Building regulations - the approved documents

The full set of English and Welsh Building Regulations define how each part of a building needs to be constructed or altered - there is no need to upgrade an existing building to the current standards.

However, some aspects may come into play if the use of the building is changed i.e. from a family house to a house of multi-occupancy - generally such changes will need other local authority approval anyway.

The Scottish government have Technical Handbooks which provide guidance on achieving the standards set out in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 - these are available in two volumes, Domestic buildings and Non-domestic buildings.

Building Regulations are completely different from Planning Permission, you need Building Regulations approval even where Planning Permission is not required.

The Local Authority will have a Building Control Office; this office will need to confirm that any new work is done in accordance with the Building Regulations, you will need to pay a fee for their approval and site inspections, but if you do the work without authority/approval, it is a criminal offence and you may have problems selling the property without the appropriate certificate.

The National House Building Council (NHBC) can be employed instead of the Local Authority to inspect/approve the work and provide a 10 year guarantee on the work they approve; however, this isn't a realistic option for the diy'er.

Approved Documents

The most recent versions of the Approved Documents of the Building Regulations are listed below and are available from the Planning Portal for either purchase or download. It will be noted that some of the documents have not been updated for sometime while others have more recent editions - it pays to keep an eye open for updates but any applicable change will be highlighted by the local Building Control Office.

Part A
Approved Document A - Structure

Part B
Approved Document B (Fire safety)

Part C
Approved Document C - Site preparation and resistance to contaminates and moisture

Part D
Approved Document D - Toxic substances

Part E
Approved Document E - Resistance to the passage of sound

Part F
Approved Document F - Ventilation

Part G
Approved document G - Hygiene

Part H
Approved document H - Drainage and waste disposal

Part J
Approved document J - Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems

Part K
Approved document K - Protection from falling collision and impact

Part L
Approved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power (New dwellings)

Part M
Approved document M - Access to and Use of Buildings

Part N
Approved document N - Glazing

Part P
Approved document P - Electrical safety - Dwellings

Part Q
Approved document Q - Security - Dwellings

Regulation 7
Approved Document for Regulation 7