Planning permission and building warrants are different
Planning permission is about whether a building or extension is acceptable in that place: its size, appearance and effect on neighbours. A building warrant is about how it is built: structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage, ventilation and the rest of the building regulations.
A project can need one, both or, occasionally, neither. Many extensions that do not need planning permission still need a building warrant.
The building warrant
A building warrant is granted by your local council's building standards department. The application includes detailed drawings and a specification showing how the work will meet the building regulations.
Work covered by a warrant should not start until the warrant has been granted. Starting without one can cause real problems later, including when you come to sell.
During the build
When a warrant is granted, the council sets out the stages at which it wants to be told about the work, so that it can inspect if it chooses to. We keep track of these and notify the council at the right points.
The completion certificate
Once the work is finished, a completion certificate is submitted to the council confirming the work has been done in line with the warrant. The council then decides whether to accept it, and may visit before it does.
The accepted completion certificate is the document that shows the work was built properly and signed off. Solicitors will normally ask for it when you sell the house, so it is worth keeping safe.
How we handle it
Our sister company, CWJ Architectural Design Services, prepares the drawings and the warrant application. We then build to the approved warrant and deal with the council on your behalf, from the warrant application all the way to the completion certificate. There is nothing for you to chase.
