Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions that you might find useful before contacting us.

I'm selling my house and the solicitor has asked me to supply a completion certificate
Completion certificates were not required before 1996 and after that only on request at the time of application. If all works have been satisfactorily inspected, a Building Control Surveyor will provide a letter, at a cost of £39.15, which may satisfy your solicitor. Sometimes the Building Control Section are not notified of works which have commenced/completed, in these cases no, or limited inspections have been made. This may require you to employ an independent surveyor to satisfy the purchasers Solicitors.

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I'm selling my house and the solicitor has asked me to supply copies of building regulations and planning permissions
The requests for copies of old records should be made either by post to:

Environment, Culture and Communities Department
Bracknell Forest Council
Market Street
Bracknell
Berks
RG12 1JD

or by email: customer.services@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

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I'm selling my house and the solicitor has asked me to supply proof that building regulations were not required
If your solicitor has asked you to provide written evidence that Building Regulations/planning were not required for the alterations/extensions you have made to your home:

You can submit a Householder Enquiry Form. This process takes about 7-10 days and a letter will be sent out informing you that either permission was or was not needed. This is a free service.

If a Building Regulations application was required you may be able to apply for a Regularisation certificate. A Regularisation Application will need to be submitted. If, after looking at the work on site, we are happy that it satisfies the Building Regulations we will issue a formal Regularisation Certificate. The Certificate may be used when selling a house to show that the work complies with the Building Regulations (For more info go to Building Control forms).

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Can a building control surveyor come out on site?
An Officer will only come out on a site visit if a valid Building Regulations application has been submitted. If you contact us before 10am we can usually call the same day. You can request an inspection by any of the following:

Tel: 01344 352 000
Fax: 01344 351 193

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What Inspections do I need?
The following are the usual stages of work we inspect:

Commencement of work
Foundation excavations
Foundation concrete
Damp proof courses
Damp proof membranes
Drains before covering
Intermediate floor structures
Roofs
Major structural members i.e. beams and columns
Occupation
Completion

In addition to the above we will usually ask for pressure tests of all drainage, and tests of fire detection and alarm systems.

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Can I ask my builder to contact you when inspections are needed?
Yes, your builder or agent can request inspections on your behalf, but it is the home owner's responsibility to ensure all inspections are carried out.

Who's details should be provided on the application form?
It is usually expected that the building owner's details are provided under the applicants details on the application form. If you employ an architect to look after your Building Regulations application for you, their details could be provided in the agent's details on the application form so that we can liaise with them to resolve any issues with your application.

How can I make personal searches of Building Control Records?
When undertaking a direct Personal Search of Building Control records in relation to a CON29, please use our Building-Control-request-for-search-form.pdf.

This should be delivered to the public reception at Time Square or returned by post or email using the contact details on the right-hand side of this page.

We aim to provide the required information within 4 working days of receiving the form. The response from the Building Control Team can be collected from the public counter in Time Square upon payment of the appropriate charge for the question(s) required. Please contact us to ensure that your information is ready for collection before coming to collect it.