How Does The Building Safety Act Affect Home Extensions?

Introduced in 2022, the Building Safety Act overhauled previous legislation and acts to give homeowners and residents more rights and protections. It aims to ensure building work is safe both during construction and throughout its whole lifecycle.

As a Federation of Master Builder accredited business, Stubbs Homes welcomes any regulatory changes that help to improve the standards of the industry and follows all directives of the Building Safety Act.

Why was the legislation changed?

The legislation was made in response to the Hackitt Report following the Grenfell tragedy. Although there is an emphasis on higher-risk buildings such as high rise flats, the Building Safety Act applies to all buildings that are subject to Building Regulations including both new builds and work on an existing building such as extensions.

As part of the remit of the Act, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has been established within the Health and Safety Regulator (HSE). It sits as an independent regulator with a remit to improve building safety standards and raise the competency of regulators and individuals in the industry.

How will this affect my home extension?

The main changes to the Building Safety Act are the responsibilities and requirements of your building contractor and designer (such as an architect). This makes choosing a reputable builder even more important when planning a home extension so that you can ensure they are following the current legislation to avoid the complications of defective work at a later date.

The regulatory changes include;

• Changes to the building control procedure, including the initial notice period to the building control authority and a commencement notice within 5 days of the start of work.

• There are also new requirements for the giving of fire safety information and principal designer and contractor appointments.

• On completion of the project, all parties need to provide a declaration to the building control authority that the works comply with the building regulations.

• Planning, managing and monitoring of project works also needs to be arranged appropriately so that compliance can be met, along with assessing the competency of any person permitted to carry out work on the project.

• The keeping of appropriate records evidencing building work has been carried out in compliance with building regulations for at least 15 years from completion.

What are the consequences for non-compliance?

From a home owner perspective, non-compliance can be very costly and disruptive as the Building Safety Regulator could issue an enforcement notice requiring all non-compliant work to be remedied by a certain date and for all work in progress on site to be stopped. The notices can be given up to 10 years from the completion of work.

Building Control authorities also have the power to carry out intrusive investigations, open up works and refuse to grant a completion certificate which may be necessary for insurance purposes or a future sale of your property.

For more information on the Building Safety Act, take a look at the Federation of Master Builders FAQs

How can I make sure my Building Contractor is complying with the regulations?

We understand how choosing a builder for your home extension is a challenge as there are so many factors to consider. You want to make sure they are the right fit for you personally and have the skills to deliver your project as well as conform to all building regulations.

We recommend you ask any prospective builders about the processes they go through on a project. Who will be responsible for managing the timeline, ensuring standards are met throughout each stage when work is subcontracted, and how they will ensure the building ‘sign off’ from Building Control authorities. You’ll also want to ask important questions about the building structure, materials and their adherence to the current building regulations, and whether external specialists such as a structural engineer or architect will be required.

As design and build specialists, Stubbs Homes handles your entire project, working with specialist consultants when needed, keeping accurate records, monitoring team standards and adhering to all building regulations for a safe, professional service from start to finish.

For more tips, take a read through our blog on how to choose a builder for your home renovation.