Most everyone has heard of Building Regs and Building Control - but just what do they mean in a new build.... 

Building Regulations are great tomes of rules that must be complied with when building a permanent structure.  Drawings are usually completed to show how these regulations are being met on your build - although it is up to you to communicate what insulation, ecological considerations, types of window etc that you want to have to the person drawing your building regs drawings if you want something more than standard compliance.   If you don't yet have your building regulations drawings, get in touch with us for a very competitive quote - or see the Drawings & Planning pages.

Building Control is provided by an organisation which checks your building regulations drawings to ensure that they comply with or exceed legislative requirements and they also provide the manpower to check that these regulations have been applied by coming out to site to check your build at predetermined stages. 

It is no longer only the Local Authority that can do the Building Control - this is now a privatised part of house building; so look around, ask questions and get quotes.

SAP/EPC, Air, Water (and all that jazz!) Before building, you must have the build details of your new home interpreted and analysed to make sure the house will achieve a suitable SAP EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).  This is where your overall U value, air tightness, heating, ventilation etc are number crunched to produce an EPC outlining the energy efficiency of the building. 

Do not confuse minimum Building Regulations requirements wtih SAP requirements.  The former will often fail the latter.  Indeed many buildings don't pass first time and the SAP Assessor will make suggestions to improve results - more insulation, solar panels, woodburners have all been cited.  

Here is a chance to save money as in most circumstances, the same organisation you choose to do the Building Control can do the SAP/EPC, water, air tightness and even building warranty checks.  This could well be your Local Authority - and I would go so far as to suggest this may be the best place to start for your quotes collectoin.  They are getting used to competing and their packages can be quite good - as can those of the private sector 

Your Building Control Officer is the qualified surveyor that does the checking of your build as it progresses.  No matter what you may have heard from any other source, this person should be befriended - at the very least treated with respect and as an incredibly useful font of information - this is a professionally qualified person who knows his/her stuff. 

He or she is interested in helping you build the house you said you would, in compliance with the regulations that apply. 

My emphasis is on the word "helping" - we have never met a Building Control Officer who is intentionally obnoxious.  Work with him/her and you will have no issues.