What are the building regulations?

What are building regulations?

The building regulations, defined by the Government, ensure that new buildings, conversions, renovations and extensions (domestic or commercial) will be safe, healthy and high performing.

Building regulations are required to:

• make sure that acceptable standards of health and safety are achieved in and around buildings
• set minimum standards for access and facilities for people with disabilities
• specify measures to control energy consumption
• specify minimum standards of performance for important building design elements such as structural stability, weather resistance and fire safety.

When you make a building regulation application you are seeking only to have the details of your development checked and approved for compliance with the standards of construction.

Detailed regulations look at specific construction elements including:

• accessibility
• acoustic performance
• electrical and gas safety
• energy performance
• fire protection
• protection against contamination including methane and radon gas
• protection against falls
• protection against the ingress of water
• standards for drains
• structural integrity
• ventilation.

We work in harmony with agents, developers, builders and homeowners to help ensure that projects run smoothly, to budget and meet the relevant requirements.