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What are building regulations?

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Most construction work will require Building Regulations compliance to some degree — of course, if you're building a new home from scratch, you'll be required to meet a lot more than if you're just undertaking some minor remodelling to your home. 

But what are Building Regulations? To put it simply, Building Regs are a set of standards that ensure a property is safe to live in, but also that it's comfortable to live in and, increasingly, energy efficient and mitigating its contribution to carbon emissions. 

However, Building Regulations are not set in stone — the Approved Documents that make up Building Regs evolve as housing policy does, and for 2022, there have been some major updates that you'll need to be aware of. 

As well as changes to Part L and Part F, two new Approved Documents have been introduced, Part O and Part S. 

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Part O is the new Regulation covering overheating which is a long overdue update. It not only looks at mitigating solar gain (heating due to direct sunlight) but also other causes of overheating due to uninsulated heating pipes, cylinders or lack of heating system controls."

Part S, however, focusses on electric vehicle charging points.As petrol and diesel vehicles get phased out we are going to see more and more electric vehicles on our streets, so having electric car charge points properly planned and installed is now a ‘must-have’ rather than a ‘nice-to-have’ addition to the services in the home.. 

Here's what you need to know about Building Regulations as a self builder, renovator or home extender. 

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The main exemptions for Building Regulations are peripheral things like small porches, conservatories or detached garages (up to 30m2 floor area). 

So once you’ve secured your planning approval, the focus needs to shift to proving that your design ticks all the right technical boxes.

The Approved Documents of the Building Regulations comprise of a series of detailed guidance manuals (ranging from A to S) covering everything from structure and fire safety through to security and electronic communications. 

The Regulations are very detailed, and can be read in full on the Communities and Local Government website.

In brief, your project will have to comply with these areas:

  • Part A – Structure

  • Part B – Fire Safety

  • Part C – Contamination and damp

  • Part D – Toxicity

  • Part E – Sound

  • Part F – Ventilation

  • Part G – Hygiene

  • Part H – Drainage

  • Part J – Fuel

  • Part K – On-site Safety

  • Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Power

  • Part M – Access

  • Part N – Glazing

  • Part O – Overheating

  • Part P – Electrics

  • Part S – Infrastructure for Charging Electric Vehicles 

You will need to appoint a building inspector, who will ensure that your project meets Building Regulations. 

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Sounds Complicated ?

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We at AJC Architectural Services will ensure that your building regulations are dealt with smoothly and efficiently to ensure you get full approval prior to work commencing thereby reducing any time delays or unexpected price increases on materials. Below is an example of the approval certificate that you would get from your local authority building control.

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