BUILDING REGULATIONS WHY THEY MATTER
Government rules and regulations for new builds are designed to keep you and your home safe and comfortable. Architect Julian Owen explores a few of the ways in which the regs can provide that allimportant peace of mind during your development
Few of us love having to deal with rules, regulations and red tape, especially in the construction industry. They add time and cost to a project and can limit your design. On the other hand, they prevent corners from being cut and ensure a minimum standard of quality is achieved in each project. This is a valuable protection for consumers building their own home, acting as a safety net if you are unlucky enough to be stuck with a designer or builder for a project who is intent on bodging the job.
What are Building Regulations?
The government imposes thousands of rules on construction projects of all types, and many of them are covered by the Building Regulations. These are set out in a series of booklets known as Approved Documents in both England and Wales, Building Standards in Scotland and Technical Booklets in Northern Ireland.
The rules don’t say a lot about maintaining high standards of workmanship or the quality of the finished build, and they’re not that bothered about non-essential fixtures, fittings and finishes. For example, when presented with an external leaf of low-quality bricks, poorly sorted from the pack and looking like a dog’s dinner, a building control officer will pass it so long as it keeps the rain out and isn’t threatening to all fall down.