A Guide to Obtaining a Building Control Completion Certificate

What’s missing might be a Building Control Completion Certificate (or a building completion certificate for short). Without this vital document, your renovation, alteration or newly built structure isn’t officially recognised as meeting UK Building Regulations. The work might look up-to-standard and your builders might tell you it is, but without the paperwork, you can’t know for sure.

A Building Control Completion Certificate is an important document that confirms any structural, utilities or bespoke construction work meets the necessary legal and industry-approved standards. Included in those legal and industry-approved standards are things like overall safety, structural integrity, energy efficiency and accessibility standards.

Essentially, if you have had any substantial building work completed, this paperwork demonstrates that it has been completed to the highest possible standards and won’t fall apart or cause problems down the road. Without the document in your hand, you could have trouble with insurance claims, future renovations or when it comes to selling the property. Our advice: get the proper paperwork and save yourself from future headaches.

Any significant work – such as structural alterations and those that affect utilities – that is subject to building regulations will require a Building Control Completion Certificate to confirm compliance. That concept is still a little bit vague, so here are some specific scenarios where you are most likely to require one:

• New Builds – Any dwelling that has been constructed from scratch.
• Extensions and Conversions – If you choose to add an extension to your property or convert a loft, garage, or basement into living space, you will need a Building Control Completion Certificate.
• Structural Alterations – You might remove a load-bearing wall and replace it with a steel beam. Anything that could affect the structural integrity of the building will need a certificate.
• Utilities Installation – Any major work on plumbing, electrical systems or underfloor heating (including underfloor heating).
• Glazing Work – New or replacement windows and doors (if not covered under a FENSA or CERTASS scheme).

Depending on the type of work being completed, a Building Control Completion Certificate can be obtained in a number of ways. If, for example, you are building a new building, you should submit a Building Regulations approval request prior to starting work. Next, schedule relevant inspections throughout the process (for example, an inspection on the foundations, followed by an inspection on the structural framework, and finally the fit-outs). Once you are confident that the building work adheres to all relevant parts of the UK Building Regulations, you can then request a final inspection, and a certificate can be issued.

If, however, your work is less significant (but still subject to compliance rules), such as a loft conversion, extension, or electrical installation, the process may be more straightforward. For these types of projects, you may be able to apply for approval either through your local council or via a private approved inspector. During the course of your project, inspections will be carried out to ensure the work complies with Building Regulations. Once the final inspection is passed and any necessary corrections are made, you can request the Building Control Completion Certificate.

Only authorised bodies can issue a Building Control Completion Certificate. Your local council, for example, oversees inspections and can issue certificates for compliant work. Waiting lists for local council inspections can, however, take a long time; if this is the case, you can entrust the job to private companies or individuals registered with the Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register (CICAIR). Regardless of who issues it, the certificate is an important document. Without it, you could run into certain logistical and administrative challenges.

Even without a completion certificate, it is still possible for you to sell your house. That being said, solicitors might delay the process specifically for you to get hold of a certificate, potentially derailing the sale, and buyers might lower their offers during the process to reflect an absence in appropriate documentation. Houses built in the 17th century are everywhere in the UK. These do not have a completion certificate, but as a result, the buyer has to assume certain things and risks spending more money after the sale has gone through. Remember, if there is ever a lack of paperwork, the phrase caveat emptor should ring loudly in your ears.

It goes without saying that all of the work that we do for clients meets all UK Building Regulations, enhances energy efficiency and prioritises safety above all else. By entrusting your next project to Cantifix, you will be in receipt of a Building Control Completion Certificate and a home that you can be proud of.

If you want to know more, speak to our team of specialists today.