Building Notices

The Building Notice procedure allows for building work to be carried out without the need to submit full plans. Plans are not required with this process so it's quicker and less detailed than the full plans application. It is designed to enable some types of building work to get under way quickly; although it is perhaps best suited to small work.

Carrying out work without the benefit of plans being checked and approved by us relies on the person doing the work being confident about their knowledge of the Building Regulations. We put greater emphasis on inspecting the work and it is likely that additional and/or more detailed inspections will be made. In some cases, we may also need to request plans, details or calculations during the construction.

A Building Notice is best suited to minor works and can only be used in connection with certain types of buildings, mainly domestic. If you are considering using this procedure for other building types please contact us for advice, prior to giving the notice. There are specific exclusions in the regulations as to when building notices cannot be used.

These are:

• Works to non-domestic buildings
• Work which will be built close to or over the top of rainwater or foul drains as designated by Wessex Water
• Where a new dwelling will front onto a private street

Advantages

• With this type of application, you are only required to submit an application form, a location plan and the appropriate fee.
• The services of an agent are not essential but certain details may be requested at a later stage
• Once the application has been submitted you need only wait 48 hours before starting the work, avoiding any time delays inherent in the Full Plans Application

Disadvantages

• As no plan is needed you will won’t benefit from the protection and reassurance that an approved notice would give you
• The whole process of making sure your work complies with the Building Regulations is carried out at the site inspection stage This has one major disadvantage: if a problem is found it will usually be after work has been carried out and therefore involve a degree of remedial work which can result in delay or additional costs
• With the Building Notice application, you are effectively taking the whole risk of making sure the work complies with the Building Regulations

When submitting a Building Notice the following should be included:

• A completed Building Notice form, along with the appropriate charge
• A location/block plan to a scale of 1:1250
• The fee