Building regs for wet room

[Firsttimeflatowner]

Would really be grateful for some advice/input please

Lucky enough to have bought a (GF conversion in a terrace) flat in 2012 and now lucky a second time to be in a position to sell and buy a house.

We haven’t done any major work to the flat bar a change to the bathroom in 2013 (Victorian style - long and narrow layout - kitchen with bathroom next to it at the end) and took out the bath to install a floor level shower. We’re now being asked by buyer for building regs certificate. Holding my hand up and didn’t realise we needed them for internal works like that, just thought it was a bathroom reno. A google search now suggests otherwise. No family or friends around us in similar position to guide or advise us with this kind of thing, nor did our installer (our neighbour at the time and a plumber by trade) tell us this was required. He has since moved and we’ve lost touch. Should we ask the council to come in some 13 years later to inspect? Accept a fine? Just tell the buyer we don’t have the paperwork?

Would appreciate any input the font of knowledge that is MN would be able to provide 🙏 TIA

This is a bit of a grey area and depends on the extent of work that was done. If it was a like for like swap of a bath, cabinets etc in a room that was already a bathroom then no regs required. If you had new electrics, a major replumbing of sewer lines etc then yes you should have had some form of certificate for this work. From what you’re describing I’m on the fence as to whether you need regs sign off. Problem with applying for retrospective now is that it isn’t a case of someone just coming and taking a look, they will likely need to inspect the sewage pipes under the floor, electrical installation etc etc so you’re talking about quite major breaking and destruction of tiles, flooring etc so that the bare bones can be inspected.

My unqualified advice would be your response is that we don’t have regs sign off as work was done under permitted development. This may have been what your original plumber did and hence no certificate. It will be up to the buyer then to come back if this doesn’t satisfy them and you go from there. I wouldn’t be on the phone to the council. There is a good chance the renovation didn’t need regs but the devil will be in the detail.

I would say that the builder believed that building regs sign off was not needed as it was just replacing a bath with a shower. This is true in effect because the builder implied this by his actions. Most likely the buyers will accept this.

It depends on the nature of the works
Phone building control and ask them to have a look
Theres no ££fine, you aren’t going to go to court or anything
They will charge for the inspection but will ask what work was done. If anything has been done ie changing drainage pipes, ventilation, electrical or mechanical works then yes you need building regs

Ofnote a pp referenced permitted development. That has nothing to do with building regs. PD is a planning issue and anything done under PD also needs building regs

@DavidPeckham @rockingroller @DrPrunesqualer

Thank you all for your input, and allaying my concerns.

The room was always a bathroom and just merely added a shower in place of the bath. No electrical work, no sewage lines changing. I suspect the grey area is that it’s now a ‘wet room’ with a floor level tiled floor (is what planning portal suggests). Will go back to buyer and say no building regs for work and take it from there.

Thank you!

Yep
That doesn't need building regs

Ive had this with conveyancers before on a door with no fenca cert
Due to the small amount of glass in the door it didn’t need a fensa cert and I just put that on an email and insisted they were wrong.

If they want building regs ask them to prove the need

You are quite frankly incorrect. I built my garden room under permitted development as I kept it to within what was allowed without needing to get planning permission. Permitted development is exactly that and you don’t need building regs for it. Just as when I refitted my bathroom last year I didn’t need planning permission / regs certificate as I wasn’t structurally changing anything etc etc.

Your advice around give the council a call is also questionable. This doesn’t need to involve the council. They won’t sign anything off without likely pulling the bathroom apart - how else are they going to assess for instance that the joists are suitably sized for the load or that any new sewage pipes are run to within tolerances? They’re not. And there is likely no need to involve them as per my original response as the reply back to the potential buyers is no certificate needed as bathroom didn’t have any major structural changes to it. It’s been standing for the past 13 years or so the OP said so it’s well beyond wondering if something has been bodged. It’s fine.

@DavidPeckham planning and building regs are two different things. If something is done under permitted development it might still need building regs as that signs off that the build is structurally sound. You can do two storey extensions and loft conversions under permitted development. They would def need building control sign off.

Well aware of that - that is the point I’m making in response to being told:

”PD is a planning issue and anything done under PD also needs building regs“

Anything done under permitted development does not always need building regs.

Tell them to jog on, it's a bloody bathroom, not the excavation and careful restoration of a Roman spa. They can turn the taps on and see if it works.

A garden room comes under completely different requirements
some require bregs depending on its use etc some don’t if they are simply garden rooms
Garden rooms are irrelevant here though

As an architect I assure you
Permitted developement is part of planning
Permitted development (extension ) to an existing building requires building regs

Changes to internal layouts only of existing residential buildings not on or over 3 storeys do not require planning unless they are listed buildings etc
So moving or changing a bathroom obviously does not require planning
Im not sure why planning has even been mentioned in the context of OPs thread…it’s irrelevant

If building regs is required it is for things I have already mentioned ie mechanical, electrical and drainage.
Building control at the Local Council must therefore be contacted to get a building regs compliance certificate ( easiest and cheapest way ) and if relevant work has been carried out and in the absence of the original installers that’s the only way to get one. If they require ( not in OPs case ) opening up works, so be it
That's how it works if you don’t secure the approvals and certs in the first place

Please Note
Works re structural changes are only a tiny part of building regs there is so so much more
to ensure compliance.

apologies if my pp has upset you. Just absolutely no idea why you’re talking about permitted development for a shower /bathroom swap

Quite right !