Over time while discussing with our clients about their new garden building, we realised that there is great confusion and misinformation about planning permission, building regulation and when they are needed.
To shed some clarity on when a building certificate is needed, companies such as JM Partnership can help us go into more detail on when building regulations are in place to ensure that all design, construction and safety requirements are met when constructing or altering a building.
Most of the time outdoor buildings do not require the involvement of a Building Regulation body, though there are some exceptions.
Working out whether or not you’re required to have a building regulation certificate is actually quite simple. The size of your garden room, the distance of the internal area to the nearest boundary and what it is used for are all the main factors in building regulations.
You DO NOT need to contact building regulations if:
- The total floor area of the garden building is less than 15 square metres
- The total floor area of the building is between 15 and 30 square metres and it is built using non-inflammable materials.
- The total floor area of the building is between 15 and 30 square metres and it is located at least 1 metre away from any fence.
If your building is used for accommodation purposes you will need to contact building regulations no matter the size.
Building regulation certificates can be obtained through the city council or private companies.
We do recommend using private companies. The whole process is simpler and cheaper. While the council will base the cost on the value of the project, a private company will look more at its complexity.
We usually do not do this, but after 5 years of working with JM partnership, we can confidently recommend their services. They have offices in London, Kent, Sussex and the Midlands, so no matter where you are based they will be able to help you with your new project!
