A Guide to Regularisations + RSJ Calculations
How to Regularise Unauthorised Building Work
If you have removed a loadbearing wall or carried out structural alterations with no Building Regulation approval our retrospective calculation service can help you!
Regulation 18 – Unauthorised Building Work and Regularisations
We occasionally have homeowners contact us asking if we can assist with retrospective calculations so they can have historic work approved by Building Control. In most cases this is actually no fault of their own as a lot of people are unaware of Building Control requirements until they come to sell their property. This is usually when it comes to light after it has been picked up by a surveyor or as part of the conveyancing process. If only they they had read our helpful guide on removing loadbearing walls! The term for this process is called regularisation of unauthorised work. This applies to unauthorised building work which has been carried out on or after 11th November 1985 and falls under regulation 18 of the Building Regulations 2010.
Where regulation 18 applies the owner or ‘applicant’ may apply in writing to the local authority for a regularisation certificate in accordance with this regulation. The application must be made to the Local Authority as Approved Inspectors are not able to regularise unauthorised building work.
The Local Authority have the powers to make you lay into or open up the work to ascertain its compliance with the regulations. Where the work involves insertion of steel beams to facilitate load bearing wall removal, building control are usually happy with a set of calculations to demonstrate that the beam and bearing lengths/concrete pad stones and if required supports are adequate to sustain the applied dead and live loadings alongside a visual inspection of the beam. This may involve hacking away decorative finishes to expose the beam and concrete pad stones. However, it would be down to the Officer in question how much it is exposed!
We can help you by providing you with retrospective structural calculations and if you require us to submit your application on your behalf to your Local Authority building control department we will be happy to assist you.