What Building Control is and how the Building Regulations help you
LABC: What is Building Control and how do the Building Regulations help you?
Building work at your property
There is plenty of information out there about how to improve your home and how to create a beautiful extension or conversion but there's not much practical guidance about the permissions you need.
Once you've decided what kind of project you want to carry out you'll probably need to find and architect or designer to help you prepare plans and details.
How much you have to spend will be a big factor in what you can achieve and professional guidance can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Once you find out whether you need planning permission and put in your application, it's time to think about building regulations. The regulations sound very complicated and they are very technical but they are very practical. You can download them for free from gov.uk and you can get a lot of free help and advice from your local Building Control team.
The building regulations are the legal minimum standards but don't necessarily guarantee that the work is perfect, you still need experts. These are enforced by Building Control bodies. You can use approved inspectors or private Building Control firms but most people chose to use the expertise you find at your local authority Building Control or inspectors department. They are there to protect you and your money from cowboy builders and unsafe practices.