What Is Building Control?

Building control is the service that checks building work complies with the Building Regulations. It approves plans, inspects at defined stages, and issues a completion certificate when the work is finished.

What it is not

It is not planning permission. Planning decides whether you may build the thing; building control decides whether what you built is safe and properly constructed. Most work needs the second even when it needs no planning permission at all.

The two routes

Local authority building control, run by your council, or an approved inspector, a private body doing the same job. Both are valid and you choose.

Some work avoids the process entirely through self-certification, a registered electrician, Gas Safe engineer, FENSA window installer or CompetentRoofer contractor certifies their own work and you receive a certificate directly.

Inspections

Building control inspects at set points, foundations before they are covered, damp course, drainage before backfilling, structure, insulation, and completion.

Missing an inspection can mean opening up completed work, which is expensive and entirely avoidable. Confirm before work starts who is booking them.

The certificate

At the end you should receive a completion certificate. Keep it, it is the document a buyer's solicitor asks for, and its absence can delay a sale.