Commercial Building Regulations In The UK

If you’re planning a commercial construction project, it’s essential to understand the commercial building regulations that apply to certain properties and ensure that your work is fully compliant. So, what are the building regulations for commercial properties in the UK?

Building regulations are a set of standards that apply to most commercial construction projects in the UK, including new commercial buildings, extensions and structural alterations. The primary legislation governing these regulations depends on the part of the UK in which the commercial building is located.

Read on for more detailed information about UK building regulations, how they apply to commercial buildings and how to comply with them.

Do Building Regulations Apply to Commercial Buildings in the UK?

Building regulations apply to most commercial construction projects in the UK, including:

• All new commercial buildings
• All commercial extensions
• Structural alterations to commercial buildings, including load-bearing walls
• Any construction work that affects the thermal elements, energy status or energy performance of a commercial building

Minor repairs and maintenance work, or replacing less than 25% of an item like-for-like, does not require building regulations approval.

What Are Building Regulations for Commercial Properties?

The Building Regulations (2010) are a set of legal requirements that govern the design, construction, extension and alteration of all types of buildings in England and Wales, including commercial buildings. They are intended to ensure the health and safety of building occupants and the structural integrity of the building. In Scotland, the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 applies, while in Northern Ireland, it’s the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) Order 1979.

What Is Included in Commercial Building Regulations?

There are 15 technical requirements in Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations. Each technical requirement corresponds to a letter; for example, Part F corresponds to Ventilation. These are the key rules that must be followed when constructing a commercial building. More guidance is provided on each technical requirement in the approved documents published by the government.

Some of the most important parts of the building regulations for commercial properties are:

• Part A – Structure
• Part B – Fire Safety
• Part F – Ventilation
• Part M – Access to and use of buildings
• Part P – Electrical safety

Who Enforces Commercial Building Regulations?

Building regulations are enforced by your local building control authority, which is either your local council or a private entity. Your local building control authority must be properly informed of your commercial building project, and it will need to be evaluated to ensure compliance with regulations.

How to Comply With Commercial Building Regulations

To ensure your commercial building complies with UK building regulations, you must follow the technical standards and the approved documents. You must also get building regulations approval.

How to Get Building Regulations Approval for a Commercial Construction Project

Follow the steps below to apply for approval for a commercial building project:

1. Contact a ‘building control body’ (BCB) to apply for approval. There are two types: Local authority BCBs and private BCBs.
2. Choose your type of application:
   1. Full plans – This requires you to submit detailed plans, drawings and specifications for your commercial project. You can expect a decision within five weeks (or two months with your consent).
   2. Building notice – This can not be used for commercial projects. It can only be used for small domestic projects.
   3. Regularisation – This is for work that has already been completed without approval.
3. Pay for your submission. You will need to pay the plan submission charge to validate your application, and you can also pay for your inspection charge upfront.
4. Inform the local council building control body 48 hours before you start work. You’ll also need to inform them when you reach the stages outlined in your Inspection Service Plan:
   1. Commencement of work
   2. Excavation of foundations before concreting
   3. Foundations when constructed
   4. Damp Proof Course when laid
   5. Site concrete or floor slab (before being laid)
   6. Drains (before backfilling)
   7. Drains (after backfilling)
   8. Prior to occupation
   9. Completion of work
5. Arrange site visits. A Building Control Surveyor will need to visit your site to inspect the work as it progresses. The number of site visits required will depend on the size and scope of the commercial construction project. If you have not paid your inspection charges upfront, you’ll need to pay them now.
6. Receive your completion certificate. After the completion inspection and once all the work meets building regulations, you’ll receive your completion certificate, which should be retained for any future sale of the commercial property.

As UK building regulations are incredibly complex, working with a reputable and experienced commercial construction company is the best way to ensure your commercial building is approved and to reduce delays to your project.

What Happens if a Commercial Building Doesn’t Meet the Regulations?

If your commercial building doesn’t meet building regulations, this can lead to a criminal conviction and an unlimited fine, especially if the faulty work is not rectified.

According to section 35 of the Building Act 1984, if the person carrying out the building work contravenes the building regulations (including failing to respect a stop or compliance notice), the local authority may prosecute them in the Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court. An unlimited fine or imprisonment may be ordered.

Compliance and Stop Notices

A local authority can issue a compliance notice which orders non-compliant work to be rectified within a specified timeframe. This can be issued while the commercial project is still in progress or up to 12 months after the contravention. A stop notice orders that all work specified must stop until the building regulations breach has been rectified.

If the compliance or stop notice is not followed, the local authority can remove or alter the building work accordingly and recoup the costs from the owner.

No Approval

If any building work is completed without building regulations approval, a section 36 notice can be issued. This requires the work to be removed or made compliant with the regulations. A section 36 notice can be issued up to 10 years after the work has been completed.

Impact on Selling the Commercial Property

Without building regulations approval, you will not receive a Completion Certificate, which will make it very challenging to sell the property in the future.

Commercial Building Projects by Jarvale

We’ve been delivering high-quality commercial construction projects whilst adhering to building regulations for over 50 years. From design and planning to building construction, our professional and experienced team can handle all aspects of your commercial construction project. We can assist with commercial new builds, refurbishments, extensions, decarbonisation and upgrades.

Based south of Sheffield in Dronfield, Derbyshire, we have helped commercial clients across Yorkshire, Derbyshire and the Midlands. Working with us means our team will handle building regulations approval, and our years of experience ensure no delays to your construction schedule. We hold certifications from Constructionline, have undergone Building Safety Act 2022 awareness training, and all of our operatives hold CSCS cards.

Jarvale offers both Design and Build and Turnkey commercial projects, depending on whether you would like to handle the project management yourself or allow our experienced team to manage the project on your behalf. View our full range of services to see how we can work together or check our completed projects to see how we’ve helped commercial clients in the past.

If you have any questions about our commercial construction process, please fill out our contact form below, and we’ll be in touch at your earliest convenience.