Building regulations in the United Kingdom are statutory instruments or statutory regulations that seek to ensure that the policies set out in the relevant legislation are carried out. Building regulations approval is required for most building work in the UK.
50-620: The National House Building Council ( NHBC ), established in 1936, is the UK's largest provider of new home warranties. According to NHBC's website, around 80% of new homes built in the UK each year have an NHBC 10-year warranty. NHBC is also the UK's largest single Approved Inspector for Building Regulations . Its other activities include the provision of services linked to house building and general construction; including energy ratings, health and safety, sustainability, and training. It also provides industry statistics and benchmarking services. The NHBC
100-712: A 'Doc M Pack' for disabled toilets, which reproduces exactly the diagram in Part M, and most public disabled toilets are now designed around this layout. Many manufactured products have agrément certificates issued by the British Board of Agrément (BBA, a construction products certification service), certifying compliance with relevant standards. However, the BBA and other bodies (TRADA, BRE, Exova Warrington, etc.) may be able to test and certify to "CE" harmonised EU standards. "CE" marking of all construction materials and products
150-567: A Building Safety Bill, and a new Building Safety Regulator . A number of regulations were amended or created to introduce a restriction on the use of combustible materials within external elevations and specific attachments in certain types of buildings with storeys over 18m - this applied in England only. This change came in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. The part of the amendment relating to elements provided to reduce heat gain
200-571: A Welsh Minister for Wales. As 'Building Regulations' and 'Building Safety' are devolved areas of law, in the four parts of the UK. The building regulations made under the Building Act 1984 have been periodically updated, rewritten or consolidated, with the latest and current version being the Building Regulations 2010. The UK Government (at Westminster) is responsible for the relevant legislation and administration in England,
250-423: A broad range of tall local authority , private, NHS, educational and housing association buildings. Combustible materials within the external construction of the outside of tall buildings must comply with the building regulations but this guidance has sometimes been interpreted as applying only to the insulation and not to the cladding. . There are concerns that fire tests may not accurately reflect real life when
300-408: A building (or new part of a building) but do not require renovation of existing elements. There are general requirements for any change or improvement, that the building must not be left any less satisfactory in compliance than before the works, and areas worked on must not be left in unsafe condition by reference to current standards. The Regulations may also specify in some cases, that when enough work
350-440: A building, cladding and insulation are subject to wear and tear. The DCLG has set up a weekly email newsletter for those interested in this topic. Nothing should be growing on the ground covered by the building. Precautions must be taken to stop gases and dangerous substances from previous land use from entering the building and endangering the health and safety of occupants. Subsoil drainage will be in place, if needed, to stop
400-555: A description of the information required – see Appendix G of approved document B) to the Responsible Person, upon completion. This is to enable a competent person to carry out a fire risk assessment. Once a building is occupied the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order 2005 - FSO2005) requires a fire risk assessment to be carried out, to take into account how the users are actually using
450-473: A licence from the BSR. This part requires buildings to be designed, constructed and altered so as to be structurally safe and robust, and also so as not to impair the structural stability of other buildings. It stipulates design standards that should be adopted for use on all buildings and additionally gives simple design rules for most masonry and timber elements for traditional domestic buildings. The weight of
500-701: A wide range of training courses for building professionals, including construction related National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). NHBC compiles and distributes statistics and analysis about the UK housing market that are used by government and financial institutions, as well as homebuilders. Examples are the Housing Market Report, and the NHBC Quarterly Statistics. Purchasers of new homes are also surveyed, providing statistics about levels of customer satisfaction in their homes. NHBC runs two national awards programmes: Pride in
550-489: Is a civil matter between adjoining land owners and "party wall legislation" is not enforced by the Building Control bodies. The building regulations consider five aspects of fire safety in the construction of buildings: The use of a ' fire engineer ' to computer model the building layout and smoke behaviour in such a building. This requires the designer and/or constructor to give the fire safety information (for
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#1732776293386600-915: Is a non-profit distributing company, so reinvests 'profit' in its activities to improve the quality of new homes to protect the interests of homeowners. NHBC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). The NHBC states that its primary purposes are raising the construction standards of new homes in the United Kingdom (UK), and providing consumer protection for homebuyers through its 10-year Buildmark warranty. NHBC offers warranties for newly built or converted private housing, affordable housing, self-build homes and commercial premises located on mixed use housing schemes. Mortgage lenders in
650-444: Is a non-profit-distributing private company, it is operated in the public interest as a company limited by guarantee . It employs 190 staff and over 250 technical external assessors / experts. UKAS has members (instead of shareholders) who represent those who have an interest in accreditation – national and local government, business and industry, purchasers, users and quality managers. The present members are: In 2010 UKAS acquired
700-555: Is also accepted as one way of complying with the Building Regulations requirements. However, the supply of gas ( natural and/or LPG ) is not specifically controlled by the Building Regulations, as there are separate Gas Safety Regulations enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Fuel storage (e.g. Heating Oil and LPG tanks are controlled, near dwellings.) Newer versions of Building Regulations are generally not retrospective: they are applied to each new change or modification to
750-584: Is by the local fire authority . It may be necessary to exceed the recommendations of the guidance supporting Part B of Schedule 1 to Building Regulations, in order to achieve a suitable and sufficient level of fire safety required under the FSO2005. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (FSER22) are retrospective and require existing and new residential buildings (with more than two flats) to have minimum fire safety management records and fire safety facilities (a recommendation of phase 1 of 2021 report of
800-443: Is done in an area (such as partial new insulation) the remainder of that area must be brought to an appropriate standard; however the standard required for an existing building may be less stringent than that required for a completely new building. The Regulations also specify that some types of work must be undertaken by an appropriately qualified professional (such as works on gas or certain electrical matters), or must be notified to
850-452: Is lettered as Part A to Part S (however there are no Parts I or N) accompanied by an approved document for that Part X . The approved documents usually take the form of firstly stating the legislation and then providing a number of methods or ways which are deemed to satisfy the regulations. The building regulations do not aim to stifle innovation, and the introduction of each Approved Document re-states this government aim. Compliance with
900-418: Is now a legal requirement, since 1 July 2013. Most of the detailed information on the Building Regulations is now available on http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/ where general public users can access simplified building regulations guidance, and professional users have access to a reorganised version of what was on the former DCLG building regulations website, including the full versions of
950-429: Is split into two parts. In the first two years, the builder is responsible for fixing any defects caused by its failure to build to NHBC Technical Standards. If the builder fails to do this, or has gone out of business, NHBC may take responsibility to fix the defect. From the start of the third year, until the home is ten years old, NHBC is responsible for putting right defects to the structural and weather-proofing parts of
1000-519: The Approved documents and associated guidance , held on the DCLG website (now a constituent part of the gov.uk website). In England, From 6th April 2024, all work to build a new or alter an existing "higher-risk building" (HRB) – that is a building with seven or more floors, and with more than two dwellings – is subject to the new enhanced building safety regime , which is administered and enforced by
1050-549: The Building Act 1984 , the NHBC set up a subsidiary company; NHBC Building Control Services Ltd, and became the first private sector building control body licensed as an Approved Inspector, for the purpose of verifying that buildings are built in accordance with the building regulations across England and Wales. It is the largest single Approved Inspector in England and Wales; inspecting around 50% of all new-build properties in
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#17327762933861100-634: The Grenfell Tower fire of 14 June 2017, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) established the Building Safety Programme. In the short term, this scheme sought to identify and remediate buildings with unsafe cladding . The problems that it variously exposed, compounded, and remedied constitute the cladding crisis. The programme is, longer-term, leading to a new regulatory framework for building safety,
1150-926: The Welsh Government (at Cardiff) is the responsible body in Wales, the Scottish Government (at Edinburgh) is responsible for the issue in Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Executive (at Belfast) has responsibility within its jurisdiction. There are very similar (and technically very comparable) Building Regulations in the Republic of Ireland. The English Building Regulations 2010 and the Building Act 1984 (in England) have been updated, on 1 October 2023, with major changes by
1200-510: The BBC reporting "growing concerns that the quality of homes being built has drastically dropped" and one surveyor concluding that a client's new home was "unfit for habitation" and in places "unsafe". At the time the government was pressuring house developers to target the building 300,000 new homes a year. Many reviews of NHBC can be found on the NHBC trustpilot page at NHBC is rated "Bad" with 1.4 / 5 on Trustpilot . Building regulations in
1250-557: The Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30). The detailed requirements of the Building Regulations in England and Wales are scheduled within 18 separate headings, each designated by a letter (Part A to Part S), and covering aspects such as workmanship, adequate materials, structure, waterproofing and weatherisation, fire safety and means of escape, sound isolation, ventilation, safe (potable) water, protection from falling, drainage, sanitary facilities, accessibility and facilities for
1300-601: The English and Welsh governments' "approved documents") describing the matters to be taken into account. The approved documents are not literally legally binding in how the requirements must be met; rather, they present the expectation of the Secretary of State concerning the minimum appropriate standards required for compliance with the Building Regulations, and the common methods and materials used to achieve these. The use of appropriate British Standards and/or European Standards
1350-679: The Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry.) The FSER22 are enforced by each county fire authority – they came into legal force on 26 Jan 2023. Building regulations are technically under constant review by the DCLG (and are currently being urgently reviewed in light of Grenfell Tower fire ). As following this fatal fire in London in June 2017, there is industry wide concern over fire safety issues with many other buildings . Inappropriate combustible material combinations have been found on
1400-719: The Job, and the NHBC Health and Safety Awards. NHBC was a founder member of The Consumer Code for Home Builders, which gives added protection and rights to the buyers of brand new homes. The aim of the Code is to ensure that new home buyers are given all the information they need about their new home before they sign contracts, and treated fairly afterwards. NHBC was originally set up as the National House Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in
1450-765: The UK will usually require that a warranty is in place before lending on a newly built property, as detailed in the Council of Mortgage Lenders ' handbook. Builders and developers who sell properties with NHBC warranties should adhere to NHBC's guidance documents on construction contained in the NHBC Technical Standards, in addition to complying with Building Regulations in the UK. NHBC inspectors visit building sites at key stages to check compliance with its Technical Standards. The stages are usually (but can sometimes be more): foundations, drainage, superstructure (e.g. brickwork), pre-plaster, and pre-handover to
1500-612: The UK, and assists builders to achieve compliance, and advises on Building Regulations for schemes ranging from residential developments to large commercial and mixed use sites. NHBC offers a range of additional services to help builders comply with Building Regulations , health and safety legislation, and other construction rules. These include: energy rating services (SAP and SBEM), energy performance certificates , Code for Sustainable Homes , and BREEAM assessments, CDM co-ordination, health and safety audits, UKAS accredited testing for sound insulation and air tightness. They also offer
1550-601: The United Kingdom Building regulations that apply across England and Wales are made under powers set out in the Building Act 1984 (c. 55) while those that apply across Scotland are set out in the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 . The Building Act 1984, as amended by the Building Safety Act 2022 (c. 30), permits detailed regulations to be made by the Secretary of State for England and by
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1600-447: The United Kingdom in 1936, with the primary purpose to increase the care and professionalism shown by house builders. As a Registered Housebuilder under the voluntary scheme, houses were inspected during building, buyers were covered by a two-year warranty against major defects, and against the insolvency of the builder. By 1963, 26% of all housing was built by Registered Housebuilders. In 1964 and 1965, changes were introduced, including
1650-536: The building (and any fire risks that brings to the building) and the FSO2005 requires the "Responsible Person(s)" for the building to provide and maintain "suitable and sufficient" general fire precautions. Scotland's Fire Safety legislation is very similar and only slightly different in practical effect. The FSO2005 is criminal law, and breaches of this law can result in the "Responsible Person" being jailed for up to two years and fined up to £10,000 for each offence. Corporate offences may have unlimited fines. Enforcement
1700-489: The building from the walls, furniture and people in the building will be transmitted to the ground, so as not to cause instability to the building or other buildings. Requires buildings to be built in a way ensuring no collapse will occur disproportionately to its cause. Ground movement such as freezing of subsoil will not impair the stability of the building. The Party Wall, etc. Act 1996 also controls walls and foundations being built near to existing buildings. However, it
1750-415: The buyer. For flats, they also inspect roof construction. The inspection process is not designed to check every detail of the build, but if NHBC is satisfied with the overall build quality they will issue the warranty for the new home/premises. If reportable items are found during the build NHBC may still class as an acceptable risk and pass the build anyway. 'Buildmark', the NHBC warranty for private housing
1800-681: The disabled, measures to limit overheating in new dwellings, electrical safety, security of a building, high-speed broadband infrastructure connections, and the installation of a minimum number of facilities for the charging of electric vehicles in all new buildings (commercial and domestic). There are entirely separate "Approved Documents" for Wales and England. In Wales all new dwellings must have automatic fire suppression (sprinklers) installed. In England only new residential buildings, over 11m high (four floors and more) are required to have automatic fire suppression (sprinklers) systems. For each Part, detailed specifications are available free online (in
1850-687: The extension of the warranty to ten years. 1967 saw the upgrading of the NHBRC's standards, particularly in the provision of power outlets, kitchen design, and space heating; drawing on the recommendations of the Parker Morris Committee . By the end of 1970, 92% of new homes were built by NHBRC members. In 1973, the name changed to the National House Building Council (NHBC), and the organisation became completely independent from government and house builders. It
1900-625: The families featured in the Watchdog programme for any mistakes that were made during the handling of their claims. NHBC argued that the cases showed how complex construction issues can be, and that expert opinions from construction professionals could differ. They also stated that they resolve claims from around 15,000 homeowners each year on homes up to 10 years old, and also help to resolve around 5,000 disputes between homeowners and their builders each year. In 2010/11, NHBC paid claims totalling £74.4 million. Further criticism followed in 2017 with
1950-585: The home caused by breaches of its Technical Standards but only if 'damage' has occurred. The NHBC issues a standard form of contract, which may be used to secure the contractual terms between a client and a builder. In the Appeal Court case of Robinson v Jones (2011), the "reasonableness" of certain of its clauses was tested out and they were found to comply with the requirements of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 . In 1985, under
2000-569: The homes affected by the snow were not defective in any way.” The legal requirement is UKAS The United Kingdom Accreditation Service ( UKAS ) is the sole national accreditation body recognised by the British government to assess the competence of organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services. It evaluates these conformity assessment bodies and then accredits them where they are found to meet relevant internationally specified standards. UKAS
2050-403: The legislation is what is ultimately required and there may be many ways of complying, other than just using the ways set out in the recommended provisions within each of the approved documents. In reality, innovative solutions may be hard to validate, and for much building work the tendency is to follow the guidance of the approved documents literally. For example, bathroom manufacturers produce
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2100-442: The nature of land usage, and the appearance of neighbourhoods. Therefore, both must be considered when building works are to be undertaken. From 1 January 2005 the term building work includes work on household electrics . The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 made provision for microgeneration to be brought within the Building Regulations, and increased to two years the time limit for prosecuting contraventions of
2150-408: The new Building Safety Regular (BSR) for England. The BSR thus replaces the role of local building control authorities. The private building control sector can no longer supervise work to build a new or alter a existing "higher-risk building". The former "approved inspectors" (firms) all cease to have any legal function. after 1 October 2024. New "registered building control approvers" (RBCAs) may seek
2200-844: The passage of ground moisture to the interior of the building and to prevent damage to the fabric of the building. The walls, floors and roof of the building shall prevent moisture passing to the inside of the building. The building must have provision to prevent condensation occurring in the roof structure. Complaints arose in the Bristol area after Storm Emma in February 2018 that the attics of more than 50 newly built homes had filled up with snow. Barratt Developments and Redrow plc denied any liability, saying that “Lofts in modern homes are designed to act as home ventilators and to eradicate moisture and condensation issues. The vents are installed in order to comply with building regulations and as such
2250-569: The regulations relating to energy use, energy conservation or carbon emissions. It also requires the Secretary of State to report on compliance with these aspects of the Building Regulations and steps proposed to increase compliance. However, no such regulations have been laid. From 6 April 2006, the Building Regulations are extended by amendments to incorporate some of the European Directives requiring energy in existing and new buildings to be measured, etc. The core term building work
2300-412: The relevant local authority 's Building regulations approval for certification or approval. The application of Building Regulations is separate and distinct from 'Town Planning' and ' planning permission '; the Building Regulations control how buildings are to be designed or modified on the public grounds of safety and sustainability while 'planning permission' is concerned with appropriate development,
2350-533: Was approved by the Department of Trade as an insurance company. The NHBC was criticised on a 2010 edition of the BBC consumer television programme Watchdog , for failing to repair homes due to incorrect surveying of problem properties by relevant professionals, and thus failing to either compensate owners financially or fix any problems promptly, for newly built properties under their warranty. NHBC apologised to
2400-407: Was once again amended and extended in scope to include renovation of thermal elements , and energy used by space cooling systems as well as energy used by space heating systems. Both are now subject to efficiency limits, and energy use controls are required. New additional competent persons schemes were proposed and authorised, in respect of energy systems and energy efficient design. Shortly after
2450-559: Was set up in 1995 under a memorandum of understanding with the British government (between UKAS and the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry ). It resulted from the merger in 1995 of NAMAS (National Measurement Accreditation Service) and NACCB (National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies). NAMAS was itself the result of a merger in 1985 of NATLAS (National Testing Laboratory Accreditation Scheme) formed in 1981 and BCS (British Calibration Service) formed in 1966. UKAS
2500-697: Was subsequently overturned by the UK High Court in November 2019 because "the consultation had been inadequate". A number of very major changes, amendments and new statutory provisions, were introduced, following the enactment by (the Westminster) Parliament, of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety Act 2021 . There are currently Eighteen parts (sections) to the building regulations (for England and Wales ) and each
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