The Building Regulations

The Building Regulations are made under powers provided in
the Building Act 1984, and apply in England and Wales. The
current edition of the regulations is ‘The Building Regulations
2000’ (as amended) and the majority of building projects are
required to comply with them. They exist to ensure the health
and safety of people in and around all types of buildings (i.e.
domestic, commercial and industrial). They also provide for energy
conservation, and for access and facilities for disabled people.

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   The Building Regulations contain various sections dealing with definitions, procedures,
   they: and what is expected in terms of the technical performance of building work. For example,

1.    Define what types of building, plumbing, and heating projects

          amount to ‘Building Work’ and make these subject to control

          under the Building Regulations.

2.    Specify what types of buildings are exempt from control under

           the Building Regulations.

3.    Set out the notification procedures to follow when starting,

           carrying out, and completing building work.

4.    Set out the ‘requirements’ with which the individual aspects

          of building design and construction must comply in the

           interests of the health and safety of building users, of energy

           conservation, and access and facilities for disabled people

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Anyone wanting to carry out building work which is subject to
the Building Regulations is required by law to make sure it
complies with the regulations
The primary responsibility for achieving compliance with the
regulations rests with the person carrying out the building work.
So if you are carrying out the work personally the responsibility
will be yours. If you are employing a builder the responsibility
will usually be that firm’s – but you should confirm this position
at the very beginning. You should also bear in mind that if you
are the owner of the building, it is ultimately you who may be
served with an enforcement notice if the work does not comply
with the regulations. So it is important that you choose your builder carefully.

 WHAT IS ‘BUILDING WORK’ AS DEFINED IN THE
BUILDING REGULATIONS?

‘Building Work’ is defined in Regulation 3 of the Building
Regulations. The definition means that the following types of
project amount to ‘Building Work’:-

     1.  The erection or extension of a building.

2.    The installation or extension of a service or fitting which is

           controlled under the regulations.

      3.  An alteration project involving work which will be relevant

           to the continuing compliance of the building, service or

           fitting with the requirements relating to structure, fire, or

           access and facilities for disabled people.

      4.  The insertion of insulation into a cavity wall.

      5.  The underpinning of the foundations of a building.

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 If whatever work your project involves amounts to ‘Building
Work’ then it must comply with the Building Regulations.

This means that if you want to:-

          1.  Put up a new building, or extend or alter an existing one

               (e.g. by converting a loft space into living space).

          2.  Or provide services and/or fittings in a building such as:

► washing and sanitary facilities (e.g. WCs, showers, washbasins, kitchen sinks, etc).

► Hot water cylinders,

► Foul water and rainwater drainage.

► Replacement windows.

► Fuel burning appliances of any type.

     then the Building Regulations will probably apply.

          They may also apply to certain changes of use of an existing building
          even though you may think that the work involved in the project
          will not amount to ‘Building Work’. This is because the change of use
          may result in the building as a whole no longer complying
          with the appropriate requirements for its new type of use, and
          so having to be up-graded to meet additional requirements
          specified in the regulations for which building work may also
          be required.