Questions and answers about Building Control

What is the difference between planning permission and Building Regulations?

Building Regulations relate to the actual construction of the work. They are there to make sure, by inspection and approval, that work is safe, healthy, minimises heat loss and takes account of disabled access.

Planning permission relates to a development's impact on neighbouring properties and the surrounding area. The siting, design, size, height and bulk of a development will all be taken into account.

Applications for planning permission are assessed against national and local planning policies.

To contact Powys planning department please see Planning.

What types of projects need a Building Regulations application?

Building Regulations apply to most new buildings and certain building alterations. They can also apply when the use of a building is changed i.e. from a house to flats.  Generally, most building work needs Building Regulations approval.

Below is a list of the most common projects that need an application to be made to Building Control before work starts:

• Home extensions and conversions
• Internal structural alterations i.e. removing a load bearing wall or chimney breast, altering or making new window/door openings
• Repairing or replacing 25% or more of your roof
• Installing chimneys/flues/boilers/new drainage or waste plumbing
• Replacing windows/doors, conservatory roofs
• Carrying out electrical work i.e. shower units/consumer units
• Erecting a garden building

If you are unsure whether you need to make an application, you can visit the Planning Portal interactive house or contact us and we will be happy to help.

You may also need planning permission so make sure you check with the Bannau Brycheiniog Planning Department or Powys County Council Planning Department

What type of building work is exempt?

Some buildings and extensions are exempt from the Building Regulations and you won't need to make an application to Building Control. However, you might still need planning permission, so make sure you check first with the relevant planning departments: Bannau Brycheiniog Planning Department or Powys County Council Planning Department

The most common exempt projects are listed below.

Conservatories

A conservatory is normally exempt if it is:

• built at ground level
• less than 30m²  internal floor area
• separated from the rest of the house by external windows and doors
• at least 50% of the new walls and 75% of the roof are of glazed or of translucent material
• the fixed electrical/heating installations comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations.

However, if you need to create a new structural opening between your new exempt conservatory and your existing home you will need to make a Building Regulations application for the work needed to create the new opening.

Garages and carports

Do not normally need Building Regulations if:

• it is a new attached carport, open on at least two sides and the internal floor area is less than 30m² 
• it is a non-combustible detached garage less then 30m²  and it doesn't contain sleeping accommodation. (If it is built of combustible materials the garage must be at least 1m from the property boundary.)

Porches

Are normally exempt if they are:

• built at ground level and less than 30m² internal floor area
• separated from the rest of the house by external windows and doors
• the fixed electrical/heating installations comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations.

Sheds

Small detached buildings such as garden sheds or summerhouses do not normally need a Building Regulations application if the floor area of the building is less than 15m².

If the floor area is between 15-30m² you will not normally require Building Regulations providing that the building is either at least 1m from the boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.

To find a full list of exempt projects

Full details of all the exemptions can be found in Schedule 2 of the Building Regulations. Alternatively, if you are still unsure if your project is exempt please contact us Building Control team contacts and information

What happens after I submit my application?

Once you have submitted your application and the correct application fee, Building Control will check your plans (if relevant) and you then need to inform us when work starts, and as work progresses. This is so that we can inspect the work regularly and ensure that the Building Regulations are being met.  At the end of the project, on completion of a satisfactory final inspection, and receipt of any other relevant certificates (such as for Part P electrical work) we will issue a completion certificate. You should keep this document in a safe place as it is an important document which you will need if you sell or remortgage your property in the future.

How long does my Building Regulations approval last?

Your approval will expire if work doesn't start within three years of the 'date of deposit' of your application.  This means the date when your application and the correct application fee were accepted by us. (You will find this information on the approval or acknowledgement document you receive from us.) If you needed planning approval for your project, this will have a separate time limit.

I have carried out building work but did not tell Building Control. What can I do?

Councils have powers under the Building Act 1984 to enforce the Building Regulations and may ask for any work that is not compliant to be altered or removed. You or the builder can be prosecuted or be asked to pay for work to be fixed.

Sometimes a regularisation application can be submitted to us, but this is not a guarantee that the work will be approved, and it can be expensive and time consuming.  If unapproved work comes to light when selling a property, it can hold up the sale. 

We do not want this to happen to you so please check whether the work you intend to carry out needs approval before you start. If you think you need to make a regularisation application please see further information here Apply for Building Regulations approval or contact us Building Control team contacts and information

How can I get a copy of my completion certificate?

A completion certificate is the document you receive from us in Building Control on satisfactory completion of a final inspection of your building work (and receipt of any relevant paperwork such as competent persons certificates).  We send this document via email.

If you have mislaid the document and your project was completed within 15 years, you can contact us to request a copy : Building Control team contacts and information . There is a charge for this service.

If you did not ask us to carry out a final inspection of your building work and it was completed within 5 years you can ask us to do this now for you.  There is a charge for this service as we will need to revisit the application file and confirm whether an inspection can be carried out.  Please contact us for more information at Building Control team contacts and information .

What is the Party Wall Act?

The Party Wall Act is important if you are planning building work that will affect a shared wall between you and your neighbour. If you live in a semi-detached, flat or terraced property you are likely to share a party wall with a neighbouring building and will need agreement regarding the party wall before you start any building work.

Our Building Control team are not involved in the Party Wall Act. The Party Wall Act is different to planning permission or Building Regulations.  You can read more about the Act on the Government website or you can contact a Party Wall Surveyor by visiting the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors. 

If you are proposing to start work covered under the Party Wall Act, as the property owner, you must give adjoining owners notice of your plans.  They can then agree or disagree with your proposal and if they disagree the Act provides a route to resolve disputes.

What is a Competent Persons Scheme?

Competent Persons Schemes (CPS) were introduced by the Government to allow individuals and companies to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations without having to submit a separate application to Building Control and pay an application fee.

There are a variety of CPS covering all aspects of the Building Regulations, from replacing windows in domestic properties and installing new boilers to specialist electrical work and air pressure testing. You can find a full list of schemes on the Government website.

Within 30 days of the work being completed, an installer registered with a CPS provides evidence of the work to the owner and the local authority Building Control team via their scheme provider. This is then logged on the local authority database for future reference.

Why do I need a Part P electrician?

The Government introduced electrical safety rules (Part P rules) into the Building Regulations for England and Wales in 2005. Part P states that anyone carrying out electrical work in a home must ensure their work is designed and installed to protect people from fire and electric shocks. Part P qualified electricians are able to carry out and self-certify this type of work so that a separate Building Regulations application doesn't have to be made to Building Control.

For example, if you are adding an extension to your property or a new bathroom, the electrical work within them, such as a new electrical circuit or shower unit, will need to be carried out by a Part P certified electrician.

What type of work does Part P apply to?

• additions or alterations to existing circuits in special locations
• replacement of a consumer unit
• installation of a new circuit
• rewires

Find out more about where Part P applies on the Registered Competent Persons Electrical website