Building Control

Building Control is required for any structural amendments to a property. We can help with your Structural Engineering, Building Control Drawings, and Building Control sign off - by partnering with the best 3rd parties to achieve the best, straight forward, enjoyable process.

What is Building Control?

It is generally realised that a form of permission is required for building work or alterations to properties. However, it may not always be clear how the Planning and Building Regulations approval regimes differ. Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the health and safety for people in or around those buildings. They also include requirements to ensure that fuel and power is conserved and that facilities are provided for people, including those with disabilities, to access and move around inside buildings.

‍For other building work, such as internal alterations, Buildings Regulations approval will probably be needed, but Planning permission may not be. You may also have responsibilities under the construction health and safety regulations.

Do I need building control?

If you are affecting the structure of a building, or changing the use, you will need Building Control Approval. Building Control is completely separate procedure to a Planning application, and contains far more in depth detail that a Builder Requires to build. We do not quote for Building Control in line with Planning Application as both are separate procedures to 2 different departments.
You can jump straight into Building Control without the need for Planning if you fall within Permitted Development, highlighted below.

Do I have Permitted Development rights?

Most likely yes, but there are a few things to bear in mind. Unfortunately, the slate is not wiped clean when you buy a home — any space added by past owners since 1948 counts towards your Permitted Development allocation.
If your house is located in a Designated Area, such as a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Conservation Area then your Permitted Development rights may be restricted or removed under what is known as an Article 4 direction. This is where rights have been removed in the interest of maintaining the character of the local area. This could also be the case if your property is listed.
Alternatively, if you’re planning to self build a replacement dwelling and your proposed new home is bigger than the existing house on site, then your Permitted Development rights are likely to be restricted or even removed on condition of granting planning permission.
Remember that all Permitted Development requirements apply to the dwelling as it was originally built, or as it stood on 1st July 1948.
PD Rights do not apply to flats or maisonettes due to the impact that any alterations could have on neighbouring properties.

What is our process with Building Control Applications?

Our process is simple, upon acceptance we arrange a site survey for us to come and measure up your property,

We then draw up all the existing and proposed plans and take you into the unlimited design stage where we can explore every options for your proposal. Some clients get this done in one sitting in our boardroom, others take time and reply over email and Whatsapp with design ideas, bouncing back and forward with options for the build.

After the design stage, we then send plans to an engineer to calculate the steels/timbers/foundations and structure required, wherever and whatever necessary. Once the engineers have completed their works, we then implement their calculations into our construction building control drawings like the example below. These could then be submitted to our private Building Control team for both paper pre-construction certificate, and post build certificate once site inspections have been completed.

Design Spec are able to offer a extremely high level of experience and knowledge when dealing with all types of construction, ensuring your builders, engineers and any other contractors have any information they require to hand.

Construction Drawings & Visual Representations

This is a standard example of an approved building control application for a loft conversion and rear extension.
Our plans show the structural steels required from the engineers for the build, with the spec for walls, floors, roof, DPC etc. Any builder will be able to pick up these drawings and accurately quote the project as all the information for the build is within this.
Our plans include standard 2D and 3D visuals of the project with the option of including a Virtual Reality Experience and Internal/external Rendered images for an additional fee.

Additional Services

Rendered Images

Keeping up-to-date with modern advances in technology, we are able to provide you with breathtaking Rendered Visuals of your project before any building work has even taken place and outstanding Virtual Reality  tours using the advanced Oculus system.

Virtual Reality

Can you imagine being able to physically walk around your new extension? Navigate your way through your brand new flowing Internals? Or standing in your well earned Master Bedroom and Ensuite? With Design Spec, now you can.

Contact us

Fill in this section below regarding any possible query you may have and a member of the team will get back in touch with you as soon as possible.
Thank you, your enquiry has been received! A member of the team will be in touch shortly.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Our offices
Suite 1C Warren House, 10-20 Main Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 4QS

Innovation Centre, Boundary Road, Colchester CO4 3ZQ

Suite 1B, The Stables, Cannons Mill Lane, Bishops Stortford CM23 2BN

Vision 25, Electric Avenue, Innova Park, Enfield EN3 7GD

2 Fountain Court, Victoria Square, St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3FT
Head OFFICE
Suite 1C Warren House, 10-20 Main Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 4QS
WORKING HOURS
08:30 - 17:00, Mon to Fri
CONTACT
info@designspec.co.uk
01702 567955 - Hockley (Head Office)

01206 259310 - Colchester

01279 790123 - Bishops Stortford

02039 7051515 - Enfield

01727 627211 - St. Albans

02037 440666 - Richmond