Apply for building regulation consent

Getting building regulation consent will make sure your building is structurally safe and your building project meets energy and accessibility standards.

You have to tell us about your building work, it is illegal if you don't and you could end up with a fine and having to pull down or correct the work you have done.

Your application for consent will either be a:

full plans
building notice or
if you have completed your building work without getting consent, you must apply for regularisation immediately.

Building regulation consent for before you start work:

a full plans application or a
building notice application

the application you choose will depend on how confident you are your building work meets building regulations. Guidance on submitting applications is available on our guidance notes for building control applications (PDF 50KB) and on the planning portal

Please note: Any cancellation or withdrawn applications will incur a charge.

Full plans application

This is a detailed application where an architect draws up plans and provides full construction information for the work. We check the plans and supporting details to make sure they meet with the building regulations.

A decision is made within 5 or 8 weeks. If there are any issues with the plans or details you have submitted we will contact your architect for amended plans and we will re check the application.

For a full plans application you will need to submit

electronic copies of plans at metric scale of: floor plans, elevations and sections. This should also include technical notes, calculations and specifications
a 1:1250 scale block plan showing the size and position of the building, or the building as extended in relation to adjoining boundaries, buildings and adjacent streets
the correct fee

Building notice application

This application is not so detailed, but your plans must show us the size and position of your building project. This application is best for small sized building work. We won’t check your plans, so make sure you or your builders are aware of the Building Regulation requirements.

For a building notice application you will need to submit

complete the building notice form
a 1:1250 scale block plan showing the size and position of the building, or the building as extended in relation to adjoining boundaries, buildings and adjacent streets
plans showing the size and position of the extension and a location plan for the property
for loft conversions you will need to submit structural calculations
pay the correct fee
in line with the Building Regulations, sometimes a written estimate based on a commercial builder's costs (excluding VAT) needs to be submitted. If you are unsure please contact us.

Building regulation consent for completed work (regularisation)

You must apply to us for a ‘regularisation’ if you have completed building work without getting building consent first. You won’t be able to apply for regularisation for work completed before November 12 1985.

We will check your application and contact you to arrange a building control officer to inspect the property. To get your regularisation certificate your work will need to meet building regulations.

The building control officer will let you know if there is any corrective work that needs to be done.

It may also be necessary to open up and expose parts of the work to prove what has been done meets building regulations.

For a regularisation application you will need to submit

complete the regularisation application form
pay the correct fee
plans showing the layout, size and position of the works that have been carried out
plans showing the layout, size and position before works were carried out
plans and/or details showing/explaining how you will bring the works up to the Building Regulation standards in force at the time if required. If the works are of a minor nature plans may not be required
for loft conversions you will need to submit structural calculations

Review your submitted applications

Your responsibilities when doing building work

Getting your builder to apply for building regulation consent

If you employ a builder to do the work for you it is your builder’s responsibility to make sure the building project has the right building consent. You should confirm this at the very beginning of your project with your builder. If you are the owner of the building, it is ultimately you who is responsible and you may be served with an enforcement notice if the work does not meet with building regulations.

Competent person scheme (self-certification)

For some minor work the builder or contractor may be able to self-certify the work, if they are registered with the Competent Person Scheme (CPS)

Party wall

If your building work is on the boundary of land belonging to 2 or more different owners you may need to get additional permissions covered in the Party Wall Act that are not covered by building regulations.

Completion certificates

The completion certificate for your building project is very important for you to have when you come to sell your property

To get a completion certificate you can request one from us. You will need to make sure:

you keep us informed and give us notice of key stages of your building project, a schedule of what is expected will be sent to you when you submit an application
make sure the work has been inspected by a building control officer and meets with building regulation consent
all fees have been paid

We are unlikely to issue a completion certificate where the building work was completed several years ago.

Contact Building Control

Building Control
Floor 5th (Front), Lynton House
255-259 High Road
Ilford
IG1 1NY

Email: buildingcontrol@redbridge.gov.uk

Phone: 020 8708 2529

Please note the Building Control general enquiry number is available from 8.30am to 10.30am Monday - Friday

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