Building regs applivation

[monstergoose]

Can you apply for building regs without using architects drawings? I've had a builder do a sketch (not to scale) for our extension and he works with an architect who has just quoted us £500 plus LA fees (so about £930) in total to do plans in order to apply for building regs. The builder himself doesn't require the detailed plans in order to proceed. I can't work out from the planning portal website whether i'll need detailed plans in order to apply for building regs, and if so is this a reasonable quote as it seems extorniate to me!

Most planner officers are happy to chat on the phone about small queries. If you have had planning agreed but still need building controls just give your named officer call.

Thanks, we'd originally applied for a different extension (joining main house to annexe with small extension) which was refused but this extension is being done under permitted development so we don't have/need planning. Will give the council a call in the morning to as re the regs though as we do have a contact from the previous planning application

I didn't bother with plans, I proceeded under something called 'Building Notice' but got my builder on the hook contractually 'to meet the current building regulations'. The Building Inspector comes out and views the site at specific stages (exactly the same as the would if they pre-approved the plans). I saved myself the cost of the drawings but still had to pay the LA fees which were the same regardless of getting the plans pre-approved.

In my mind, good builders / tradesmen know the regs given it's what they do for a living and if they did work that didn't meet the regs, it would get picked up as part of the building inspection. For example, I was talking through some dormer window openings and the builder piped up ' you can't do that, you need an opening of xx mm as you need a fire escape for an upstairs bedroom'.

The other point here is that you're at the behest of the Building Inspector who can come out on an inspection and ask for something different to the submitted plans due to site conditions. I will say though that the risk with my approach is that until the builder twigs that they're on the hook to meet the regs, you can end up in odd conversations with the builder along the lines of 'I've not got any detailed drawing...what insulation do you want in the floor' to which I reply 'I don't care, whatever it needs to be to meet the building regs'.

To be honest having no approved building regs plans hasn't been a problem at all and the builder has just got on with it discussing things on an ad-hoc basis with the Inspector as they crop up. In my specific case, I also had a lot of ground problems that eventually required a very different foundation design (for which I required a Structural Engineer) so any pre-approval of the building regulation plans would have been money wasted!

We had to have proper plan as our is pretty big 2 storey side extension, we paid £500 and then £175 to submit my plans and then another £800.40 for building control, but have to admit everything is on there for the specs, everything I had to use and length and width of everything when the building the control comes he opens up the plans and any changes we make or he says, like we had a window for the kids living room/games room, he told us we had to have French doors or another kind of door.. As we our having a sec floor we had to also pay for a structural engineer which was another £595 but everything is clearly said what we have to use and do.... We are self building and just getting diff people to do different work that other half can't do...