There are occasions when, for various reasons, building work has been carried out without the benefit of a Building Regulation application. When this happens we may be able to issue a regularisation certificate to legitimise the unauthorised work.
What is a Regularisation Application?
The regularisation process is only available to unauthorised work that started on or after 11 November 1985, and the council has discretion as to whether to agree to process a regularisation application. The regularisation process does not detract from our formal enforcement powers should the work have been carried out and completed within 2 years of notification to Building Control.
If you need to submit a regularisation application, you should contact us first so we can discuss what steps you may need to take if we are to regularise the works.
To issue a regularisation certificate, we must be satisfied that the building works concerned are to an acceptable standard and conform to the requirements of the Building Regulations applicable at the time the works were undertaken.
To obtain a regularisation certificate, the owner must apply to us in writing using the Building Regulations submission form. The cost of this service will be established once we have carried out a site inspection to assess the works.
The application must describe the extent of the unauthorised work and, where possible, include plans showing the technical detail of the work. You should also detail any additional work you intend to carry out to secure compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations that were in force at the time the work was carried out.
The Procedure
On receipt of the application, we will assess the paperwork sent to us. At this point an inspection will need to be arranged for us to inspect the work if we have not already done so.
As part of the regularisation process, our surveyors are required to carry out a full assessment of the project to ensure that the works comply with the regulations. As such, it is important that you understand that they may:
- ask for parts of the work to be opened up for inspection and rectified if necessary
- require additional paperwork such as test and commissioning certificates for services or installations that come within Building Regulation control
It is the owner's / builder's responsibility to demonstrate that the works comply with the Building Regulations. It should also be noted that the regularisation charge is not refundable if the work does not meet the required standards or the applicant changes their mind.
Next Steps
Once our surveyors have made the site visit, a letter will be sent out to you advising you of the fee to be paid for carrying out the regularisation and detailing what upgrading or further exposure will be required to ensure the works comply with the regulations.
In most cases a follow-up visit will be required once remedial works have been carried out on site.
Once we are happy that the requirements of the Building Regulations have been met, a regularisation certificate will be issued.
It should be noted that a regularisation certificate is evidence (but not conclusive evidence) that the requirements of the Building Regulations specified in the certificate have been complied with.
Further Information and Contact
For further information, please contact the Building Control team:
