Advising the council for inspections

By law, anyone who is carrying out building work has to give us a certain amount of days notice for an inspection, depending on how much of the work is done.

if you don't let us know, we may serve a Statutory Notice on the person carrying out the work which could mean work is cut into, layed open or pulled down until we are sure that the building regulations have been complied with.

You can notify us either by telephone, email or letter. Any inspection request received by 9.30am will usually be made on the same day if possible.

• Government's guidance on failure to meet building regulations.

Stage of work	Period of notification
An inspection needed before starting work on the project	No less than 2 working days before
Excavation of the foundations	No less than 1 working day before
Concreting of the foundations	No less than 1 working day before
Preparation of hardcore etc before laying ground floor slabs	No less than 1 working day before
Laying of drains before the backfill of excavations	No less than 1 working day before
Covering up any drain where Building Regulations apply	No more than 5 working days after
The occupation of a newly erected building	No more than 5 working days after
Completion of the building work	No more than 5 working days after

Building control surveyor inspections

In addition to the essential notifications listed above, it is equally important that the Building Control Surveyor is able to make inspections of;

• any work which provides structural support (eg. RSJs, lintels, etc.)
• elements (eg. joists) forming part of a roof structure
• any essential items that would be hidden once plastering has taken place (eg. thermal insulating material)

In individual cases, the Building Control Surveyor may request to inspect additional items of work, or to have sound insulation or air leakage tests, or tests on the water-tightness of drainage systems, carried out.

In the case where any electrical work has been carried out, this will require an appropriate BS7671 electrical installation certificate to also be issued.

For the following visits, please contact us on 01509 634 924, before 9.30am on the day required:

• structural support inspections
• roof structure inspections
• pre-plaster inspections