Fitting joists to detached garage - do Building Regs apply?

[diyAlex]

We have recently bought a property with a detached garage. Although it has a pitched roof, there are no joists (only rafters). I'm going to fit the joists and then board over them for some loft-type storage space of boxes etc.

A friend mentioned that because of the distance of the garage from the house then Building Regs will not apply.

The garage is 3m wide and 9m long. The roof pitch is 42 degrees. It's blockwork construction. It stands alongside the property at a distance of about 4m away. It's very close to our boundary (40cm). Next door have their detached garage roughly in line with ours, also about 40cm into their side of the boundary.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

No building regs will apply.

 

[diyAlex]

Wow - thanks!

Can you give an explanation as to why there are no applicable regs (just cos I like to read up on stuff, and besides, my wife will need convincing )

I tried looking on planningportal.gov.uk but can't find anything as specific as this (tends to be either "garage conversion" or "outbuildings in general").

 

[DevilDamo]

You could see it as a loft conversion, in terms of convincing your wife. You're proposing to use the area for storage and not for habitable purposes, so there is no reason why BC would need to know about it.

 

[RedHerring2]

And outbuildings less than 30m² don't need BC approval.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It is all on the Planning Portal, it is below the area at which building Regs would kick in ie less than 30m2 and further than 1m from the boundary: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/

Specifically:

Building a detached garage of less than 30 square metres floor area would not normally need building regulations approval if:
• the floor area of the detached garage is less than 15 square metres.
• the floor area of the garage is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, provided the garage is at least one metre from any boundary, or it is constructed from substantially non-combustible materials.

Unless its built of straw and/or contains a bed that is!

In anycase the above applies in respect of newly built garages not existing. Fill your boots and fit as many joists as you like!