What Is Building Control?
All new building projects and some projects on existing properties must meet a stringent set of building regulations to ensure their safety, structural integrity and to ensure they meet certain health and safety and environmental legislation.
As everyone who works in the construction industry will know, it is essential that such regulations and conditions are adhered to, not only to ensure safety, but also to meet legal requirements.
One such type of regulation is building control, a set of codes and legislation that every project leader or construction worker needs to be aware of.
It can be confusing to keep up-to-date with all of the relevant regulations, but in this article, our team will explain what building control is while outlining its importance.
Read on to find out more.
What Is Building Control?
First, let’s establish exactly what building control is.
Building control is a set of regulations that outlines the various building codes and legislative requirements that must be closely followed and adhered to during every construction project.
The UK is full of numerous building control bodies and organisations that are authorised to check that projects are fulfilling their obligations and building structures to standards that are outlined by building control measures.
Why Is Building Control Important?
Building control is vitally important for a whole host of reasons.
First and foremost, these regulations ensure that a construction project is safe, and meets all of the necessary health and safety and environmental rules.
However, building control regulations have a broad scope and are important for numerous reasons.
This includes:
Ensuring Buildings Are Built To The Appropriate Standards
As previously mentioned, undoubtedly the main reason that building control rules are so important is that they make sure a new structure or building is up to scratch.
A building control surveyor will visit a project’s site and will review the entire project to ensure standards are being met and people’s safety, health and welfare are being protected.
Those who are doing the building work must always comply with certain regulations, and these surveyors will be able to make sure this is occurring.
Some areas that the building control teams will focus on include:
- Foundations
- Damp-proofing
- Structural issues
- Ventilation
- Heating
- Insulation
- Sanitation
- Accessibility
- Fire protection regulations
If any of these areas require further work or are not up to standard, the control team will provide information to those doing the work explaining measures that must be performed to ensure their compliance.
Protecting People From Unsafe Practices
The construction industry is full of tradespeople of varying quality and levels of experience, and sometimes it can be difficult to know who to trust. Employing a contractor who is not up to scratch can be incredibly risky if left unregulated, but building control teams can keep people protected from low-quality work or cowboy builders.
They will make regular visits to sites and review the work that is being done. If anything is not up to the appropriate standard, the team will highlight it and explain what needs to occur to bring it up to standard.
Educating Construction Professionals
In some instances, building control teams can even educate construction professionals, builders, designers and subcontractors on the various regulations. This education can provide such professionals with skills and judgments to help them solve problems and make key decisions regarding the designs and specifications of buildings and structures.
Building control experts will regularly attend training courses to ensure they are always up-to-date with the developments in the construction and building sectors. They also liaise with local authorities to keep abreast of regional requirements, and they can then share this knowledge with the builders and professionals they are working with and assisting.
Impose Penalties
As we mentioned above, building control surveyors are great at keeping cowboy builders in check. Not only can they review work to ensure it is always of the highest standard, but if required they can also impose penalties.
Fines and prosecutions can be handed out to those who are not meeting the regulations, meaning they will, hopefully, cease such operations.
Help With Remortgaging
If you’re looking to remortgage a property, you will likely need the support of a building control professional.
Property owners are issued with a completion certificate which shows that the building control surveyor is satisfied that all work that may have been needed conforms with the building regulations. These important documents will be needed by solicitors and agents who handling a property sale, and may also be required by mortgage lenders and insurers so building control surveyors play a key role in such matters.
Promoting Sustainability
It is not just about safety where building control surveyors can help.
They also will ensure the construction process is as sustainable and environmentally-friendly as possible. There are a wide range of environmental practices and regulations that must be followed by developers, and building control teams will make sure these are being adhered to.
Not only does this help with environmental concerns, but it also means that if you’re buying a new build home you can rest assured that it is likely to be as energy-efficient as possible.
Making Buildings Accessible
Building control professionals also have a key role to play when it comes to accessibility.
Since 2010, it has been a legal requirement to ensure that all public buildings, shops, commercial outlets and workplaces are accessible to everyone.
Building control teams are regularly called upon to ensure that this is the case and the law is being properly followed. They’ll usually check and approve plans and drawings to make sure the proposed project will be accessible to all once it has been completed.
The main accessibility features that will be looked out for include:
- Ramps
- Lifts
- Automatic doors
- Dropped kerbs
- Accessible toilets
Keeping The Public Safe
The main role of a building control surveyor is to keep the public safe at all times.
They may sometimes receive reports from the public regarding unsafe or dangerous structures and a team will be sent out to inspect facilities and advise on corrective action if necessary.
As part of this role, they may also work closely with emergency services to ensure safety at all times.
Building control teams have the power to request building owners to undertake whatever type of work they deem necessary to keep the public safe.
