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Sign in or register for an accountBefore submitting any notice referred to on this page, a valid Building Regulations application must already be in place.
Depending on the type of application, different notice requirements may apply.
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If your project requires commencement notices, you may need to submit both of the following:
a commencement notice before work starts
a building work regarded as commenced notice once the work reaches the statutory commencement stage
These notifications serve different purposes and are submitted at different points during the project.
Before work starts, you must notify Building Control of your intention to commence work.
Work must not start until:
a commencement notice has been submitted; and
at least two days have passed since the notice was given.
Download commencement notice (Microsoft Word format, 105kb)
Once work reaches the statutory commencement stage, you must submit a building work regarded as commenced notice within five days.
This is a separate legal requirement from the commencement notice.
Download building work regarded as commenced notice (Microsoft Word format, 109kb)
Commencement notice | Building work regarded as commenced notice |
|---|---|
Submitted before work starts | Submitted after work reaches the statutory commencement stage |
Notifies Building Control of your intention to start work | Confirms that work has reached the commencement stage defined by the Building Regulations |
Must be submitted at least 2 days before work starts | Must be submitted within 5 days of the work reaching the commencement stage |
Submitting a 'commencement notice' or a 'building work regarded as commenced notice' does not automatically arrange a Building Control inspection.
Inspections must be requested separately at the appropriate stages of the work.
Inspection requirements will vary depending on the type and complexity of the project and will be confirmed in your inspection schedule and / or by your building inspector.
Important
It is the responsibility of the person carrying out the work to request inspections at the appropriate stages and before work is covered up.
There is an important difference between starting work and work being regarded as commenced.
For Building Regulations purposes, work is only regarded as commenced once it reaches the stages set out in Regulation 46A. This is the stage used when considering matters such as whether an application may lapse.
Work is generally regarded as commenced when the following have been completed:
all foundations
the substructure
any basement level (where applicable)
the structure of the ground floor level
Excavating foundation trenches alone will not normally be sufficient.
Work is generally regarded as commenced when:
the foundations supporting the building have been completed; and
the structure of the lowest floor level has been completed.
Examples of complex buildings include:
buildings sharing a foundation podium or plinth with another structure
buildings with more than one storey below ground level
public buildings designed to accommodate 100 or more visitors.
For other types of building work, work is generally regarded as commenced when at least 15% of the overall work has been completed.
Not sure whether your project has reached the work regarded as commenced stage?
Please contact Building Control for advice before submitting a 'building work regarded as commenced notice'.
Once received, the notice informs Building Control of your intention to start work.
You must allow at least two days to pass after the notice has been submitted before work begins.
Submitting a Commencement Notice does not arrange an inspection. Inspection requests must be made separately.
Building Control may:
request additional information
inspect the work
require work to be opened up for inspection where necessary
If we are not satisfied that the statutory commencement stage has been reached, we may issue a rejection notice explaining why.
If no rejection notice is issued within four weeks of receiving the notice, the work will be regarded as commenced.