Guidance notes on the Building
Regulations charges
Version 4 January 2014
The charges for building regulation work are intended to cover the cost of the service. There are two methods
that the Council may use to establish the charge for building work and they are individually determined charge
and the establishment of a standard charge.
The building regulation charge for the majority of domestic extensions and alterations, are standard charges.
Charges are not payable for certain aspects of work which are carried out for the benefit of a disabled person.
See our full guidance notes, ‘scheme for recovery of the building regulations charges and associated matters’ or
contact us on 0118 937 2449 to see if your work is exempt.
There are three ways of making an application for building regulation approval.
Full plans application
Full details of the proposed building works are deposited with the Council for checking in compliance with the
building regulations.
A charge is generally payable in two instalments, a plan charge on the deposit of the application and an
inspection charge on receipt of an invoice after the first inspection of the work has been carried out. Where
payment is received for both the plan charge and inspection charge on deposit of the application, this would
receive a reduction of £30. The charge is subject to VAT.
Building notice application
Minimum details of the proposed building works are deposited with the Council. A single charge is payable, a
building notice charge, on deposit of the application. The charge is subject to VAT.
Unauthorised building work application (An application for a regularisation certificate where
building work has already been carried out).
Reasonable details of the completed building works are deposited with the Council for checking for compliance
with the building regulations that applied at the time the works were carried out. A single charge is payable,
which is equivalent to 150% of the building notice charge, on deposit of the application. No VAT is payable in this
case.
Using a non-competent person for electrical work (This would apply if you were carrying
out other works at the same time, like building an extension or a loft conversion).
An additional charge of £300 (inclusive of VAT) will apply where any notifiable electrical work is carried out NOT
using an appropriately qualified/Part P registered electrician while carrying out other building work.
A Part P registered electrician is a qualified electrician who also has the necessary building regulation knowledge
to enable their accreditation body to certify their work. In order to recover our costs if anyone other than a
suitably qualified/Part P registered electrician undertakes the electrical work then the additional charge is
payable.
For all applications involving electrical works, and to avoid the above additional charges, it is strongly
recommended that a suitably qualified electrician is used.
Standard charges
These standard charges have been set by the Council on the basis that the building work does not consist of, or
include, innovative or high risk construction techniques (details available on request) and/or the duration of the
building work from commencement to completion does not exceed 12 months.
The charges have also been set on the basis that the design and building work is undertaken by a person or
company that is competent to carry out the design and building work. If not, the work may incur a supplementary
charge.
NOTE: Where an application is withdrawn or cancelled there will be a standard charge of £45 to cover building
control administration time. Where a plan has been checked there will be a further charge for the administration
and the surveyors time in checking the application to date.
Individual determination of a charge
Charges are individually determined for the larger and/or more complex schemes, these include:
•
application subject to a reversion charge (work reverting from an approved inspector back to the local
authority);
•
the building work is in relation to more than one building;
•
works consisting of the erection or conversion of 4 dwellings or more or the erection or conversion of a
dwelling exceeding 300m2;
•
building work consisting of alterations to a domestic dwelling where the estimated costs exceed £50,000;
•
building work consisting of a domestic extension where the floor area exceeds 60m2;
•
building work consisting of the installation of over 20 windows in a domestic property;
•
where the renovation of a thermal element in a domestic property exceeds £5000;
•
building work consisting of a room in the loft space where the estimated costs exceed £35,000;
•
building work consisting of alterations or an extension to a non domestic building;
•
an office or shop fit out;
•
building work consisting of a new build not listed in schedule 1-4.
If you are carrying out additional building work on a dwelling at the same time that any of the work to which
Schedule 2 relates then the charge for this additional work may be reduced by 50%. (The cheapest charge will be
reduced). You should enquire if an individual assessment of the charge would be relevant to your proposal.
If your work is defined as requiring an individual assessment of a charge you should email building control at:
[email protected] preferably with ‘request for building regulation charge’ in the title of the email
and with a description of the proposed works. We will contact you within 1 working day or alternatively you may
telephone us, 0118 937 2449 for a quote.
Cheques are to be made payable to READING BOROUGH COUNCIL.
Building Control Service,
Civic Centre,
Reading, RG1 2LU
FS33916
Schedule 1
Standard charges for new dwellings or conversions
to new housing (not exceeding 300m2)
figures in bold include VAT at 20%
(VAT not applicable for Regularisations)
Standard charge for the creation of new dwellings
Full plans route
Number of
dwellings
Submission
charge (SC)
Building notice route
Inspection
charge (IC)
Total full plans
charge
Building notice charge
(BN)
Regularisation charge (RC)
£1095
(SC +IC)
1
2
3
£195
£480
£675
£730
£234
£576
£810
£876
£270
£720
£990
£1050
£324
£864
£1188
£1260
£315
£775
£1090
£1150
£378
£930
£1308
£1380
Please contact us for a quotation if any of the below apply:
•
The development consists of 4 or more dwellings
•
There is a duplication/ similarity of house types
•
The dwelling has a floor area greater than 300m²
•
Dwellings with more than 3 floors above ground level
•
The work consists of a conversion into a dwelling or dwellings
£1575
£1725
Schedule 2
Standard charge for domestic extensions to a
single dwelling
figures in bold include VAT at 20%
(VAT not applicable for Regularisations)
Extensions
Category
Description
Submission
charge (SC)
Inspection
charge (IC)
Total full plans
charge
(SC +IC)
1
2
3
2
Extension not exceeding 10m
Extension exceeding 10m2 but not
exceeding 40m2
Extension exceeding 40m2 but not
exceeding 60m2
Building
Notice
charge (BN)
Regularisation
charge (RC)
£720
£180
£240
£420
£480
£216
£288
£504
£576
£180
£335
£515
£570
£216
£402
£618
£684
£180
£435
£615
£670
£216
£522
£738
£804
£855
£1005
Detached garages
4
Erection or extension of a detached
or attached building which solely
consists of a garage or carport
which is to be used in common
with an existing building and is not
exempt
£135
£195
£330
£390
£162
£234
£396
£468
£585
Loft conversions
5
Extension or alterations to a
dwelling consisting of the provision
of one or more rooms in the roof
space (cost of works not exceeding
£35,000)
£180
£385
£565
£620
£216
£462
£678
£744
£930
Garage conversions
6
Conversion of a single garage to
habitable use (cost of works not
exceeding £10,000)
£135
£195
£330
£390
£162
£234
£396
£468
£585
NOTE:
An additional charge of £300 (inclusive of VAT) will apply where any notifiable electrical work is carried out NOT using an
appropriately qualified/Part P registered electrician. A Part P registered electrician is a qualified electrician who also has the
necessary building regulation knowledge to enable their accreditation body to certify their work. In order to recover the Local
Authority costs if anyone other than a suitably qualified/Part P registered electrician undertakes the electrical work the
additional charge is payable. For all applications involving electrical works, and to avoid the above additional charges, it is
strongly recommended that a suitably qualified electrician is used.
Schedule 3
Standard charge for domestic alterations
figures in bold include VAT at 20%
(VAT not applicable for Regularisations)
Window replacement, electrical works, renovation of thermal elements and
structural alterations
Category
7
8
9
10
11
12
Description
Window replacement up to 10 windows in a single
dwelling not covered by the competent persons
scheme.
Window replacement over 10 windows but not
exceeded 20 windows in a single dwelling not covered
by the competent persons scheme.
Any electrical work other than the rewiring of a
dwelling - not associated with schedule 2 works, or part
of the competent person scheme.
The re-wiring or new installation in a dwelling - not
associated with schedule 2 works, or part of the
competent person scheme.
Renovation of a thermal element to a single dwelling.
(Fixed price for works not exceeding £5000).
Structural alterations including new steel beams,
chimney breast removal etc.
FIXED PRICE for either
full plans or building
notice
Regularisation charge
(RC)
£120
£180
£144
£140
£210
£168
£290
£435
£348
£330
£495
£396
£90
£135
£108
£140
£168
£210
Schedule 4
Standard charge for all other domestic work not
covered by schedule 2 and 3
figures in bold include VAT at 20%
(VAT not applicable for Regularisations)
All other domestic work
Category
Description
Submission
charge (SC)
Inspection
charge (IC)
Total full plans
charge
Building notice
charge (BN)
Regularisation
charge (RC)
£195
£250
£375
£234
£300
£385
£440
£462
£528
(SC +IC)
Up to £5,000
£195
n/a
£234
£5,001 to £10,000
£385
n/a
£462
13
£10,001 to £20,000
£20,001 to £30,000
£30,001 to £40,000
£40,001 to £50,000
£180
£440
£620
£690
£216
£528
£744
£828
£240
£480
£720
£780
£288
£576
£864
£936
£285
£520
£805
£860
£342
£624
£966
£1032
£335
£570
£905
£970
£402
£684
£1086
£1164
£660
£1035
£1170
£1290
£1455
Version 4 January 2014