Building control is the process of ensuring that Government-set Building Regulations are met.
Building Regulations in England and Wales are set by Communities and Local Government (CLG). These are standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the safety and health of the people who use those buildings. The standards also include requirements to ensure energy efficiency (the conservation of fuel and power) and accessibility (providing facilities for people, including those with disabilities, to gain access and move around inside buildings).
Building control is not:
- A 'clerk of works' service monitoring every stage of the construction process on site. That is a matter for the contracts and arrangements put in place between the client and the builder. Ultimately, compliance is clearly the responsibility of the person carrying out the work.
- A service to address issues such as the finish and aesthetics of the final project where these are not Building Regulations standards. These are a matter for designers, builders and new home warranty providers.
- A service to offer contractual protection to a client in a contract with a builder. This is a matter for contract law.
- A 100% guarantee of compliance . It plays an important part to educate and to reduce risk, but building control does not remove the obligation of the builder to achieve compliance with the Building Regulations.
Effective building control starts at the earliest design stage.
The building control process consists of 5 key stages:
- Design stage: Assessing initial drawings and basic concepts to ensure that the principles of the work comply with the Building Regulatons. Approved Inspectors are frequently appointed at RIBA Stage B or C (sometimes even earlier). Where pre-application advice is needed by developers, architects or builders, Approved Inspectors will often also consult with relevant statutory bodies such as the fire service and water authority. The earlier an Approved Inspector is involved in your project, the more chance it can save you time and money!
- Application stage: Collating all the information that needs to be included in an Initial Notice (which goes to a local authority and tells them the building control will be done by an Approved Inspector).
- Plans checking stage: Ensuring that all drawings and plans comply with the Building Regulations.
- Site inspection stage: Observing progress on site through a series of pre-planned spot checks, identifying and resolving any issues that arise during construction on site.
- Completion stage: Issuing a Final Certificate, confirming that the finished project complies with the Building Regulations.
The ACAI's vision for building control is:
- A service that delivers safe, healthy, accessible and sustainable buildings for current and future generations.
- A service that works with the construction industry to ensure compliance.
- A service based upon the principles of risk assessment and independent third-party checking.
- A service overseen by a single regulatory and licensing body which also has the power to investigate complaints and, if necessary, to discipline or withdraw licences to operate.
- A service that is delivered by licensed Building Control Bodies (BCBs) who are all trading bodies subject to the same requirements in terms of competence, conduct, training and CPD, insurance, performance monitoring etc.
- A service where standards are rigorously monitored, the results published and new standards developed to ensure highest standards of consumer protection.
- A service with no unregulated sub-sector, where no building control contract can be won (direct or sub-contracted to another BCB) without a licence to operate.
- A service backed up by a completely independent, publicly-funded and fully resourced policing body within the local authority with significant powers to enforce compliance, stop illegal building work and take any necessary action against rogue builders.
