building regs

I have been quoted nearly £10k for a 2 bay oak frame car port. This is just the oak frame delivered to site with no roof timber or construction. I am sure I can build it much cheaper using C16 or C24 tanalised timber. The car port is going to be approx 6.1m wide by 5.4m deep and supported on a...

Can mains Smoke/Heat alarms share the same electrical circuit in the domestic distribution board/consumer unit as an Intruder alarm under building regs/BS7671/ what ever regulation covers mains smoke alarms? Just seems wasteful to waste two ways in a electrical distribution board, not to...

Hi everyone, I’m planning to build a large garden art studio (bigger than 30m²) and need advice on breeze block construction. Most search results focus on small prefab garden rooms, but I’m after something more like a garage or workshop—solid, durable, and cost-effective. I know it will need...

I have a 4 bed house, I own it with my partner and the mortgage company. I would like to convert an upstairs bedroom into a small kitchen with a freestanding electric cooker, fridge freezer and sink unit. The room is tiny 8'8" x 6'2" . Will I need planning permission? I read that it will need to...

Hi, we are a fair way through the process of buying a house. We have just found out that the loft conversion, conservatory and re-roof were completed without building control approval. Initial applications were put in but the certificates were never obtained. The sellers have lied about this...

Hi all, My partner and I are planning a side extension, and were going to get building control done through the local council. However, one of the builders we're gathering quotes from advised against this; apparently in his experience the council will require several visits to the site and will...

Hi, we're in the process of remodelling our home. The new layout has a staircase going up from the entrance hallway to a landing. From the landing there are three bedrooms and one bathroom - all pretty standard. The bedrooms all have escape windows. Because of the sloping nature of our site one...

I've read a lot of threads like this, but don't think I've found quite my answer yet (which probably just means I haven't found the right thread yet). I've got an integral garage on my 1930s house. The previous owners constructed over the top of it so our en-suite and half of my sons bedroom...

Gah, I’m in a pickle. I’m having internal walls and ceilings/flat roof insulated as part of my journey towards getting an ASHP/more energy efficient house. Most of the walls are 1960s build cavity walls, assumed insulated on the EPC. I’ve had an energy consultant and various builders quote...

Hiya, after some guidance, please :-) Would it be ok with building regs to put an Alexa in zone 3 of the bathroom if she's in a hole, high up on the wall, behind a grill that is screwed on to the wall and can't be taken off the wall without a screwdriver? The plan is to have the alexa wire...

Hi, im currently designing my own rear extension with it being permitted development. I was curious to know, would i require a fire door to the opening between the hall and pantry? many thanks

Hi all, I found out from a builder that my Building Control company had lost their licence and were due to cease trading so rang up for a partial completion certificate. No other company will touch it now and say it must go through the local council. I spoke to the council and they said make...

Hi looking to replace a lot of windows in my house. I noticed there is a rule on if it’s within 800mm of the floor then you need toughened glass. Annoyingly all bad one of the windows are about 750mm to the bottom of the frame. I’m fitting them myself and building regs will sign them off. Does...

Is it building control's responsibility to check that the builder builds to the structural engineer’s design and specification?

Hi, so we are converting our garage (linked to the 1960's house) into a habitable room. The walls are double leaf brick without cavity. I will therefore need Celotex Insulated internal plasterboard sheets - do you know if 75mm cellotex is the minimum acceptable thickness? Can I simply bond it to...

Hello All, I am planning to convert a detached, 1960's, brick-built (singe-skin with piers) garage with a pitched, tiled roof into a new kitchen-diner and connect it to the existing house with a nice walkway with plenty of glass. The garage is approximately 3.5x6.0m. I am planning to construct...

Hi, please see attached photo showing rear wall of a 1960's semi-house. The rain-pipe and sink pipe waste run into this gutter. The green hilight shows where the new proposed 60cm wide strip foundation will run for the rear kitchen extension (about 1m deep). What is the solution for this...

Hi all, I am in the middle of purchasing a 3 bedroom property, plus a loft room (note this is NOT advertised as an extra bedroom). The property is advertised as a 3 bedroom, and the mortgage valuation is based on a 3 bedroom. There is no planning or building regs for the loft room, and it has...

Hi, I'm currently mid-build on a 1.6m deep x 2.8m wide porch. I've been told by the builders that I can't put the door where I want to (very close to one edge) because building regs require a >600mm return. Something to do with making sure the wall doesn't get blown over. We live near London so...

I'm considering building a garden room / outbuilding down the bottom of the garden. I'm no builder but I'm toying with the idea of using a SIPs garden room kit as an insulated brick one is expensive. I've seen 6m x 3m design from supersips that we like, it's going to be located within 1m of the...