Pre-site approval

What is a building notice?

You can apply for building regulations approval from your local authority building control service by giving a building notice.

Plans are not required with this process so it’s quicker and less detailed than the full plans application. It is designed to enable some types of building work to get under way quickly; although it is perhaps best suited to small work.

If you decide to use this procedure you need to be confident that the work will comply with the building regulations, or you will risk having to correct any work you carry out if your local authority requests this. In this respect you do not have the protection provided by the approval of 'full plans'.

When is a building notice required?

A building notice is often used for smaller projects where the building regulations are less complex. For example, building notices are often used for alterations or extensions on a home.

Information required

A building notice requires less detail than ‘full plans’, in most cases not requiring detailed drawings.

Timeline

You can begin work as soon as your building notice is accepted by the authority. You can begin work 2 days after the notice has been submitted.

Fee

The fee for submitting a building notice will vary depending on the authority and size of the development. The charge is normally paid at the same time as the submission of the notice.

What happens next

Once you have given your 'building notice' and informed your local authority that you are about to start work, the work will be inspected as it progresses. You will be advised by the authority if the work does not comply with the building regulations. If before the start of work, or while work is in progress, your local authority requires further information such as structural design calculations or plans, you must supply the details requested.

A 'building notice' is valid for three years from the date the notice was given to the local authority, after which it will automatically lapse if the building work has not commenced.

On satisfactory completion of works a local authority will automatically issue a completion certificate.

Legislation

To find out more about building notices, read Section 13 of The Building Regulations 2010 (as amended)¹ for further details.

1. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/regulation/13