Building control - our service
Our building control service ensures that buildings are built in accordance with the building regulations and associated legislation. Building regulations are not the same as planning permission.
The benefits of local authority building control (LABC)
About building regulations
Building regulations are national standards for the design and construction of buildings, to ensure safety, energy conservation and access for people with disabilities. They apply to most building work, whether new, alterations, extensions or change of us.
Find out more about building regulations (including approved documents) on GOV.UK.
For more information about building regulations see the Planning Portal building regulations. You can also find out if you need to apply for planning permission.
What we do and don’t do
Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the health and safety of people in and about those buildings. When you make a building application we prepare an inspection service plan listing the stages where we need to visit to inspect work. We’ll make sure work is in line with building regulations, and advise you if you need to change anything. However, local authorities are not present for the great majority of the project and do not act as a ‘clerk of works’. An additional charge may be levied if extra visits become necessary due to unforeseen complications or excessive delays.
When your project is finished, we will make a final inspection and if everything meets standards, we’ll issue you with a completion certificate. This is essential to avoid problems with conveyancing, mortgages and home insurance.
A completion certificate for building work is not a guarantee that all works are completed to the necessary standard. All the certificate can and does state is that as far as the Council could tell at the time, based on the professional judgement of the officer who inspected it, the building work complied with the Building Regulations. This is not a guarantee that all works have been done to the required standard.
Where a local authority issues a completion certificate for work which is later found not to comply with the Building Regulations, the courts have decided that a local authority does not take on liability for the substandard work; this remains with the builder and those who commissioned the work.
Dangerous structures
Building control surveyors check reports of dangerous buildings and structures and may advise how to make the building safe. If the work is not done, we can take action against the owner or use emergency powers to make the building safe or demolish it, and recover the costs. If you know of a dangerous structure call us on 0300 300 8635 (0300 300 8098 - out of office hours).
However, if there is immediate threat to life, please call 999. For non-emergencies, please call 101.
Demolition
If you intend to demolish a building, you must give us a minimum of 6 weeks notice. Please complete and return our Demolition Notice form (PDF 152.4KB) 
or advise us writing. Demolition may require planning permission.
Where you intend to demolish a large building or several buildings we will need to a copy of your method statement, and you should notify gas, drainage and power companies and occupiers of adjacent buildings.
For more information, go to the demolitions page on the Planning Portal.