Building Control Initial Notice: A 2026 Guide to the Approved Inspector Route

What is a building control initial notice?

A building control initial notice (also called an Initial Notice or IN) is the formal notification that an Approved Inspector gives to the local authority to inform them that the Approved Inspector is taking over the building control function for a specific project. The legal basis is section 47 of the Building Act 1984, which permits the building control function for a project to be transferred from the local authority to a registered Approved Inspector.

Once an Initial Notice is in force, the Approved Inspector becomes the building control body for the project. The local authority’s role is largely supervisory — they retain enforcement powers for the wider Building Regulations regime, but the day-to-day plans-checking, site inspection, and Completion Certificate functions are the Approved Inspector’s responsibility.

The Initial Notice is not the same as a planning application, a Building Notice (the simpler local-authority application route), or a Full Plans application. It is a specific procedural mechanism that only Approved Inspectors use.

For the broader Building Regulations regime and the relationship between local-authority building control and Approved Inspectors, see our Building Control in the UK guide. For the practical mechanics of a building control application, see our Building Control Application guide.

When an initial notice is required

An Initial Notice is required whenever an Approved Inspector takes on a project in place of the local authority. The trigger is the Approved Inspector’s decision to take the project, not the project itself. The local authority only learns of the project when it receives the Initial Notice.

In practice, the Initial Notice is sent by the Approved Inspector (or their administrator) at the same time as the initial application paperwork — typically a few days after the project is commissioned. The notice must be in force before the Approved Inspector can give an Initial Notice decision on a plans check, and before the project starts on site.

The Initial Notice does not relieve the project of any need to comply with the Building Regulations themselves — it just transfers the administrative function from one body to another. The project is still subject to the same Approved Documents and technical standards as a local-authority project.

What the initial notice must contain

The Initial Notice is a prescribed form under the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 2010, as amended. The required content includes:

• The name, address, and CICAIR registration number of the Approved Inspector.
• The name and address of the local authority in whose area the work is to be carried out.
• A description of the work.
• The address or location of the project.
• The date the Approved Inspector first became engaged in the project.
• A statement of insurance or indemnity coverage held by the Approved Inspector (a statutory requirement under section 47(6) of the Building Act 1984).
• A declaration that the Approved Inspector has informed the client of their right to choose either the local authority or an Approved Inspector.

The Approved Inspector registers each Initial Notice with the local authority and (in many cases) the Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR), which is the statutory registration body.

The local authority’s role after an initial notice

After receiving the Initial Notice, the local authority’s role is limited to:

• Acknowledging the Initial Notice in writing within a prescribed period (typically 5 working days). The notice takes effect from the date of acknowledgement.
• Supervisory oversight — the local authority may inspect the project at any time and may require the Approved Inspector to take specific action.
• Enforcement — the local authority retains the power to issue an enforcement notice or prosecute under the Building Act 1984 where the Approved Inspector fails to discharge their functions properly.

The local authority’s day-to-day building control role for the project ends. The Approved Inspector handles plans checks, site inspections, and the Final Certificate (their equivalent of the local-authority Completion Certificate).

If the local authority fails to acknowledge the Initial Notice, it is deemed to have been acknowledged at the end of the prescribed period. The notice then takes effect automatically.

Cancellation, withdrawal, and resumption

An Initial Notice can be cancelled in three ways:

1. Cancellation by the Approved Inspector. If the Approved Inspector cannot continue to act (e.g. the client withdraws, or the Approved Inspector’s registration is suspended), the Approved Inspector must give notice of termination to the local authority. The local authority then resumes the building control function.
2. Cancellation by the local authority. If the Approved Inspector fails to discharge their functions, the local authority may cancel the Initial Notice under section 52 of the Building Act 1984 and resume the building control function.
3. Automatic cancellation at completion. When the Approved Inspector gives the Final Certificate, the Initial Notice ends automatically. The local authority does not normally resume the function for that project.

In all three cases, the local authority becomes the building control body for the project (if it has not already been completed). The Approved Inspector must hand over all project documentation, and the local authority picks up from wherever the project stands.

For LPA-specific processes (the planning-permission side, not the Building Control side), see our Bradford planning portal guide. For the relationship between Building Regulations and planning permission, see our Building Control in the UK guide.

Next steps and resources

• Building Act 1984 — section 47 — the legal basis for the Initial Notice.
• Building Act 1984 — full text — the primary statute.
• CICAIR Approved Inspectors Register — register of private Approved Inspectors who can issue Initial Notices.
• GOV.UK building regulations approval — national service overview.
• Planning Portal building regulations — overview of the regime.

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. The Initial Notice procedure is a specific technical mechanism used by Approved Inspectors — the project itself still requires a building control application (either Full Plans or Building Notice) to be made to the Approved Inspector in the usual way. For project-specific questions, consult a Building Control inspector or a chartered surveyor registered with RICS.