Building regs guide · England & Wales
Building control is the sign-off that your finished work meets the Building Regulations. It is separate from planning permission, and almost every structural project needs it. Here is how it works in England and Wales, the two routes available, and how we handle it for you.
Building control checks that the way your project is built meets the Building Regulations — structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage and more. It runs through plan checks and site inspections at key stages, ending in a completion certificate.
You need it for almost all building work beyond minor repairs: extensions, loft and garage conversions, removing load-bearing walls, new openings, drainage and new builds. That completion certificate matters — buyers and their solicitors routinely ask for it when you come to sell.
For a normal home project you can use either route — the standards are identical. The difference is who carries out the checks.
We are an online architectural design service — the practical alternative to a traditional high-street architect. We prepare and submit your building control application, schedule the inspections at the right stages, and chase the completion certificate so you are not left without paperwork.
Building control is the process that checks your work meets the Building Regulations — the technical standards for structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage and ventilation. It involves plan checks and site inspections, ending in a completion certificate.
No. Planning permission decides whether you can build and how it looks; building control checks how it is built. Many projects need both, and they are applied for separately.
A full plans application has building control check your drawings before work starts. A building notice lets simpler work begin with less paperwork but no pre-approved plans. For extensions we usually recommend full plans.
It is the document building control issues once your work passes its final inspection, confirming it meets the Building Regulations. Buyers and their solicitors routinely ask for it when you sell, so it is important to obtain one.
Either is fine for a normal home project; the standards are identical. Local authority building control is available everywhere, while a registered building control approver is a private alternative often chosen for speed. We will recommend the best fit and handle the submission.
You can usually apply for regularisation, where building control assesses existing work after the fact. It can mean opening up parts of the build to inspect them. We can advise on the best route for your situation.
No call required, no card required — just a tight, fixed-price range tailored to your project, with the drawings and calculations you need confirmed up front.
This guide is general information, not formal advice; building regulations and building control procedures change and depend on your specific project, property and local authority. We confirm the current position for your project as part of every job.