Building regulation - exempt work
Not all work requires Building Regulation approval, however
please be aware Planning Permission may still be required.
Buildings and work exempt from Building Regulations are:
- Porches used as entrance area less than 30 m2 floor
area separated from the remainder of the house by a standard
external door.
- Conservatories at ground floor level less than 30m2
floor area with transparent roof and over 50% of the walls glazed,
separated from the remainder of the house by external doors.
(Approval may be required for installation of new doors into the
conservatory from the house)
- Detached garages and single storey buildings less than
30m2 floor area at least 1 metre away from the boundary
or constructed from non-combustible material.
- Detached buildings that do not exceed 15 m2
floor area which contain no sleeping accommodation. (eg. a
typical garden shed)
- Car ports open on two sides less than 30m2 floor
area.
- Garden walls and fences
- Replacement windows in a house installed by a FENSA, BSI or
CERTASS registered installer.
Other detached buildings and work, being
- Controlled under other legislation, such as Explosive or
Nuclear or Archaeological Acts.
- Places that people go infrequently to maintain equipment,
providing that they are isolated.
- Agricultural buildings, providing they are not close to
sleeping accommodation and have sufficient fire exits.
- Temporary for less that 28 days.
- Site cabins for construction sites providing they do not
provide sleeping accommodation.
- Used for mines or quarries, providing they are not offices,
dwellings or showrooms.
- Certain minor electrical work. - please see the page electrical
safety for further information.
Even though the construction of these buildings does not
require approval, certain work undertaken to them may require
approval such as electrical or drainage work.