Building Control - is your property legal?
Building Control - is your property legal?
04/03/2010
The Northern Ireland Building Regulations- DOES YOUR BUILDING COMPLY?
The Northern Ireland Building Regulations are legal requirements made by the Department of Finance and Personnel and administered by the 26 District Councils. The Regulations are intended to ensure the safety, health, welfare and convenience of people in and around buildings.
Contraventions of Building Regulations can generally be categorised as follows:
(a) failure to deposit plans before commencing building works;
(b) failure by the builder to give the required notice at specified stages of the work;
(c) failure to comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations in carrying out work on site.
The Council has legal powers to deal with each type of contravention.
Where the building work does not comply with the Building Regulations the Council is empowered to serve a Building Regulations Contravention Notice. The Notice will specify the contravention and the period of time, normally 28 days, within which work must be made good, altered or removed.
WORK REQUIRING AN APPLICATION
Anyone intending to carry out work to which Building Regulations must lodge an Application with their local Building Control Office.
WHAT YOU MUST DO
In either case you must lodge an application prior to starting work. You can be prosecuted for failing to do this. You should ensure that you use the services of an architect who has a good working knowledge of Building Regulations.
UNAUTHORISED WORK
If work is carried out without an application having been made you may be prosecuted. Furthermore, should you wish to sell your property the purchaser’s solicitor will wish to see evidence of approvals. If these are not available it may delay or prevent the sale.
The value of your property may be affected if unapproved work is undertaken. Such work often comes to light during the sale of a property when the vendor is asked to produce evidence of approvals.
Also if there is no building control approval it may render your insurance on your property null and void. Check with your insurance provider as this may vary. Your proposed works may also require permission from the Planning Authority.
Some light industrial units are passed by Building Control as a shell and require a further Building Control approval for the fit out. Also previous tenants may have done work that has not been passed by Building Control
WHAT TYPE WORK NEEDS APPROVAL?
Anyone intending to carry out work to which Building Regulations apply must lodge an application with their Local Building Control Office. Some examples of such work are:
• Erecting a new building;
• Extending an existing building;
• Changing the use of a building, for example, warehouses to offices;
• Converting a roofspace or garage;
• Carrying out structural works:
• New walls to create a room or store
• Replacing fire doors
• Replacing existing walls, floors, roofs, stairs;
• Removal of chimney breast;
• Making two rooms into one;
• Installing cavity wall installation;
• Drylining walls or lining walls/ceilings with sheeting or boarding;
• Replacing fire doors.
• Provision of services or fittings, for example;
• Installation of a fire detection and alarm system (where required);
• Installation of central heating;
• Replacement/re-lining flues;
• New drainage including septic tanks;
• Installation of new sanitary appliances
These lists are not exhaustive.
Our Architectural team would be pleased to quote for all alterations and designs. Contact our head Office.