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Building Control in the UK: A 2026 Guide to Building Regulations, Approved Inspectors and Local Authority Routes

Bhavesh Ramburn

What is building control?

Building control is the regulatory system that ensures building work in England and Wales complies with the Building Regulations — the national technical standards for the design, construction, and alteration of buildings. Building Regulations cover:

  • Part A — Structure.
  • Part B — Fire safety.
  • Part C — Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture.
  • Part D — Toxic substances.
  • Part E — Resistance to the passage of sound.
  • Part F — Ventilation.
  • Part G — Sanitation (including hot water safety).
  • Part H — Drainage and waste disposal.
  • Part J — Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems.
  • Part K — Protection from falling, impact and collision.
  • Part L — Conservation of fuel and power (energy efficiency).
  • Part M — Access to and use of buildings.
  • Part N — Glazing safety.
  • Part O — Overheating.
  • Part P — Electrical safety.
  • Part Q — Security in dwellings.
  • Part R — Physical infrastructure for high-speed electronic communications networks.
  • Part S — Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles.

The primary statute is the Building Act 1984. The technical standards are set out in the Approved Documents published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

In Scotland, the equivalent regime is run through the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Building (Scotland) Regulations, enforced by local authority Building Standards teams (not Building Control). The system is similar in principle but uses a different procedural framework.

Building Regulations vs planning permission: the two systems

Building control and planning permission are two parallel regulatory regimes with different legal bases, different decision-makers, and different application types:

  • Planning permission — governed by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Run by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). Concerned with the use of land and buildings, the appearance of development, and its impact on neighbours and the environment.
  • Building control / Building Regulations — governed by the Building Act 1984. Run by Building Control bodies. Concerned with structural safety, fire safety, energy efficiency, ventilation, sanitation, and accessibility.

The two regimes answer different questions and are administered by separate teams within the local authority. A single project can require:

  • Planning permission only — e.g. a change of use that does not affect the building fabric.
  • Building Regulations approval only — e.g. certain internal alterations that are Permitted Development under planning but still affect structure or fire safety.
  • Both — the most common case, e.g. a new extension typically needs both.
  • Neither — some work is exempt from both regimes.

For the planning-permission side, see our householder planning permission guide. For a specific example of how Building Regulations interact with a routine project, see our boiler installation certificate guide.

Who carries out building control?

In England and Wales, building control is delivered by two parallel routes:

  1. Local authority building control — every English and Welsh local authority (county council, district council, London borough, metropolitan borough, or unitary authority) is required to operate a building control service. The service is funded by fee income and supervised by DLUHC and the Local Government Association.
  2. Approved Inspectors — private building control providers registered with the Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR). An Approved Inspector can carry out the same Building Control function as a local authority, on a commercial basis, for the same fee structure.

The Building Safety Regulator (part of the Health and Safety Executive) now has a coordinating role for higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022 — primarily in the residential high-rise sector. Most ordinary householder work continues to be handled by the local authority or an Approved Inspector under the existing Building Regulations framework.

When you need building control approval

You need a Building Regulations application for most physical building work, including:

  • New build — every new dwelling, commercial building, or extension over a small size threshold.
  • Extensions and alterations — most extensions to an existing building require an application; the size threshold depends on the type of work.
  • Loft conversions — almost always require an application because of the structural, fire-safety, and insulation implications.
  • Garage conversions — converting an attached garage to habitable space always requires an application.
  • Replacement windows and doors — where the structural opening is altered, where the property is in a Conservation Area and the alteration affects the character, or for certain window types in any location.
  • Electrical work in certain locations — bathrooms, kitchens, outbuildings, and external work typically require Part P notification.
  • Boiler replacements and heating work — see our boiler installation certificate guide for the specific rules.
  • Structural alterations — removing walls, removing chimneys, underpinning foundations, and similar.

A small amount of work is exempt under Schedule 2 of the Building Regulations. The GOV.UK building regulations approval service provides a quick decision tool.

For a worked example of an LPA-specific building control process, see our Bradford building control guide.

The two routes: local authority and Approved Inspector

There are two procedural routes for an application under either route:

  1. Full Plans application. Submit detailed drawings and specifications to the Building Control body before work starts. The drawings are checked against the Building Regulations and either approved or returned with comments. Once approved, the work is inspected at key stages and a Completion Certificate is issued on satisfactory completion. Statutory timescale: 5 weeks (or 2 months with written agreement).
  2. Building Notice. A shorter, simpler route for smaller works. You give the Building Control body at least 48 hours’ notice of work starting, the work is inspected as it progresses, and a Completion Certificate is issued on satisfactory completion. Building Notice cannot be used for work to a building that is subject to a Building Regulations prohibition notice, or for work to which the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies.

For most householder extensions and alterations, the Building Notice route is faster and cheaper. For new builds and major work, the Full Plans route is the safer option because it gives certainty on the design before construction begins.

Using an Approved Inspector rather than the local authority often shortens the plans-check timescale (typically 5–10 working days for an Approved Inspector versus 4–6 weeks for a local authority) and can be competitively priced. The regulatory framework is the same regardless of who carries out the inspection; the Building Regulations themselves do not vary between in-house and private inspectors.

For the Planning Portal building regulations section, which provides an overview of the regime and a national application portal, the route is governed by the local Building Control body’s own procedures.

How building control interacts with planning permission

In practice, building control and planning permission interact in three important ways:

  1. Sequential. You typically apply for planning permission first, then for Building Regulations approval once planning is in place. The two regimes are independent and neither overrides the other.
  2. Discharge of conditions. Planning conditions imposed by the LPA on a planning permission (e.g. “submit a sample panel of facing materials for approval before work starts”) can sometimes be discharged through the Building Control process for the same project. Where this is not possible, the conditions are discharged via a separate application to the LPA under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
  3. Enforcement. Both regimes have their own enforcement powers. A breach of planning control is a planning offence; a breach of Building Regulations is a Building Act offence. The two enforcement tracks run in parallel and are independent.

For a LPA-specific walkthrough of the parallel regimes, see our Bradford planning portal guide, which covers the Bradford planning service, or our Allerdale planning guide, which discusses the post-2023 Cumberland Council reorganisation in Cumbria.

Next steps and resources

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. Building Regulations and planning permission are distinct regimes with separate applications, fees, and decision-makers. For project-specific questions, consult a Building Control inspector or a chartered surveyor registered with RICS.