Retrospective Building Regulations & Regularisation Certificates

Retrospective building regulations approval is required when construction work has already been carried out without building control consent. People often become aware of the necessity for a building control certificate when they are selling their home as the question is raised on the seller’s form.

In these cases, the local authority can issue a Regularisation Certificate, confirming that the work complies with the Building Regulations once it has been inspected and, where necessary, corrected.

We specialise in preparing the drawings, documentation, and applications required for retrospective approval, working directly with local authority building control departments across London and the South of England.

What Is a Regularisation Certificate?

A regularisation certificate is issued by the local authority for building work that has already been completed without building regulation approval.

This retrospective process allows the work to be inspected and assessed by local authority building control for compliance with the Building Regulations.

If the work meets the required standards — or can be brought up to standard through remedial works — the council can issue a Regularisation Certificate.

Private building inspectors cannot normally issue retrospective approvals, meaning these applications must be handled through the local authority.

When Is Regularisation Required?

Regularisation applications are typically needed when:

• Building work was carried out without building regulation approval

• A contractor completed work without notifying building control

• A homeowner believed planning permission was sufficient

• Works were completed years ago but certification cannot be located

• A solicitor raises the issue during a property sale

This often arises during the conveyancing process when buyers request evidence that alterations comply with the Building Regulations.

What Is Involved in the Process?

The regularisation process normally involves:

1.     Assessing the existing work and determining what regulations apply

2.     Producing building regulation drawings showing the construction 

3.     Preparing the required supporting documentation including individual specifications

4.     Submitting the application to the local authority building control department

5.     Arranging site inspections

The council may require certain parts of the work to be opened up for inspection so that structural elements and insulation can be verified. We understand how this process can be done with least harm to your property.

Where non-compliant work is identified, remedial work may be required before certification can be issued. Again we understand what specific work is required and have day contractors who specialise in ‘opening up’ works.

Why Regularisation Matters When Selling Property

Missing building regulation approval is one of the most common issues raised during property sales.

Without certification:

•     buyers cannot confirm the work is safe - this means they will drop out of the sale

•     or at the very least drive down the price

•      mortgage lenders may raise concerns and withhold monies until works are carried out

•      solicitors may delay or halt the transaction

A Regularisation Certificate resolves the issue by formally confirming compliance with building regulations.

We manage the entire regularisation process, including:

• assessing the existing works with a measured site survey

• preparing detailed building regulation drawings with your required specifications

• coordinating structural calculations where required

• submitting the application to the local authority

• liaising with building control inspectors throughout the process

Our role is to convert existing construction work into a compliant building regulation application that can be approved and certified. 

Bear in mind that we are dealing with your local authority and this is in itself an arduous and time-consuming process so you need to move quickly.

Professional action 

If you require retrospective building regulations approval or have discovered missing certification during a property sale, we can help.

Contact us HERE to discuss your situation and determine the most effective route to regularisation.