Building Notice vs Full Plans: Which Building Control Route is Right for Your Project?

**What a Building Notice is**:

A Building Notice is a form submitted to the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) department that gives formal notification of an intention to carry out building works. It is not an approval document — there are no approved drawings. Works can begin 48 hours after the notice is submitted.

The Building Notice is accompanied by a fee (based on the estimated cost of the works) and basic information about the project. No detailed drawings are submitted with the notice — the contractor carries out the works and the Building Control Officer (BCO) inspects at the statutory stages to check compliance.

**When a Building Notice is appropriate**:

• •Simple works where there is no complex design to be checked in advance: straightforward refurbishments (replastering, first-fix electrics, plumbing, non-structural kitchen or bathroom renovation)
• •Small extensions or conversions where the contractor and client are confident in compliance and the BCO is willing to work in this way
• •Works being carried out by self-certified tradespeople (Gas Safe-registered boiler installers, NICEIC/NAPIT-registered electricians) — the self-certification scheme bypasses Building Control for certain notifiable works
• •Urgent or time-critical works where waiting for full plans approval would cause unacceptable delay

**Disadvantages of the Building Notice route**:

• •*No upfront design check*: If the contractor's approach does not comply with Building Regulations (incorrect insulation specification, inadequate structural design, non-compliant fire protection), this is discovered at the inspection stage — and the works may need to be altered or demolished and rebuilt to achieve compliance. The cost of non-compliant work discovered on site is substantially higher than the cost of correcting it at design stage.
• •*Mortgage and sale complications*: Some mortgage lenders require Full Plans approval (with a final Completion Certificate) rather than a Building Notice route. Check with the mortgage lender or solicitor before starting works if the property is mortgaged.
• •*Cannot use Building Notice for some project types*: A Building Notice cannot be used for: dwellings where the work involves the building of a new dwelling; work to a building where the Fire Safety Order applies (commercial buildings); work in relation to a building where there is a special fire risk; work adjacent to or over a public sewer

**Practical note**:

In London, where projects often involve structural alterations, complex fire safety considerations, or party wall issues, the Full Plans route is generally more appropriate. Building Control Officers in London boroughs often require detailed structural and fire safety documentation regardless of the route — using a Building Notice does not reduce the quality of design required, it just delays the design check to the site stage.

**What Full Plans approval is**:

• Full Plans approval involves submitting a full set of plans and specifications to the Local Authority Building Control for checking before works begin. The BCO checks the submitted documents against the Building Regulations and issues either:
• •*Full Plans approval*: The plans as submitted comply — works can proceed as designed
• •*Conditional approval*: Approved subject to specified conditions or amendments
• •*Rejection*: The plans do not comply — the documents must be revised and resubmitted

Once Full Plans approval is received (typically 5–8 weeks after submission), the works can proceed in accordance with the approved plans. Inspections are still required at the statutory stages.

**What the submission must include**:

• •Location plan (Ordnance Survey base, 1:1250, property identified)
• •Site plan showing the position of the building and any extensions relative to the site boundaries
• •Floor plans (existing and proposed) showing room layout, structural elements, drainage positions
• •Elevations (existing and proposed) showing the external appearance of the building
• •Sections showing the structure and insulation details
• •Structural calculations (from a structural engineer) for any new beams, lintels, or modified structural elements
• •Specification notes addressing the specific Building Regulations requirements: insulation U-values (Part L), fire protection strategy (Part B), ventilation (Part F), sound insulation (Part E if a new dwelling or conversion), drainage (Part H), drainage design

**Full Plans approval timescales**:

The BCO has a statutory 5-week period to determine a Full Plans application (extendable to 2 months by agreement with the applicant). In practice, London borough building control departments are often busy and the 5-week period is frequently extended. Budget 6–8 weeks from submission to approval for a standard domestic extension or conversion.

**Advantages of the Full Plans route**:

• •*Design certainty before starting on site*: Compliance issues are identified and resolved at the design stage — before expensive structural works are started on site
• •*Document for sale and mortgage purposes*: Lenders, solicitors, and buyers can see that the works were designed to comply with the approved drawings
• •*Programme certainty*: Once approval is received, the works can proceed with confidence
• •*Protection for the contractor*: If the works are built in accordance with the approved drawings and the BCO inspects at all statutory stages, the risk of compliance failure is substantially reduced

**The inspection stages that apply regardless of route**:

Whether Building Notice or Full Plans, the contractor must notify the BCO at the following statutory inspection stages (they must be inspected before being covered over):

| Stage | What the BCO inspects | |---|---| | Commencement | Confirm the works have started | | Foundation excavation | Before concrete is poured — confirm depth, width, type | | DPC (damp-proof course) | At DPC level, before backfilling | | Structural frame / beams | Before beams are cast in or boarded over | | Drain testing | Drain test before backfilling — confirm gradients, connections, water-tightness | | Insulation | Before boarding out — confirm insulation specification, continuity, cold bridge prevention | | Final inspection | All works complete — issue of Completion Certificate |

Missing a statutory inspection stage means the work must be opened up for inspection — a costly and disruptive additional step that is entirely avoidable by notifying BCO in advance.

**Approved Inspector (AI) Building Control**:

As an alternative to LABC, building works can be supervised by a private-sector Approved Inspector (AI) instead of the local authority. The AI is a qualified construction professional (typically a chartered engineer or building surveyor) approved by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) to carry out building control functions.

• **How it works**:
• •The building owner and AI jointly serve an 'Initial Notice' on the local authority, stating that the AI is taking over building control for the project
• •The AI then carries out the plan checking and site inspections instead of the local authority BCO
• •On completion, the AI issues a Final Certificate confirming that the works are substantially complete in accordance with the Building Regulations
• •The AI's fee is agreed with the building owner — it is not the LABC fee schedule

• **When AI is useful**:
• •Larger or more complex projects where the building owner wants a single point of contact for building control with more commercial flexibility
• •Projects with tight programmes where LABC response times are a concern
• •Projects where the AI has specific expertise (e.g., structural conversions, heritage buildings)

**Key difference — AI cannot issue a Regularisation Certificate**:

If works have already been carried out without building control approval, the only route to regularise them is through LABC — not through an AI. A Regularisation Certificate (issued by LABC only) confirms that the works, as assessed retrospectively, meet the Building Regulations as they were at the time the work was done.

**Regularisation — dealing with missing building control**:

If a property has been extended or altered without Building Regulations approval, the correct route for the current owner (typically when a property is being sold and the solicitor has identified the missing approval) is:

1. *Regularisation Certificate*: Apply to LABC. The BCO will inspect the works (which may require opening up to expose structure, drainage, or insulation). The BCO assesses the works against the Building Regulations current at the time the work was done. Fee: typically £250–£800 for a domestic project.

2. *Indemnity Insurance*: A legal indemnity policy (£100–£400 for a standard policy) that protects the buyer and lender against the risk of the local authority taking enforcement action against the missing approval. **Critical rule**: do NOT contact the local authority about the missing approval if intending to use indemnity insurance — contact by the local authority voids the policy.

The choice between regularisation and indemnity insurance depends on: the nature of the works (structural works without approval are more risky to leave unregularised); the lender's requirements (some lenders insist on regularisation for significant structural works); and the age of the works (works over 12 months old are generally insurable).