According to the law, anyone looking to alter an existing building or construct a new one must strictly adhere to the relevant building regulations. But what are building regulations, and what is their purpose?

Building regulations are the requirements for the design, modification, and construction requirements for buildings as stipulated by the law. These requirements cover aspects ranging from fire safety precautions to the standard of any building materials that are used.

Hence, you must closely follow all building regulations whenever you are building a new home or improving your current one.

To ensure you can do this properly, you ought to know when to alert building control about improving your home to stay on the right side of the law.

COMPARING PLANNING PERMISSIONS WITH BUILDING REGULATIONS

There is a huge probability that you will need a combination of building regulation and planning permission approval if you intend to construct a new home. However, you should know that they are not the same.

While building regulations ensure compliance in both materials and safety measures of buildings, planning permission ensures that the nature of the building fits perfectly with that of the site or neighbourhood.

WHEN YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY BUILDING CONTROL ABOUT MAKING ALTERATIONS TO YOUR HOME

Here are a few instances where you need to inform building control about making alterations or improvements to your home:

• Making Significant Electrical Adjustments: you are obligated to notify building control whenever you intend to replace your fuse boxes and connected electrics. Also, you are to inform them whenever you change the electrics close to your shower or bath. Furthermore, you are obligated to contact the building control department or a private building control organisation such as https://www.humphreysandsons.co.uk/ whenever you have to change or add new circuits.
• Making Ventilation/Glazing Adjustments: you should contact building control whenever you intend to replace your windows or doors. Also, when you wish to install a fixed AC system.
• Making Roofing Adjustments: Notifying building control is necessary if you intend to change flat and pitched roof coverings.
• Making Heating Adjustments: you should notify building control whenever you intend to make certain heating adjustments such as installing or changing the heating system in your home. Following this procedure is also mandatory if you have to change the radiators of your heating system.
• Making Significant Plumbing Adjustments: you are to notify building control whenever changing your bathroom will require changing the existing plumbing.
• Making General Building Adjustments: underpinning the foundation of your home, working on new extensions, or inserting insulation in your cavity walls will all require the approval of building control. Also, you need to contact building control when making home improvements that will affect its energy status, thermal elements, or energy performance.

Other home improvements that are not listed above may not require building control approval.

The law considers every construction and extension to a building notifiable. This implies that you are compelled by the law to notify the building control department in your vicinity whenever you are extending an existing building or constructing a new one. This ensures that the property is inspected and certified to be safe for inhibiting.