Frequently Asked Questions

• Domestic Projects
• Residential Projects
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• Pre Application Advice
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• Fire safety advice is also available on a wide range of fire safety matters.

The role of Building Control is to provide an independent third-party assessment of Building Regulations compliance through the checking of plans and site inspections as necessary. Building control bodies must take such steps as are reasonable to be satisfied, within the limits of professional skill and care, that the applicable requirements of the Building Regulations are achieved.

Yes. You should discuss any proposed building work with those neighbours who are most likely to be affected; either by the finished structure or the building process through things like noise or dust. If your building plans involve shared walls or boundaries you may also need to get your neighbour’s formal agreement through a party wall agreement. See the link that follows for further information.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance

Total Building Control do not get involved in planning permission.

For further information regarding planning please see the below link which will take you to the Planning Portal Website.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200125/do_you_need_permission

A party wall agreement is, a legal agreement made between you and your neighbours, regarding any building work occurring that affects either a shared wall, outbuilding, or boundary. Total Building Control are unable to be involved in this process.

In England the Initial Notice will automatically cease to be in force after 3 years from the date of the Initial Notice if works have not achieved commencement.

In Wales an Initial Notice remains active, unless after three years (where notifiable work has not started/commenced) the Local Authority issue a Cancellation Notice to us. This would complete our involvement as your Building Control Body, in our experience this is rare, however the Local Authority have the statutory power to do this.

We will contact you via our database mailing system. A ‘keep in touch’ email will automatically be sent to the person indicated on our application form every four weeks from the last date of meaningful contact for active projects. This timeframe varies for on hold/dormant projects.

Trees and soil type have the potential to influence the depth and design of your foundations. Please note that if there are several trees, of similar or different types, please provide information for all of them. And be aware that there are some trees which can influence foundation depths even when they are over 20m away (please contact us for additional information). If ground level is lower in the surround of the construction, the foundation may need to be deeper to accommodate.

Total Building Control Ltd have a duty of care to you and the local Water Authority to inform you of your responsibilities with regards to public sewers and drains on your property. Shared drains/sewers on private property are owned by the local Water Authority. We will contact the local Water Authority, upon receipt of the application, to find out whether there are any public sewers on your property and will advise you accordingly. If you are intending to build over or within 3m of any public sewer or shared\lateral drain you should engage with your local Water Authority to arrange for a build near, build over agreement.  Note, a public sewer is one which is shown on the Water Authorities Map of Sewers; a shared\lateral drain is one that takes sewage from your property and any other property.  You should be aware that the local Water Authority may require changes to your design in order to obtain the Build over Agreement.

No.

Our Building Control submission goes to the building control department not the planning department within the Local Authority. They are separate submissions and do not become interlinked.

The Initial Notice is notification to your Local Authority (to ensure the public records are updated) of the proposed building work (controlled works) at a specified location.

Please call our office to arrange all inspections, preferably 72 hours before required or for any technical queries you may have.

Providing we are in receipt of any necessary certificates e.g. Gas Safe or Electrical Certificate and the surveyor has satisfactorily completed the final inspection they will sign off the building works. We will endeavour to issue the Final Certificate within 8 weeks, the Final Certificate will be emailed to you and the Local Authority (to update the public records).

Pay on application either quoting the fee quote reference or application reference:
1. Pay by BACs Bank Transfer Details: – Lloyds TSB A/c no: 00781703 sort code: 30-95-46
2. Card payments: – Please call 03300943000
3. Pay on the sage smart invoice delivered on email.