Building regulations

About building regulations

Building regulations set standards for design and construction in England and Wales. They apply to most new buildings and many alterations to existing buildings.

The guidance for the building regulations are known as 'Approved Documents'. You can read the Approved Documents on the Planning Portal website.

We use them to help protect the health and safety of people in and around buildings and to conserve energy. We also use them to make sure buildings have reasonable access and facilities for people with disabilities.

If the work is close to a public sewer

Before you make an application to us, you need to check with Thames Water whether the work will affect any public sewers that may be within 3 metres of any foundations.

We consult with Thames Water on all applications we receive, but if you don't get in touch with them first, it may delay your project. Applications made that involve building near sewers will require a formal 'build over' agreement with them. This will be an independent agreement between you and Thames Water.

Please visit the Thames Water website for more detailed information.

Complying with building regulations

So that we can make sure that your building work complies with building regulations, you may need to apply for either a building notice or a full plans notice.

In most cases, you can apply for either notice. You will find more detailed advice on the building notice page or full plans notice page, but the following information may help you choose.

In some circumstances you will not be able to apply for a building notice. If you are any doubt, please contact us using the details below.

Building notice

A building notice allows you to carry out building work without having to provide plans first.

You can use it for most building work, apart from for offices, shops, railway premises, hotels and boarding houses. It is especially suitable for use on simple projects or by professionals who understand the requirements of the building regulations.

If your proposed work is over or close to a public sewer, you may not be able to apply for a building notice and instead need to apply for a full plans notice. As explained above, please speak to Thames Water and apply for a 'build over' agreement.

Full plans notice

You can use a full plans notice for all types of building work.

It is a system of submitting plans for a project to us, so we can check they comply with the building regulations. The main benefit of using a full plans notice is that once approved, your builder can work without fear of contravening the building regulations, which can cut down on problems once work starts on site.