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You must check if you need approval before you construct or change buildings in certain ways.

You do not need to get approval yourself if you use someone registered with a competent person scheme.

Building regulations approval is different from planning permission. You might need both.

Work covered by building regulations

The cover the construction and extension of buildings.

You might also need building regulations approval for many alteration projects, including if you plan to:

• replace fuse boxes and connected electrics
• install a bathroom that will involve plumbing
• change electrics near a bath or shower
• put in a fixed air-conditioning system
• replace windows and doors
• replace roof coverings on pitched and flat roofs
• install or replace a heating system
• add extra radiators to a heating system

You could need approval, or to follow special rules, for works not listed here - so always .

Check with a building control body if you cannot decide if you need approval.

Penalties and problems

Your local authority could make you pay for faulty work to be fixed.

Without approval you will not have the certificates of compliance you may need when you want to sell your home.

You do not need to apply for approval yourself if the work is not covered by building regulations, or if it鈥檚 carried out by someone who鈥檚 registered with a competent person scheme.

Work that does not need approval

You do not need building regulations approval for some , including:

• most repairs, replacements and maintenance work (except heating systems, oil tanks, fuse boxes and glazing units)
• new power and lighting points, or changes to existing circuits (except around baths and showers)
• like-for-like replacements of baths, toilets, basins and sinks

Find out more about common projects and .

Check with a building control body if you鈥檙e still not sure what to do.

Hire a 鈥榗ompetent person鈥�

If your project needs approval but you鈥檇 rather not apply yourself, you can hire a tradesperson registered with a competent person scheme instead.

Competent person schemes are a way for tradespeople to prove their ability to carry out certain work to required standards, instead of you applying for building regulations approval.

Benefits of a registered tradesperson

An installer (for example of windows or boilers) who鈥檚 registered with a scheme can self-certify that their work complies with buildings standards and can deal with building control issues, like objections.

If needed, they鈥檒l tell your local authority about work on your behalf. They鈥檒l also give you a certificate within 8 weeks of completion which can be used as evidence of compliance - it will also show up in solicitors鈥� searches if you come to sell your home.

Competent person schemes have insurance-backed warranties and complaints procedures if there鈥檚 a problem with the work.

Find a 鈥榗ompetent person鈥�

Search the to find a tradesperson, or check that they belong to a scheme.

Search the if you鈥檙e looking for an electrician to work on your home.

Contact a 鈥榖uilding control body鈥� (BCB) to check the building regulations or apply for approval.

Where to apply

There are 2 types of BCB. It鈥檚 up to you which you use.

Local authority BCBs

You can .

Private BCBs

You can .

They鈥檒l tell your local authority about the work. This is called giving an 鈥榠nitial notice鈥�.

Choose a type of application

You must decide on the type of application for your planned build, extension or alteration work.

Full plans

This is the most thorough option. You can expect a decision within 5 weeks, or 2 months with your consent.

You鈥檒l get a completion certificate within 8 weeks of completion of the building work as long as it complies.

Building notice

This type of application is only for smaller projects. You can start work 2 days after your notice has been submitted to your BCB. You do not get formal approval like you do with full plans.

Regularisation

You can apply for 鈥榬egularisation鈥� - retrospective approval for work already carried out without consent - from a local authority BCB only.

You might need to make alterations before your BCB can agree the work complies and give you a regularisation certificate.

Fees and costs

Local authority BCBs base their fees on the costs of their work, like site inspections.

What you鈥檒l pay depends on the:

• type of work involved
• number of dwellings in the building
• total floor area, for example in the case of extensions

Private BCBs negotiate their fees directly with you.

You can appeal if you think your project should not have to comply with building regulations.

Ask for a 鈥榙etermination鈥� if you鈥檙e refused building regulations approval and you think the building control body (BCB) decision is unfair.

If you think you should not have to comply

Ask your local authority to ignore or relax one or more of the building regulations if you think your project shouldn鈥檛 have to comply with them.

If the local authority still says you have to comply, you can appeal to government. You have a month to make the appeal.

Find out about .

If the BCB refuses building regulations approval

You can ask for a 鈥榙etermination鈥� - a decision by government - if a BCB says your plans do not comply but you believe they do. Find out about .

How to appeal or get a determination

You鈥檒l need to read the guidance and fill in a form.

You鈥檒l have to pay a fee when you ask for a determination unless your building work is for disabled people. You don鈥檛 have to pay a fee to appeal.