Every project we build has to satisfy the Building Regulations, and the completion certificate issued at the end is the record that it does. Constructum Code coordinates that process within our house extensions, loft conversions and commercial builds — the route, the inspections, the notices, and the certification the completion certificate depends on.
It runs alongside the build rather than after it, so compliance is established as the work goes in.
Interested in Building Control or Building Regulations?
Planning and building control
The two are often confused, and they are handled at different stages by different people.
Planning permission decides whether a project can be built — its size, its appearance and its effect on neighbouring properties. It is secured before construction by your architect or a planning consultant, either through an application or by confirming the work falls under permitted development. If you have not yet appointed an architect, we can introduce practices we have worked with.
Building control decides whether a project is built properly — structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation, drainage and access. It runs throughout construction, and it is the part we coordinate.
What we coordinate
The route. Local authority building control or a registered building control approver, agreed at the outset so the inspection regime is known before work starts.
Notices and notifications. The notices the works require before and during construction, and the statutory notifications made on your behalf where they are needed.
Stage inspections. Foundations, drainage, structural elements, insulation and fire protection are inspected as the programme reaches each stage, and nothing that needs to be seen is covered up before it has been.
Structural information. The engineer’s calculations and details submitted and accepted before the relevant work proceeds.
Party wall. Where a surveyor has been appointed, we work to the award so its conditions are met on site.
At completion
Certification from each part of the installation — the electrical installation certificate, gas safety records, and commissioning records for heating and ventilation — is collected and submitted with the final inspection, so the completion certificate is issued without gaps in the paperwork.
You receive the completion certificate and the supporting certificates at handover.
Common questions
Why does the completion certificate matter?
It is the document that proves the work met the Building Regulations. A buyer’s solicitor will ask for it when you sell, a lender may ask for it, and an insurer may ask for it after a claim. Without one, the usual outcome is a delayed sale, a retention, or an indemnity policy that covers the paperwork rather than the building.
What if earlier work on the house was never signed off?
It is more common than people expect, and it usually surfaces during a sale. Where work was carried out without approval, a regularisation application can be made to the local authority retrospectively. The council may require parts of the work to be opened up for inspection, so it is worth establishing the position early rather than when a buyer’s solicitor raises it.
Local authority or a private approver?
Both routes are valid and both end in a completion certificate. Local authority building control is the default and is often simpler on straightforward domestic work. A registered building control approver can suit larger or programme-driven projects, where booking inspections at short notice matters. We agree the route with you at the start rather than defaulting to one.
