Getting it right, from the start

As architectural designers, Solent Architecture make it a natural part of our design process to specify work which complies with building regulations - so you can relax, knowing that all legal requirements will be met.

Building Regulations will apply if you construct or change buildings in particular ways. These include numerous tasks which will be a natural part of any new-build project and almost every refurbishment, house extension or loft conversion. You, or someone acting on your behalf, should check with the LPA before the work is done as to the legal requirements. Typically, these will be things like

• Replacing fuse boxes and connected electrics

• Installing a bathroom that involves plumbing

• Changing electrics near a bath or shower

• Putting in a fixed air-conditioning system

• Replacing windows and doors

• Replacing roof coverings on pitched and flat roofs

• Installing or replacing a heating system

• Adding extra radiators to a heating system

Although this may seem like a daunting list, using appropriately qualified and registered trades people (“competent persons,” such as properly trained and registered electricians and plumbers) will mean that much of the work will be self-certified by those specialists - the final checks by a building Control Surveyor should then be straightforward.

Building Control Inspection

As your project gets under way, it will need to be inspected at key stages to ensure compliance. Stages include commencement, foundations, oversite (between foundations and the laying of floors), drainage, roofing, insulation, and completion.

Inspection is by a Building Control surveyor. They will submit their report to the Local Planning Authority. Most such surveyors are employed by (or contract with) LPAs, although independent Building Control surveyors can also be appointed. Prior to the inspection, you will also need to make a Building Control Application, which will get you into the system and avoid wasting time in the last stages of your project. There are fees payable to the LPA for this service and these can vary depending on the size and nature of the work done.

Detail and precision

At Solent Architecture we are proud of the holistic approach we take to all the projects on which we work. Attention to detail, careful preparation and precision in everything we do is matched only by an original and imaginative approach to getting the best out of your property.