Do I need building regulations approval? Job-by-job answers

Quick answers by job

The pattern: if the job touches the structure, fire safety, drainage, electrics or the energy performance of the building, expect building regulations to apply. Purely cosmetic work — decorating, flooring, replacing kitchen units in the same layout — does not.[1]

Jobs that usually need approval

• Extensions, loft and garage conversions. These create or change habitable space, so structure, fire escape, insulation and ventilation are all checked (loft specifics in building control for a loft conversion). Apply before work starts — see building control explained: building notice vs full plans for the two application routes.
• Structural alterations. Removing or cutting into a load-bearing wall, chimney breast removal, new openings for bifold doors — all need structural calculations and inspection.
• New drainage or moving a bathroom. New soil pipes, connections to sewers and relocated bathrooms are notifiable.
• Converting a non-habitable space. Garages, cellars and lofts becoming living space trigger the full set of habitable-room standards.

Jobs that usually do not

• Like-for-like kitchen refits. New units and worktops in the same layout, with no changes to drainage, electrics or ventilation.
• Decorating, plastering and flooring. Surface finishes are not regulated (though removing a chimney breast during the work would be).
• Small detached garden buildings. Under 15 m² with no sleeping accommodation they are generally exempt; between 15 and 30 m² they stay exempt if they meet fire-separation distances and contain no sleeping space.[3]
• Repairs and maintenance. Repointing, replacing a few roof tiles or mending gutters — as long as you are not changing the structure or covering more than a quarter of the roof with a different material.

"Usually" matters: listed buildings, flats and maisonettes, and homes in conservation areas can change the answer, and permitted development rights for flats are far more limited than for houses.

The competent person shortcut

For several common jobs you do not need to involve building control at all — as long as the installer is registered with a government-approved competent person scheme. They self-certify the work and you receive a certificate within about 30 days, which you keep with your house papers.[2]

• Windows and doors: FENSA or Certass registered installers.
• Gas and oil boilers: Gas Safe or OFTEC registered engineers.
• Electrical work: electricians registered with a Part P scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT.
• Insulation, solid fuel and some plumbing: schemes exist for these too — ask any installer which scheme they belong to before you book.

If your installer is not registered, the same work needs a building control application and inspection — which costs you time and money. Always ask for the scheme certificate when the job finishes; solicitors will want it when you sell.

If you are not sure

1. Ask before work starts. A quick call to your council's building control team or a private approver settles most questions in minutes — far cheaper than regularising afterwards.
2. Get it in writing from your builder. Put who applies, who books inspections and who provides certificates into the contract.
3. Keep every certificate. Completion certificates, FENSA certificates, electrical certificates — they all matter at sale time. Read completion certificates: what they are and how to get one for what to do if paperwork is missing.

Your next steps

Knowing which approvals your project needs is the first step in planning it properly. Renovome builds approvals, inspection stages and their costs into your project programme from day one, so nothing is left to chance — and you can compare professionals on a like-for-like brief.

Choosing who runs the checks? Read council building control vs approved inspector — and if planning permission is also in question, try our free planning permission checker.