Building Control and Approved Inspectors: Choosing Your Route

4 February 2026 · 8 min read · Regulatory

Since the Building Safety Act 2022 reshaped the regulatory landscape, choosing your building control route has become more complex — and more consequential. The introduction of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as the sole building authority for higher-risk buildings in England has created a three-way choice that didn't previously exist. Getting this decision right at the outset affects your programme, your cost, and your regulatory risk.

Route 1: Local Authority Building Control

The traditional route. You submit full plans or a building notice to the local authority's building control department, which reviews the proposals against the Building Regulations, inspects at key stages during construction, and issues a completion certificate when satisfied.

Full plans application: Detailed drawings and specifications are submitted and checked before work begins. The local authority has 5 weeks to approve or reject (extendable to 8 weeks with your agreement). You receive an approval notice that gives certainty before construction starts.

Building notice: A simpler notice that allows work to proceed without prior plan approval. The local authority inspects as work progresses. Faster to start but riskier — if the inspector finds non-compliance during construction, remediation can be costly and disruptive. Not available for commercial buildings or where a fire safety strategy is involved.

Route 2: Registered Approved Inspectors

Approved inspectors are private sector building control professionals (individuals or corporate bodies) registered with the Construction Industry Council (CIC). They provide an alternative to local authority building control and operate under a different regulatory framework.

When you appoint an approved inspector, you jointly sign an Initial Notice, which is submitted to the local authority. Once accepted, the local authority's building control function is displaced, and the approved inspector takes over plan checking and site inspections.

Advantages of approved inspectors include:

• Flexibility and speed: No statutory determination periods. Plan checking and site inspections can be scheduled around your programme.
• Commercial approach: Approved inspectors are typically more solution-oriented and willing to discuss alternative approaches to compliance.
• Continuity: You work with the same individual throughout the project, building a relationship and institutional knowledge.

However, approved inspectors cannot oversee all building types. Following the Building Safety Act, they are excluded from higher-risk buildings in England. And in some scenarios, the local authority can reject an Initial Notice, forcing a reversion to their own building control.

Route 3: Building Safety Regulator (Higher-Risk Buildings)

For higher-risk buildings in England — defined as buildings 18 metres or 7 storeys or more, with at least two residential units — the Building Safety Regulator is the sole building authority. Neither local authority building control nor approved inspectors can provide building control for these buildings.

The BSR process is more demanding and longer than the traditional routes:

• Gateway One: Planning stage — already integrated into the planning application process.
• Gateway Two: Pre-construction — building control application with detailed design, fire strategy, and construction control plan. The BSR must approve before construction begins.
• Gateway Three: Pre-occupation — completion certificate application demonstrating the building is safe for occupation. As-built evidence, testing results, and the golden thread of information must be in order.

"The Building Safety Act didn't just change the rules — it created a parallel regulatory system. Developers of higher-risk buildings need to factor in significantly longer approval periods, more evidence requirements, and the cost of maintaining the golden thread. For lower-risk work, the choice between local authority and approved inspector remains as relevant as ever."

How to Choose

For most residential extensions, conversions, and smaller commercial projects, the choice between local authority and approved inspector comes down to programme and relationship:

• Choose local authority if: You want the statutory certainty of a full plans approval, the project is straightforward, or the local authority has particular expertise relevant to your building type.
• Choose an approved inspector if: Programme flexibility matters, you want commercial dialogue about compliance approaches, or the local authority has long determination periods.
• The BSR route is mandatory for higher-risk buildings — there is no choice involved.

Cost Comparison

Local authority building control fees are set by each authority and vary widely. Typical ranges for residential work are £500–3,000 for extensions and conversions, £5,000–15,000 for new-build dwellings, and significantly more for large commercial schemes. Approved inspector fees are commercially negotiated but are generally comparable — sometimes slightly higher for smaller works, but competitive for larger projects where they can offer value through flexibility.

Practical Steps Now

1. Determine if your building is higher-risk at the earliest design stage. The BSR route has programme implications that must be planned for.
2. If using an approved inspector, confirm their registration and insurance via the CIC register. Ensure they have experience with your building type.
3. Engage building control before submitting plans — a pre-application discussion, whether with the local authority or approved inspector, can identify compliance issues before they become costly redesigns.
4. Plan inspection milestones into your construction programme from the outset. Building control inspections require notice and can cause delays if not scheduled properly.
5. Maintain compliance evidence throughout construction — test results, material certificates, photographic records. This is essential for all routes and mandatory for BSR projects.

Sources: Building Regulations 2010 (as amended); Building Safety Act 2022; HSE Building Safety Regulator guidance; Construction Industry Council Approved Inspectors Register; Local Authority Building Control (LABC) guidance; RICS Building Control pathway documentation.