Building Control Specialist Advice
At Cheshire Building Consult our staff have extensive experience in the Building Control sector assessing compliance of the Building Regulations on all aspects of the Built environment including to PassivHaus standards.
In recent years there have been many changes to the BuildingRegulationswith the New and amended Approved Documents, new Regulatory frameworks suchas The Building Safety Act with the implementation of Duty holders and their Legal roles and responsibilities for Clients, Principal Designers and Principal Contractors under the Building Safety Act 2022, and with the Controlling body being the Building Safety Regulator. The implementation on Responsible Actors schemes where only registered contractors can work on buildings over 11m in height, with more regulatory changes to come, it is becoming increasingly difficult within the construction field pushing prices up.
At Cheshire Building Consult we can provide you with a full building Regulations construction specification for your proposed works from our Registered Building Inspectors and even provide structural calculations for full compliance of the Building Regulations. This allows you to build to a set specification so there are no hidden costs on variations, with quotes on set specifications, contract out phases, oreven act as your own project manager and follow our Specification to your own build and bring the cost down.
Types of specifications we offer
- Single storey side or rear extensions
- Two storey extensions specifications.
- Attic conversion specifications.
- Garage conversion specifications.
- Basement conversion specifications.
- HMO conversion specifications.
- Barn conversion specifications.
- Garden room Specifications.
- New build dwelling or Flat specifications.
The Building Safety Act 2022 - Requirements
The Building Safety Act 2022 has brought changes in the Building Regulations and applications to Building Control. These changes include:
• Additional information for applications to Building Control.
• Definition of commencement of works
• Additional information being required before a completion certificate can be released.
This is to make sure that at each stage in a building project, duty holders are identified, and roles, responsibilities and expectations are clear.
Due to the implementation of the Building Safety Regulator and the new Building Safety Act 2022, the roles of Duty holders has been placed on all Building Regs Specifications
Duty holder
A duty holder can be an organisation or an individual, and a duty holder can carry out the role of more than one duty holder, provided they have the skills, knowledge, experience and (if an organisation) the organisational capability and competence necessary to carry out those roles.
Below are the duty holder roles and definitions, along with their main duties.
Commercial client
These are organisations or individuals for whom a construction project is carried out that is done as part of a business.
A commercial client must:
- Make suitable arrangements for planning, managing, and monitoring a project, including the allocation of sufficient time and resource, to deliver compliance with building regulations.
- Ensure contractors are knowledgeable and competent for the works they are carrying out.
- building information to every designer and contractor on the project to ensure they are aware of the specific project. This includes any existing or proposed higher-risk building work
- Cooperate and share information with other relevant duty holder
Domestic client
A domestic client is anyone who has construction work carried out for them that is not done in connection with a business. This is usually work done on their own home, or the home of a family member.
Where there are several firms working on different aspects of the project, a domestic client should appoint a principal designer to be in control of design work and a principal contractor to be in control of the building work. If a domestic client does not appoint either a principal designer or principal contractor, then they assume the role of all duty holder. Under the Building Safety Act 2022.
A domestic client must:
- Provide building information that they have, or it would be reasonable for them to obtain, to designers and contractors working on the project.
- Cooperate with anyone working on or in relation to the project to the extent necessary to enable them to comply with their duties or functions.
- Where there is a domestic client, the declaration can be signed by the principal contractor.
Principal designer
This is a designer appointed by the client in projects involving more than one contractor. They can be an organisation or an individual with sufficient knowledge, experience, and ability to carry out the role.
A principal designer must:
- Plan, manage and monitor the design work during the design phase.
- Take all reasonable steps to make sure the design work carried out by them and anyone under their control is planned, managed, and monitored so that the design is such that, if built, it would comply with all relevant requirements of the building regulations.
- Make sure that they, and all those working on the project, co-operate, communicate and co-ordinate their work with the client, the principal contractor, and other designers and contractors.
- Liaise with the principal contractor and share information relevant to the building work.
- Assist the client in providing information to others.
Principal contractor
This is a contractor appointed by the client to coordinate the construction phase of a project where it involves more than one contractor.
A principal contractor must:
- Plan, manage and monitor the design work during the building work.
- Cooperate with the client, the principal designer, and other designers and contractors to the extent necessary to ensure that the work complies with all relevant requirements of the building regulations.
- Make sure that they, and all those working on the project, co-operate, communicate and co-ordinate their work with the client, the principal designer, and other designers and contractors.
- Liaise with the Principal Designer and share information relevant to the building work.
- Assist the client in providing information to others.