Unauthorised Work and Enforcement

What happens if I do work without approval?

We have a general duty to see that building work complies with the regulations.

Where we find after its completion that it does not comply, then we may require you to alter or remove it.

If you fail to do this we may serve a legal notice requiring you to do so. In a court of law you may be fined and required to carry out any outstanding work.

If work has been completed for some time by you or a previous owner without the necessary building regulation approval or the work on site does not fully comply with the requirements a regularisation application may be submitted, if both parties agree.

Regularisation application

Where the work was commenced on or after 11 November 1985 the owner may apply for a regularisation certificate. This will include plans of the unauthorised work and plans showing any additional work required to comply with the regulations.

An application form for a regularisation certificate is available from the application forms page.

The submission of a regularisation application does not preclude us using our powers under Section 35 Building Act 1984.

What are the penalties for contravening the building regulations?

If you contravene the regulations by building without notifying us or by carrying out work which does not comply, we can prosecute.

If you are convicted, you are liable to a penalty not exceeding £5,000* (for example level 5 on the standard scale) plus £50 for each day on which each individual contravention is not put right after you have been convicted.

If you do not put the work right when asked to do so, we have the power to do it ourselves and recover the costs from you.

* at date of publication.