Making a Building Control Application (Resident)

Suitable for work on domestic and non-domestic properties.  Some minor work to domestic properties may be covered by a building notice application.

Full plans applications are required for projects such as:

• building a new property
• changing the use of a property (e.g. converting a dwelling into an office or a shop)
• conversion of a house into flats
• an extension where the floor area of the dwelling is increased by more than 10m², or
• an extension that creates a new storey greater than 3m² in floor area and requires access by stairs, for example a roof-space conversion

This list is not exhaustive so if you have any queries whether the work you are undertaking requires a full plans application please contact a member of the Building Control team who will be happy to give you the required advice.

Along with a full plans application, you must provide duplicate copies of the full construction drawings of your proposals, a location map, an estimated cost of works and the fee for the application.  This is paid in two parts, the plan fee when you make your application and an inspection fee when the work starts.

We then assess the plans and aim to deal with your application as promptly as possible.  Your application will then either be approved, rejected or you will be asked for more information.

When you lodge the application we will assess it for compliance with the regulations and either issue an approval or notify the agent of any required amendments.  When your application shows compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations, you will receive an approval notice and a set of approved drawings.  If your plans are rejected for non-compliance with the regulations you have the right to appeal to the Department of the Environment.  This appeal must be made within 56 days of the date of the rejection notice.

Full plans application form and guidance notes:

A Building Notice application can be used for works of a minor nature to domestic dwellings without the submission of fully designed plans.

The use of a Building Notice cannot be used for:

• the erection of a new dwelling
• the change of use from an existing dwelling
• an extension of a domestic dwelling where the floor area is increased by more than 10m²
• an extension to create a new storey in a dwelling (roof space conversion) which will be accessed by a fixed stair
• commercial or industrial work

This list is not exhaustive so if you have any queries whether the work you are undertaking can be done under a building notice application please contact a member of the Building Control team who will be happy to give you the required advice

Although fully designed drawings are not necessarily always required with a Building Notice application, we may ask for information such as structural calculations or thermal performance specifications to ensure that the proposed works meet the requirements of the Building Regulations.

We will issue a completion certificate for the works following the satisfactory assessment and completion of the works on site confirming their compliance with the building regulations.

Building notice application form and guidance notes:

This is a procedure, which may enable certification of unauthorised work that was completed without the plans and notices required by Building Regulations.  Such work often comes to light during the sale of a property when the owner is asked to produce evidence of approvals.

The Council may only issue a Regularisation Completion Certificate after it has been demonstrated that the work complies with the building regulations that were applicable at the time when it was completed.

It is up to the applicant to demonstrate that the work is satisfactory, or to have remedial work carried out to make the work comply.

Please note: the fee for a regularisation certificate is 20% more than it would have been if you had applied for approval for the work before it was started.

Regularisation application form:

Online building control applications can be submitted for works such as:

• Conversion of Oil to Gas heating
• Replacement Oil boiler
• Replacement Gas boiler
• Conversion from Economy7 to Oil Heating (New System)
• Conversion from Economy7 to Gas Heating (New System)
• Installation of Wood Burning Stove
• Installation of Wood Multi Fuel Stove
• Loft Insulation
• Cavity Wall Insulation
• Replacement conservatory roof
• Installation of PV solar Panel
• Extension <10m²
• Porch <5m²

Work can start as soon as you have received approval of a valid application.  It is suggested that you get plans approved before works start to give you some protection against having to make costly alterations if your drawings submitted happen not to comply with the Building Regulations.  You must tell us when you are starting the work and request site inspections at various stages.

When all building regulation fees have been paid, the work is complete and we are satisfied with it, you will be issued a completion certificate confirming that it meets Building Regulations