Building Regulations are legal requirements that apply to building work and are aimed at achieving minimum standards of construction to ensure the health and safety of people in or around buildings.
They are also concerned with energy conservation and with access and facilities for disabled people.
There are two main ways of obtaining Building Regulation Approval - Full Plans or Building Notice. Full Plans require a set of drawings and Building Regulation notes be submitted to Building Control for inspection and approval before building work begins. The other way of obtaining approval is by Building Notice where the Building Control Officer inspects the work at specific stages during construction
and approves the work in stages by visual inspection.This method is usually used if there is a very tight timescale to the project as construction can start immediately without having to wait for the drawings to be reviewed and approved.
We recommend applying for Full Plans and submitting the drawings for approval prior to commencing any building work.The benefits include the fact the any future contractors know from the outset exactly what needs to be built and to what specification.This also enables a detailed building quote to be provided. Expensive alternations or specification amendments may be needed if the exact construction is left to be resolved on site.
There is a statutory charge for submitting a Building Regulation Application, and is dependant on a number of factors; extension size, new building size, cost of works being undertaken, type of work being undertaken, and to which authority you are applying.The application fees for Mid Sussex District Council can be found at:
