Building Control Compliance for Builders in England

Almost certainly not in the way it sounds. Building control assesses whether design and building work comply with the Building Regulations; there is no general building control RAMS approval process. Under regulation 14A of the Building Regulations 2010 an application can only be rejected because it does not comply with regulation 14, because it is not sufficiently detailed to let the authority determine whether the work would contravene an applicable requirement, or because it shows that the work would contravene one — none of those is a decision about RAMS. Where RAMS come back marked up it is normally the client or principal contractor reviewing them for coordination, contract assurance or site access. Ask who made the request and get the concern in writing before you revise anything.

Building control typically wants a Full Plans or Building Notice submission, structural calculations where relevant, and the drawings and details that show how the applicable building regulations will be met. RAMS and the construction phase plan sit under CDM 2015 rather than under building control. Every construction project needs a construction phase plan whether or not it is notifiable: the principal contractor draws it up under regulation 12(1) where there is more than one contractor, and the contractor draws it up under regulation 15(5) where there is only one contractor. On a domestic project the client's duties in regulations 4(1) to (7) and 6 pass under regulation 7(1) to the contractor where there is only one contractor, to the principal contractor where there is more than one, or, where there is more than one contractor, to the principal designer under a written agreement that the principal designer will fulfil them. CDM 2015 extends to Great Britain; Northern Ireland has separate CDM 2016 rules.

Submit the Full Plans application (or a Building Notice where the work is eligible) before work starts. Under regulation 16 of the Building Regulations 2010 you must give the relevant authority notice of your intention to start work, and at least two days must have elapsed since the end of the day that notice was given before work commences; you must also notify the authority of commencement and of completion within five days of each. There is no national list of stage inspections or notice periods — the authority can require notice that a specified stage has been reached, so agree the inspection stages and the notice each one needs with your building control body up front. RAMS and the CPP are CDM 2015 documents and should be ready before you set up the site.

No. Building control enforces the Building Regulations (structural adequacy, fire safety, Part L energy, accessibility). CDM 2015 is HSE territory and governs health and safety through design, construction, and handover. Both apply to most projects. RAMS and CPP address construction health and safety duties under CDM; Full Plans submissions and stage inspections are part of the separate building control process.

On a Full Plans application GOV.UK states you can expect a decision within 5 weeks, or 2 months with your consent. A Building Notice has no formal plans approval before work, so issues may be found at site inspection and an inspector can still require work to be opened up. For work that is not higher risk you can apply to the local council or to a registered building control approver, which gives an initial notice to the local authority on your behalf; registered building control approvers replaced approved inspectors in England and Wales on 6 April 2024. Charges and turnaround are not set nationally, so get a written quote and agree notice periods with your building control body.