Building Regulations Self

Building Regulations self division deals with Building Regulations, which ensure the health and safety of people in and around buildings by providing functional requirements for building design and construction.

The regulations also promote energy efficiency in buildings and contribute to meeting the needs of disabled people. When you plan to build, extend or alter a property you will generally need to consider 2 separate issues - Building Regulations and planning Permission. The majority of building projects are required to comply with Building Regulations (known as Standards in Scotland). They ensure the health and safety of people using buildings and to provide for energy conservation and access to and from buildings.

Building Regulations self-certification has significantly enhanced compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations, reduce costs for firms joining recognized schemes, and promote training and competence within the industry. It should also help tackle the problem of 'cowboy builders', and assist local authorities with enforcement of the Building Regulations.

The principles of self-certification are based on giving people who are competent in their field the ability to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations without the need to submit a building notice and thus incurring local authority inspections or fees.
Once the Building Control Officer is satisfied with your plans you will receive Building Control Approval (or a Warrant). This process usually takes approx. 6-8 weeks. Once the building work is completed, it is likely that the Building Control Officer will want to inspect the work to ensure that it complies with the approval granted. It is important to note that there will be major changes to the Scottish system on 1 May 2005.