Frequently Asked Questions

A Registered Building Control Approver (RBCA) is a private-sector building control organisation registered with and regulated by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).RBCAs provide building control services for eligible building projects, including reviewing plans and information for compliance with the Building Regulations and carrying out inspections while work is underway.The work an RBCA can undertake depends on its registration and the competence of the Registered Building Inspectors involved.

For most building projects, you can choose whether to use a Registered Building Control Approver (RBCA) or your Local Authority Building Control service.Both operate within the statutory building control system and assess building work against the requirements of the Building Regulations.There are some types of work and certain statutory functions that cannot be undertaken by an RBCA. For example, Higher-Risk Building work is overseen by the Building Safety Regulator, while certain other matters, such as regularisation of unauthorised building work, are dealt with by the relevant Local Authority.

No. Planning permission and Building Regulations approval are separate processes and a project may require one, both, or in some cases neither.Planning permission generally considers the use, appearance, scale and impact of a development and is dealt with by your Local Planning Authority.Building Regulations set minimum standards for the design and construction of buildings, covering areas such as health and safety, structural stability, fire safety, accessibility and energy efficiency.Where both are required, obtaining planning permission does not remove the need to comply with the Building Regulations.

Many types of building work require Building Regulations approval, including extensions, loft and garage conversions, structural alterations and new buildings.Some minor works may be exempt from the Building Regulations, while certain types of work can be self-certified by installers registered with an appropriate Competent Person Scheme.If you're unsure whether your project requires Building Regulations approval, please contact us with some details of the proposed work and we'll be happy to advise you on the appropriate next steps.

You should contact us before any building work commences so that the appropriate building control process can be put in place before construction begins.Registered Building Control Approvers cannot provide a regularisation service for unauthorised building work that has already been carried out.If work has already started without the appropriate building control arrangements in place, you should contact your Local Authority Building Control service to discuss the options available.