Building Regs for summerhouse

[RTr]

Hi

I plan to erect a summerhouse in my back garden 3.5m wide and 18m long It will be well under the 50% rule so I believe it falls within permitted development. My question is about Building Regs. If I employ tradesmen who are all registered with appropriate trade bodies then do I have to apply for building regs.

Thanks

 

[^woody^]

Will it be used for the other nine months of the year?

 

[RTr]

hi ^woody^ I'm not sure what that means?

 

[John D v2.0]

63m² that's gigantic, yes you'll need building regs. Unless of course the walls are extremely thick as it's the internal floor area that counts. You can either submit plans and get them approved first, or if you're using the tradesmen you hope, doing it on an inspect as you go basis would be simpler.

 

[RTr]

Thanks ^woody^. I plan to construct this in a conventional way with breeze block inner walls and brick outer walls. It will be split up into 3 rooms.

 

[nickjb]

There isn't a self certification scheme for builders like there is for electricians so you will need to apply for building regs. Either you do it or the builder but ultimately it is your responsibility. Either full plans or a building notice but you need faith in your builder to use a notice and it'll be harder to get quotes.

As an aside are sure on not needing planning? The height restrictions are quite limiting and a building that size will need decent ceiling height.

 

[^woody^]

hi ^woody^ I'm not sure what that means?

If its only a house in the summer, what is it for the rest of the year?

Thanks, I'll be here all week.

Anyway, a summer house is normally a timber thing that would not need any building regs. Your subsequent post has now described some sort of all year round house with masonry walls and actual rooms, and that implies a different use to lounging in the summer. So most likely will require a full buildings regs app, and most likley planning permission too, as what you have described is not a summer house.

 

[John D v2.0]

Even if it was actually a summer house, it exceeds all known limits on building regs exemption due to its size. You can build 3 separate reasonably large brick outhouses inches from both the boundary and each other and not need regs, but as soon as one is bigger then 30m² you need BC inspections.

 

[RTr]

You can build 3 separate reasonably large brick outhouses inches from both the boundary and each other and not need regs,

So if I built 2 x 30 m2 buildings as described above then its no planning or building regs.

 

[tony1851]

So if I built 2 x 30 m2 buildings as described above then its no planning or building regs.

Correct, assuming they are brick/block built and are within the height stipulations detailed in the P.D. rules.

 

[^woody^]

2x 30m2 buildings with a gap between them

 

[RTr]

Maybe the final question on this. If I built 1 large structure that met all the criteria for permitted development but did not get building regs approval. What could be the consequences. I have a trusted builder of many years experience, I will use registered tradesmen for plumbing, electrics and windows etc.

 

[John D v2.0]

There's a chance your inspections may not be as good as the council's, so it may have issues. Go and read the building regs approved docs to find out what.

 

[^woody^]

The building regs requirement will be mainly related to life safety and fire spread over the boundary, so would tend to be enforced.