Building Standards
Building Regulations are made by the Building Standards Division of the Scottish Government who lay down minimum standards that all new and converted buildings must achieve.
Verifiers (the Local Authority within your area) are responsible for checking (verifying) that what you propose to do will meet the requirements of the building regulations. An application for a Building Warrant therefore has to be submitted and approved by the Verifier before any building project can commence.
The Verifier assesses your proposals for compliance with the Building Regulations by carrying out technical checks on matters such as structure, fire, environment, safety, noise and energy. They are required to be satisfied that a proposed building will comply in all aspects of the Building Regulations, before they can issue a Building Warrant and before construction work can start.
Following the technical check for compliance the Verifier will send a formal letter, commonly referred to as the "Plan Assessment/First Report letter". This letter lists questions of a technical nature and queries they have regarding your application. Don't be alarmed! - from past experience we have found there is a natural tendency to be either insulted or annoyed at the apparent bureaucracy and time wasting, but this happens with virtually all applications - if the plans pass first time without any queries you can count yourself as being very lucky!
Depending on the extent and complexity of your proposed building work the Local Authority may require specialist structural design certification, structural calculations, specifications and details. Generally this may be required, for example, if a load-bearing wall is to be removed and a steel beam inserted, or where dormers or loft conversions are being constructed, for certain complex extensions, new houses, and timber frame structures, etc.
The need for an Engineers design certification or calculations are always at the discretion of the Verifier, and the individual Officer dealing with your application - if they ask for one you will have to appoint an Engineer, and include the cost of their fees in your costing for the project - it should be noted that our fee does not include Structural Engineers fees.
Once the points raised in the "Plan Assessment/Report Letter" have been answered, the application is reassessed. Depending on the Verifier (and on many occasions the individual Building Control/Standards Officer) dealing with your application, this process may be repeated on more than one occasion. When the Verifier is satisfied that your proposals comply with the Building Regulations, a Building Warrant is issued, and you are given three years to complete the work.
You are required to inform the Building Control/Standards Office within 7 days of commencing building work and when a drain has been laid and is ready for a test/inspection. On completion of the works you are required to submit a Completion Certificate to the Building Control/Standards Office and they have 14 days to either accept or reject it.
A "frequentley asked questions" publication on the building standards system by the Scottish Government is available (Click Here).
Do I need a Building Warrant?
The following is provided as a guide only and if you feel your proposals may be exempt from requiring approval, confirmation should be obtained from the appropriate Local Authority Department. If your proposals are exempt from requiring Planning Permission this does not mean you are exempt from requiring a Building Warrant and vice versa.
Most work will require a Building Warrant although some exemptions include:-