Building Control Regulations

[Shelle]

I am getting more and more confused reading different guidelines for what is and what isnt covered by the regulations, and what paperwork to expect.

I am having a bathroom done by a specialised firm. I was under the impression that I will need certificates from them showing the works is approved by building control regulations. Is that correct?

The work includes a complete refit of the bathroom - new bath and shower, new toilet and sink complete with furniture (placed in a new site in bathroom), tiling, replumbing and ceiling done with boards. Do I need any certificates to show this work complies? If so, what certificates do I need, and what should it say?

Sorry for lengthy post!

[val.24]

Our bathroom is set to be renewed completely in Oct. Specialised company have done drawings and estimate and nothing has been said about building controls. only fitting new over vanity basin light will be done by qualified electrician/ Plumbing by plumber and plastering for ceiling walls and floor including fixing all the tiles on walls and floor by plasterer.

Hope everything goes well for your new bathroom .really looking forward to having ours done

[theonlyone]

Who ever does the bathroom has
to issue a certificate for the electric
installation as in lighting and shower
unit and it has to be registered with
the local council ...

[Disco Fever]

Yes the sparky must be Part P qualified and issue a certificate when finished so you know all is ok....

[buildersmate]

The above answers give half the story.
The parts of Building Regs that impact your bathroom will be the Part H on Drainage and Part P on Electrical (as someone as mentioned above).
Now with Part P, one of the ways to get certification is to use a Part P registered electrician who self-certifies his work.
Part H is different - there is no self-certification. The correct way to do this is to make a Building Control application, who then come and inspect the work. With Part H it is about ensuring the sewer pipes are air-tight (so they don't pong) and flow at the right gradient (so the water-traps don't just sucked empty making the sink/loo pong.
If you are making a BC application anyway, you might just as well cover both aspects (Part H and P) together - then you wouldn't have to use a Part P registered sparky - BC would be responsible. But its up to you.
BC application for what you are doing, do not need to involve drawings - the regs are easy to comply with provided BC are informed at the righjt time (when the pipes are installed but before being boxed-in.
Phone your local BC office for friendly advice - they are there to help.
The company doing this work for you will know all the above - whether they intended to comply with it is another matter - some don't.

[Disco Fever]

Wouldn't be easy and cheaper to get quotes for the jobs from friends or relatives as involving BC sounds expensive....

[buildersmate]

It certainly would be cheaper not to involve BC.

The downside is that one doesn't know whether the job has been done to minimum standards - that's what BC assures. The cost for this sort of job is about �250 in BC fees (phone BC and ask about a Building Control Notice route to doing the work).

Then when one comes to sell the house, the buyer's solicitor will probably ask about the work. When you don't have a BC cert., indemnity insurance may be required - at a cost of a couple of hundred of pounds.