Building Standards Guidance and Advice
If you are considering building or altering, extending, converting or demolishing a building, it is likely that you will need to apply for a building warrant. However, you do not require a building warrant for some types of work to certain types of buildings.
Please note that, due to stricter controls, if your proposed work is to a flat, maisonette or a house over two storeys in height, the work that can be undertaken without requiring a building warrant differs to that for a 1 or 2 storey house.
If you are in any doubt if your proposed work requires a building warrant or not, you should seek advice from a professional.
Building Standards - Building Warrant Enquiry Form
Exempt Works
| Table 1 | Examples covering the small buildings associated with houses, flats or maisonettes that are exempt from the building regulations |
|---|---|
| a) | A detached single-storey building, with a floor area not more than 8 square metres, within the garden of a house, that:
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| b) | A detached single-storey building, with a floor area not more than 8 square metres, within the garden of a flat or maisonettethat:
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| c) | A single-storey conservatory or porch with a floor area of not more than 8 square metres that is attached to an existing house, and:
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| d) | A single-storey greenhouse, carport or covered area, each with a floor area not more than 30 square metres, that is detached or attached to an existing houseand: does not contain a flue, fixed solid fuel, oil or gas appliance, does not contain a sanitary fitting. |
| e) | A paved area or hardstanding not more than 50 square metres in area that:
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| Table 2 | Examples of building work that do not require a building warrant, provided the work complies with the building regulations |
|---|---|
| a) | Any building work to or in a house, that does not involve:
Example: alteration/refit of a kitchen or bathroom or forming an en-suite bathroom/showerroom. |
| b) | A detached single-storey building having an area exceeding 8 square metres but not exceeding 30 square metres, ancillary to and within the garden of a house, provided that the building:
Example: construction of a detached shed, detached carport, or detached garage. |
| c) | A detached single-storey building having an area exceeding 8 square metres but not exceeding 30 square metres, ancillary to and within the garden of a flat or maisonette, provided that the building:
Example: construction or installation of a detached shed, detached carport, or detached garage. |
| d) | Any building work associated with a domestic scale fixed solid fuel, oil or gas appliance or other part of a heating installation that does not include work associated with a chimney, flue pipe or constructional hearth. |
| e) | Any building work associated with a balanced flue serving a room-sealed appliance. |
| f) | Any building work associated with the installation of a flue liner. |
| g) | Any building work associated with refillable liquefied petroleum gas storage cylinders supplying, via a fixed pipework installation, combustion appliances use principally for providing space heating, water heating, or cooking facilities. |
| h) | Other minor work such as the provision of a single sanitary facility (other than a WC), installation of an extractor fan or, in a dwelling, the installation of a stairlift. |
| i) | Additional insulation (other than insulation applied to the outer surface of an external wall), the construction of walls not exceeding 1.2 metres in height, fences not exceeding 2.0 metres in height, raised external decking at a height of no more than 1.2 metres (other than where forming part of any access or escape route required by the regulations), and paved areas exceeding 50 square metres but not exceeding 200 square metres in area (other than where forming part of any access required by the regulations). |
| j) | Replacement doors, windows, and rooflights when the frame is also being replaced. |
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