
traditional foundation will be applicable and quote accordingly to
the house owner. If the subsequent excavation inspection
reveals that a deeper or special foundation is needed you may find
the cost of your building project exceeds your budget. It is
therefore important to discuss this with your builder. Ask
him to conduct a trial excavation before work commences. If a
special foundation is needed you can discuss what is required and
assess the cost before you commit to the work commencing.
Oversite concrete and damp proof course
For new buildings and extensions you must notify Building
Control when your building work reaches damp proof course
level. This is normally when the brickwork is just above
ground level and before any ground floor concrete is laid. This
enables us to check that the insulation, damp proof membrane and
reinforcement is correct.
Drains
Any new drainage and drainage connections must be inspected
before they are covered over. It is
important to agree with the Building Control Officer that any
connection to an existing drain will be permitted prior to making
the connection. A test of the drains may be required at
completion stage.
Pre-plaster
This allows for inspection of hidden work before it is covered
up. It is very important inspection to check items such
as structural beams & timbers, insulation and
possible electrical work.
Completion and occupation
You must notify Building Control as soon as the work is
completed, or in the case of new buildings or extensions when they
are occupied, whichever comes first. If
everything appears satisfactory a completion
certificate will be issued.
Approval of works already carried out (Regularisation)
In some cases, where work has been carried out without approval,
providing this occurred on or after the 11 November 1985, it may be
possible to apply for retrospective approval known as
Regularisation.
A Regularisation Certificate enables home owners and others to
submit an application to regularise the position where building
work has been carried out without building regulation approval.
An owner is under no obligation to make an application for a
Regularisation Certificate and the local authority is under no
obligation to accept it or to issue one if the work cannot be
determined as complying with the Building Regulations.
A Regularisation Application involves a higher than normal fee
to be paid to us and one of our Building Control Officers will
survey the work. This often involves you opening up or
removing part of the work for inspection or providing additional
information such as structural calculations. This can be
expensive and the Building Control officer will not approve work
unless he can inspect sufficient parts of the work to be sure
it complies with the regulations
Inspecting the work
Typical examples of requests include:
- Exposure and/or testing of drains
- Exposure of foundations and/or other elements of structure
(steel beams, floor joists)
- Calculations or other details to prove that structural work is
satisfactory
- Other details of specifications that are considered
appropriate
Please note if you choose not to alter work required to permit
the issue of a Regularisation Certificate, the fee paid is not
refundable.