Statutory standards for construction quality, fire, energy, accessibility, drainage, and structure. Separate from planning. Sign-off by LABC or approved inspector.
The Building Regulations 2010 are the statutory minimum standards for construction in England, covering structure, fire, damp, ventilation, energy, drainage, protection from falling, and more. They are explained in the Approved Documents, lettered A to S. Compliance is demonstrated to a building control body, not to the planning department.
Functional standards, not prescriptions. Schedule 1 sets the requirements by part — A for structure through to S for electric vehicle charging — and the Approved Documents show one way to meet them. You may comply another way, but you have to prove it to building control.
| Step | Statutory period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Building notice before work starts | at least 2 days | Building Regulations 2010, reg 12 |
| Full plans decision | 5 weeks, or 2 months by agreement | reg 14 |
| Notice of commencement | at least 2 days | reg 16 |
| Notice of completion | within 5 days | reg 16 |
| Completion certificate | within 8 weeks of completion | reg 17 |
| Enforcement time limit | 10 years from completion | Building Act 1984, s.36 |
| Registered building control approvers | from April 2024 | Building Safety Act 2022 |
Sources: the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended), the Building Act 1984 and the Building Safety Act 2022, read at 1 September 2026. Building regulations approval is entirely separate from planning permission: a scheme can hold one and not the other, and a completion certificate is the document a buyer’s solicitor asks for.
A typical London extension or loft engages Part A structure, Part B fire safety and escape, Part C site preparation and moisture, Part F ventilation, Part K protection from falling and stairs, Part L conservation of fuel and power, Part M access, and Part P electrical safety. A loft conversion adds the 30-minute protected stair route requirement under Part B.
Each part is satisfied by the Approved Document route or by an alternative engineered solution. The Approved Documents are guidance: meeting them is deemed to satisfy the regulation, but they are not the only lawful way.
Almost all structural, drainage, energy and fire-related building work is notifiable. Replacing like for like — a new kitchen in the same layout, redecoration, most repairs — generally is not. Replacement windows, a new boiler and most electrical work are notifiable but can be self-certified by a competent-person scheme member.
Existing and proposed plans, sections and elevations at 1:50 or 1:100, construction sections with the full build-ups annotated, a foundation and drainage layout, window and door schedules with U-values, a fire strategy showing escape and 30-minute protection, and the structural engineer's beam and padstone schedule.
Building regulations in a Islington context: London Borough of Islington (Islington Council) runs 40 conservation areas including the Barnsbury Conservation Area and the Canonbury Conservation Area, and an Article 4 direction is in force there, so permitted development cannot be assumed. That decides how building regulations is handled: £548 and 8 weeks for a Islington householder application, or £274 for the Lawful Development Certificate that records building regulations as lawful. The law behind building regulations sits in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the GPDO 2015 and the Building Regulations 2010.
| Legal instrument | Building Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2214) |
|---|---|
| Guidance | Approved Documents A to S |
| Enforcement window | Local authority prosecution within 2 years of completion |
| Loft stair protection | 30-minute fire-resisting enclosure |
| Typical drawing scales | 1:50 and 1:100, details at 1:5 or 1:10 |
| Our Complete package |
Only if it exceeds 30 m², contains sleeping accommodation, or is within 1 m of a boundary in combustible construction.
No. They are one route to compliance; an engineered alternative is equally lawful if it satisfies the regulation.
The building control body — the council or a registered building control approver.
Pick a slot that suits you. No obligation and no sales pressure, just straight answers on your planning route.
