Building regulations checks before buying a house

Building regulations approval and planning permission are different checks, and a project may require both. A planning decision does not answer every building regulations question. GOV.UK lists construction, extensions and certain alterations among work that can require approval, but the right question is what applied to the particular work, rather than whether the house has one universal certificate.

Make two folders in your notes: planning evidence and building regulations evidence. In each, record the address, work described, date and reference number. If the seller supplies a planning letter for a loft conversion, keep it as planning evidence and leave the separate building regulations question open. This avoids accidentally treating a reassuring document as proof of something it does not cover.

Source: GOV.UK: when building regulations approval is needed

Ask the seller which parts of the home have been changed during their ownership and what they know about earlier work. Include an extension, converted roof space, changed layout or replaced installations where relevant. Record approximate dates as approximate; do not silently turn a remembered year into a confirmed construction date. Your aim is a workable question list, not a diagnosis from photographs.

For each item, write a short description that someone else can recognise. For example, label a rear extension by the rooms it contains rather than simply saying building work. Note whether the listing, floor plan and seller describe the same arrangement. Send discrepancies to your conveyancer and surveyor so they can investigate within their respective roles. Keep the seller's answer and the supporting evidence in separate columns.

• Describe each alteration separately.
• Record who supplied the date and whether it is confirmed.
• Ask which approval or certification route was used.
• Keep a list of unanswered document requests.

Source: GOV.UK: when building regulations approval is needed · GOV.UK: conveyancing and transferring ownership

GOV.UK describes different application routes. With full plans, a completion certificate is normally issued after compliant work is finished. A building notice is a different route and does not give the same formal approval as full plans. The document names and sequence therefore matter: ask your conveyancer to explain what the supplied records establish for the actual project.

Check that each copy identifies the right property and the work you are asking about. A document for a boiler installation would not settle questions about a later extension. If a scan has missing pages, request a complete readable copy before considering the item resolved. Keep a simple record showing received, checked by the appropriate professional, or outstanding; the presence of a file alone is not the same as verification.

Source: GOV.UK: building control application routes and regularisation

Some work can be certified through a competent person scheme. GOV.UK explains that a registered installer, for example for qualifying window or boiler work, can certify compliance and provide a certificate. This is another reason to ask how the work was dealt with rather than insist that every installation must have followed exactly the same application route.

Ask for the certificate, its installation date and a description of what it covers. Match that description to the home and the equipment you saw, then pass it to your conveyancer. If the seller has an invoice but cannot locate certification, record both facts. An invoice can help identify the installer and date, but avoid describing it as a compliance certificate. Keep installation records distinct from later maintenance or servicing notes.

Source: GOV.UK: competent person schemes

If paperwork is missing, describe exactly which work and document are unresolved. Missing records do not by themselves tell you whether work is sound or which legal response is appropriate. Ask your conveyancer what enquiries and options fit the circumstances, and ask your surveyor about the physical condition and any further inspection they recommend. Do not let one professional question replace the other.

GOV.UK describes regularisation as a possible retrospective approval route through a local authority, with limits and possible alterations before certification. That is not a guarantee that a particular home will receive approval. Discuss the sequence of any further enquiries with your conveyancer before taking action yourself. Keep the issue open in your purchase notes until you understand the evidence, remaining uncertainty and implications for your decision.

Source: GOV.UK: building control application routes and regularisation · GOV.UK: conveyancing and transferring ownership

Imagine a listing advertises an extended kitchen and recently replaced windows. The seller supplies a planning reference for the extension and an invoice for the windows. This hypothetical example leaves two separate evidence questions: what building regulations records cover the extension, and what certification, if applicable, covers the window installation? Neither question is answered simply by adding the two supplied documents to a folder.

Create one row for each job, attach the documents already received and list the next question beside the person who will check it. Public planning research can help organise your starting questions; it cannot inspect the work or establish that a missing document is unnecessary. Before exchange, review outstanding points with your conveyancer and surveyor. Use the checklist to keep uncertainty visible rather than produce an automatic pass or fail for the house.

Source: GOV.UK: when building regulations approval is needed · GOV.UK: competent person schemes · GOV.UK: conveyancing and transferring ownership

This guide combines practical research suggestions with the source services and professional guidance below. It is general information; property-specific survey, valuation and legal questions need the appropriate professional. Check the linked source for current boundaries and requirements.

• GOV.UK: when building regulations approval is needed
• GOV.UK: building control application routes and regularisation
• GOV.UK: competent person schemes
• GOV.UK: conveyancing and transferring ownership

Read how SashMark handles sources, matching and missing evidence.