You need building control approval if you are building, extending or altering a building, as building regulations apply to most building work.
This includes but is not limited to:
- the construction of a new building
- an extension to an existing building
- loft conversions (i.e. converting your roof space to a room such as a bedroom)
- any structural alterations to an existing building
- the change of use of an existing building (i.e. converting a single house into flats)
- any new drainage or altering existing drainage facilities
- recovering a roof structure, flat or pitched
- electrical work
- replacing windows
The Planning Portal provides a complete list of which work needs building regulations approval.
If work has already been carried out without building control approval, you can apply for retrospective approval (regularisation).
Building regulations
Building regulations set standards for the design build and alteration of buildings. This is to ensure:
- the health and safety of people using the building
- buildings and their services are energy efficient
- people can easily access and move around inside a building
- dwellings and school buildings have the right amount of sound insulation
- Planning permission
Planning permission deals with:
- the correct use of land
- the appearance of buildings
- highway access and the impact of the development on the environment
Planning permission and building regulations are separate pieces of building law.
For most types of work you will need to have building regulation approval and planning permission. This means that you will need to make separate applications for planning permission and building regulation approval.
You can learn more about the difference between planning permission and building regulations the Planning Portal website.
