Apply for building control approval

What is the application process?

Before your application, you will need to choose and confirm who your three duty holders are. The Applicant – the person making the application, must include their details:

• Client – the person for whom the work is being carried out
• Principal Designer – the sole or lead designer appointed under regulation 11D responsible for the designs and sign off of plans to submit for Building Control Approval
• Principal Contractor – the contractor appointed under regulation 11D who carries out the building work

Duty holders must be appointed by the Client. Where appropriate one person/organisation can fulfil more than one duty holder role.

These duty holders will need to design and plan the works, including any calculations or relevant assessments. At the end of works all duty holders will need to sign the Completion Notice to confirm to the best of their knowledge works are compliant with the regulations. The details of these duty holders should be submitted to Building Control with your application.

Under the Building Safety Act 2022, we are no longer able to help formulate designs or give advice on how works should be carried out. We can only check your plans as submitted against the regulations, to confirm if they are compliant.

You must apply with as much time as possible (particularly in the case of a regularisation), as we will not be able to take account of outside factors such as the time sensitivity of a sale when properly processing your application and checking if the building works are safe and compliant with regulations.

Once ready to submit, the application will go through the following steps:

• Decide on the correct application route, e.g. Full Plans, Building Notice, etc.
• Submit application and all documents using the online application form.
• The applicant is sent a fee quote.
• To proceed with the application, call 01206 282436 to pay by card.
• The applicant is sent a document pack, including validation, next steps, a payment receipt, and the Inspection Stages sheet. You can see the typical points that require an inspection.
• If the application is Full Plans, the application will be reviewed in up to 5-8 weeks, by an Inspector for a decision notice on plan approval. (Most works will receive a decision notice quicker than this. If any works are done on site before plan approval, it is done at the applicant’s own risk and cost).
• For a Full Plans application, call 01206 282436 to pay the inspection fee by card. This must be done before inspections can be booked.
• 48 hours after validation, inspections can be booked by phone on 01206 282436 (the booking line is open 10am-2pm Monday to Friday). We are unable to offer timed appointments, you should be available on site between 9am and 2pm.
• Clients are responsible for ensuring inspections are booked at the appropriate stages. You must inform us when works start. You should call to book an inspection at the start of the first important stage of works (please see Inspection Stages Sheet).
• As works progress, all building work certificates, e.g. electrical certificates, should be emailed to buildingcontrol@colchester.gov.uk.
• When works are complete, any conditions issued have been satisfied (if Full Plans), and all certificates and requested paperwork have been sent, please call 01206 282436 to book the completion inspection.
• All duty holders (the client, the principal designer, and the principal contractor), must sign off the Completion Notice confirming they have carried out their duties and reasonably believe the works to be compliant. Completion Notice Form.
• If all is satisfactory, the building control inspector will issue the completion certificate.