Construction work must be done in accordance with the current statutory (mandatory) regulations: Planning Regulations, Building Control Regulations (which include the Building Regulations), and Health & Safety Regulations. The Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI) each have their own sets of regulations.
The first statutory requirement when building a house is to secure planning permission. You must submit your full house plans to your local authority (city or county council) for approval. This involves a fee and paperwork. Some extensions are exempt from applying for planning permission, as are most renovation projects. Listed buildings often require planning permission for all type of work on them. Check with your local authority if you are exempt before proceeding with any work with what’s known as a Section 5 Declaration in ROI or a Certificate of Lawful Development in NI.
Once the plans have been approved, they must be converted to construction drawings that comply with the Building Regulations, whether or not you had to get planning permission. The Building Regulations are there to ensure the house you build, extend or significantly renovate, is built to a safe standard, is accessible, and is energy efficient. Building Control regulations enforce that the Building Regulations are put into practice.
Health and safety (H&S) regulations, meanwhile, are there to ensure that the building site is a low risk environment for persons doing work or supervising it, and for those supplying materials or equipment.
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