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Home Glossary Building Notice
Planning noun

Building Notice

/BIL-ding NOH-tis/

Also known as: building notice application, BN, building notice route

A simplified route for obtaining building regulations approval in which the applicant notifies the local authority of their intention to start work without submitting full plans for prior approval. An inspector visits at key stages to check compliance. Suitable for straightforward domestic work only.

The building notice route is faster to initiate than the full plans route as no drawings need to be approved in advance. However it carries more risk - if work does not comply it must be altered or removed at the owner's expense. It is not suitable for work involving connection to a public sewer, buildings over 2 storeys, or larger commercial projects.

Building Regulations 2010

Notice period before starting2 working days
Plans submittedNone required in advance
Suitable forStraightforward domestic work
Not suitable forPublic sewer connections, complex builds

A building notice does not provide the same level of certainty as full plans approval. If work is found non-compliant the owner bears the cost of remediation. A completion certificate is issued on satisfactory completion.