Building Regulations Completion Certificate — What It Is and Why You Need It

• A Building Regulations completion certificate is a certificate issued by Building Control (either the local authority or an Approved Inspector) confirming that:
• •Building work has been carried out
• •Inspections have been made during and at completion of the work
• •To the best of Building Control's knowledge, the work complies with the Building Regulations in force at the time

It is different from planning permission. Planning permission controls whether you can build something. Building Regulations control how it is built — the structural integrity, fire safety, energy performance, ventilation, drainage, electrical safety, and other technical standards.

• Many types of building work require Building Regulations approval regardless of whether planning permission is needed:
• •All extensions (even Permitted Development)
• •Loft conversions
• •Structural alterations (wall removals, beams)
• •Electrical work (full rewires, new circuits)
• •Drainage alterations
• •Bathroom and kitchen installations involving drainage changes
• •Roof replacements
• •New heating systems and boiler replacements (in some cases)

When a property is sold, conveyancers (solicitors and licensed conveyancers) conduct a standard set of enquiries about the property. Part of this process is checking whether any building work was carried out, and if so, whether the necessary approvals were obtained.

• **Why this matters to a buyer**:
• •Work without Building Regulations approval may be structurally unsafe or non-compliant with fire safety standards
• •Non-compliant work may need to be rectified at significant cost
• •Buildings insurance may not cover non-compliant work
• •Mortgage lenders may be concerned about structural or electrical work without sign-off

• **The most common situations where this arises**:
• •Loft conversions built without Building Regulations approval (common in older conversions)
• •Extensions carried out without a completion certificate (Building Notice submitted but final inspection never requested)
• •Electrical work done by non-registered contractors without certification
• •Structural alterations carried out without structural engineer input or Building Control involvement

There are two main routes to Building Regulations approval in England:

• **Full Plans application**
• •Detailed technical drawings and specifications are submitted to Building Control before work starts
• •Building Control checks the plans and issues an approval notice
• •Inspections are carried out at key stages during construction
• •A completion certificate is issued when work is complete and inspected
• •This route provides full documentation and certainty

• **Building Notice**
• •A simpler notification — no detailed drawings submitted before work starts
• •Building Control inspects work as it progresses and at completion
• •A completion certificate can be issued at the end
• •More flexible but carries more risk: if something doesn't comply, it may need to be changed on site
• •Note: a Building Notice does not generate the same level of pre-documented approval as the Full Plans route

For most residential projects in London, RCB recommends the Full Plans route where programme allows — it provides clearer documentation and reduces the risk of on-site changes.

**Approved Inspectors**: as an alternative to the local authority, private Approved Inspectors can administer Building Regulations. They issue an Initial Notice to the council and a Final Certificate on completion. Both the local authority completion certificate and the Approved Inspector Final Certificate serve the same purpose.

If you are selling a property and discover that building work was done without Building Regulations approval, or without a final inspection being carried out, you have several options:

**Option 1: Regularisation Certificate** For building work carried out after 11 November 1985 without Building Regulations approval, a retrospective application can be made to the local authority Building Control. This is called a Regularisation application.

The local authority will inspect the work (which may require opening up walls, floors, or ceilings to check concealed elements) and, if it is found to comply with Building Regulations in force at the time the work was carried out, will issue a Regularisation Certificate.

**Regularisation cost**: typically £200–£500+ in local authority fee, plus the cost of any opening-up and making good. If the work is found not to comply, it will need to be rectified before a certificate can be issued — this is where costs can escalate significantly.

**Option 2: Indemnity Insurance** If the building work is old (more than 12 years old, so the 10-year rule has passed for most enforcement purposes), many conveyancing solicitors recommend purchasing indemnity insurance as an alternative to a Regularisation Certificate. This is a one-off insurance premium (typically £100–£500 depending on the value of the works) that protects the buyer and their mortgage lender against the risk of enforcement action.

Important note: indemnity insurance covers the risk of enforcement — it does not certify the work or confirm it complies with Building Regulations.

**Option 3: Commission a structural survey** For structural work (wall removals, beams), commissioning a retrospective structural engineer's report confirming the adequacy of the existing structure can provide additional reassurance to buyers.

Local authorities have the power to serve an Enforcement Notice requiring non-compliant building work to be rectified or removed. However, there is a time limit:

**4 years**: for most operational development (building operations) — the local authority must take enforcement action within 4 years of the work being substantially complete

**10 years**: for a change of use, or where the time limit is contested

• **What this means in practice**: if a loft conversion was carried out without Building Regulations more than 4 years ago, the local authority's power to require enforcement action has largely expired. However:
• •Indemnity insurance is still usually required for a property sale, even if the enforcement period has passed
• •The work may still be structurally inadequate even if enforcement cannot be required
• •Mortgage lenders may still require either the certificate or insurance

**Electrical work**: The Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) regime has changed. Even for older electrical work, an EICR can establish current compliance — a current satisfactory EICR for the whole installation gives significant reassurance to buyers, regardless of whether original certification exists.

The simplest way to ensure a completion certificate exists is to use a contractor who manages Building Control throughout the project and requests the final inspection and certificate at completion.

• At RCB, our process is:
• •Submit the Building Regulations application (Full Plans) before work starts
• •Notify Building Control at each required inspection stage (foundations, damp-proof course, insulation, drains, structural works)
• •Request the final inspection when the work is complete and ready
• •Obtain the completion certificate and pass it to the client

Clients should keep this certificate with their property documentation — ideally in the same file as the title deeds, planning permissions, and warranties. It will be requested during every future sale.

If you are buying a property and there is no completion certificate for works that clearly required Building Regulations, ask your solicitor to request one from the seller or to advise on the indemnity insurance route before exchanging contracts.