Building Control

Why is pre-build design assessment so vital?

Any building project design requires an assessment by the local building control body (BCB), whether it be a personal self-build or an extension. BCBs are usually local authorities, i.e. the Wigan Council. However, they can also be ‘approved inspectors’ from private companies.

 BCB’s will set out a plan check to assess the drawings and structural calculations. They will also assure that all the plans pass requirements, such as the British and European Standards, building regulations, and anything else involved in safety. At Athtech Designs, we have over ten years of experience under our belt, allowing us to deal with Building Control in a measured manner and assist you with ease along the way.

How does Building Control Work?

We will assist you by comprising a technical plan package and sending it over to Building Control. They will review it in line with legislation and issue a ‘plan check’, which is a summative list of questions required to go ahead. We will then answer any necessary questions, and the plans will be approved for the build.

Having your plan approved means that your design is compliant with legislation. If a builder follows this plan to a tee, you should have a smooth sailing building process, ensuring no delays or additional costs due to inspections. We can assure you that our plans will have enough clarity that builders can easily pick up where we left off and that the clients will be satisfied with the designs.

What if we change our minds?

As a client, we ask that you check through your plans and ensure they are to your complete satisfaction before we go ahead with the submission process. Once we’ve sent off the design, it’s commonplace that the design process will stop, so it’s best to have full confidence in your design plan before we send it.

Of course, there is leeway to change things during the works, but this should be done with assistance from the team at Athtech Designs so we can submit these changes as amendments. This will allow Building Control to make sure the proposed changes are in line with regulations; however, this will lead to delays in your building process.

What about a building notice?

Building notices are occasionally used to get around submitting Building Control plans to get your project started. Building notices are submitted to local authorities prior to work beginning, but your local authority will still require similar information to that of Building Control, including site plans, sketch drawings, and drainage details. By entering into a Building Notice, you agree to comply with any building regulations on-site.

Building notices are mostly used for smaller construction projects since larger projects may fall into issues when using a building notice alone. For instance, some contractors will be unaware of key specifics in your design, meaning they are failing to meet requirements.

So, you can cut the costs of producing a regulations plan with a building notice, but you are doing this at the loss of key details and contracts. This also means that a builder will have no strong barometer of how much your project is likely to cost and will quote you solely on experience.

There may be miscommunications, such as the client expecting something in a build that the builder is not aware of. This means that there could be high extra costs, meaning you will have to dip into what you saved by avoiding a Building Regulation Plan anyway!

By using Building Control drawings, you will ensure that the project is in line with any relevant Building Regulations, and this will be thoroughly checked before the project begins. This means you can overcome potential problems and allow your work to run without any major issues.

Building Control Drawings Explained

As per UK law, new construction projects are required to be completed within the line of Building Regulations. However, when it comes to smaller projects such as porches, conservatories and detached garages, Building Regulations may not be required. The general rule of thumb is that builds with up to 30m2 floor area do not require Building Regulations.

 After getting your planning permissions approved, you should get Building Control plans comprised of technical drawings, which will ensure that your project is following regulations.

These plans will involve construction drawings with plenty of detail that will ensure the design follows the Approved Documents. Approved Documents range from A to R and include aspects such as fire safety, structural requirements, and anything from details about extensions, electronic communications, and accessibility.

Building Control drawings are highly beneficial for making sure your project is safe and easy to tender and price. Once your architectural designer has produced all the relevant drawings, they are submitted to Building Control, who will ensure they are in line with the regulations. This allows you to save plenty of money and time by canceling out any potential problems that could occur before the builders begin the project

Building Control drawings are made up of:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •  An Outline of the project at hand
                                  • Technical drawings involving aspects such as elevations, floor plans and sections
                                  • Calculations for structural engineering, if required
                                  • Site plans showing how the work will look and the surrounding area
                                  • A technical specification.