A Building Control completion certificate is the document that confirms your building work has been inspected and found to comply with Building Regulations. It is required for many types of works, and its absence when selling or remortgaging a property is a problem that can delay or complicate transactions. Getting one is straightforward if you follow the correct process.

Two Routes to Building Control Approval

There are two main routes through which building work can be approved and certified. The first is through the local authority Building Control service, which is the traditional route. The second is through an Approved Inspector, a private Building Control body that can perform the same statutory function. Both routes result in a completion certificate being issued on satisfactory final inspection.

A third route exists for certain types of work through the Competent Persons Scheme. Registered contractors, such as HETAS-registered solid fuel installers, FENSA-registered window installers, and Gas Safe-registered engineers, can self-certify their own work and notify the local authority directly. In these cases the contractor issues the relevant certificate, which is the equivalent of Building Regulations sign-off for that specific work.

The Process for Getting a Completion Certificate

For work going through local authority Building Control, the process begins with submitting a Building Regulations application before or at the start of work. The application is either a full plans application, where drawings are approved before work begins, or a building notice, which does not require pre-approval of drawings and is used for smaller, more straightforward works.

During the work, the Building Control officer carries out inspections at various stages: foundations, damp-proof course, structural framing, insulation, and final completion. For each stage you must notify Building Control when you are ready for inspection and allow the inspector access. Missing a stage inspection, particularly foundations which cannot be inspected once covered, can result in Building Control requiring intrusive investigation later.

The final inspection is requested when the work is substantially complete. The inspector visits, checks that the work meets the required standards, and if satisfied, issues the completion certificate. Some local authorities issue a completion certificate automatically; others must be specifically requested. If remedial work is required before sign-off, the inspector will specify what is needed and a further inspection will be arranged once it has been done.

What If the Certificate Was Not Obtained?

If work was carried out without Building Regulations approval, or approval was obtained but the final inspection was never called, the options are to apply for a regularisation certificate from the local authority Building Control, which involves an inspection of the completed work and potentially opening up covered elements, or to obtain indemnity insurance covering the absence of the certificate. Regularisation can be expensive and disruptive; indemnity insurance is easier to obtain but does not fix the underlying compliance question.

Summary

A Building Control completion certificate is obtained by notifying Building Control at the required stages during construction and requesting a final inspection when the work is complete. The inspector issues the certificate when satisfied that the work complies. Competent Persons Scheme contractors self-certify eligible work and issue their own certificates. Certificates should be retained permanently with property documents. Missing certificates create compliance issues on sale and require either regularisation or indemnity insurance to resolve.