Quick links to our technical guidance
- Approved Documents
- The Building Act 1984
- The Building Regulations 2010
- Guide To Extending Your Home
- The Party Wall etc Act 1996
- LABC Technical Guidance
- LABC Homeowner Video Guides
Approved Documents
The Approved Documents are produced by the Secretary of State to provide guidance on complying with the minimum standards of the Building Regulations.
The Building Act 1984
The Building Act is the primary legislation under which the Building Regulations and other secondary legislation is made.
The Act is available for viewing and printing from the Office of Public Sector Information.
The Building Regulations 2010
Guide To Extending Your Home
This guide will take you through the Building Control process. It is not a substitute for professional advice but it aims to show how your project will be affected by the Building Regulations.
The Party Wall etc Act 1996
You must tell your neighbours if you want to carry out any building work near or on your shared property boundary, or 'party wall', in England and Wales.
Party walls stand on the land of 2 or more owners and either:
- form part of a building
- don't form part of a building, such as a garden wall (not wooden fences)
Walls on one owner's land used by other owners (2 or more) to separate their buildings are also party walls.
Party Structures
You can also have a 'party structure'. This could be a floor or other structure that separates buildings or parts of buildings with different owners, eg flats.
Party wall agreements are different from planning permission or building regulations approval.
LABC Technical Guidance
To assist you with the technical aspects of your building projects, LABC (Local Authority Building Control) have produced a series of videos. For more information, you may wish to visit www.labc.co.uk
Homeowner Video Guides
- What is Building Control and how do the Building Regulations help you?
- Do I need Building Regulations for my extension?
- What is the difference between planning and building control?
- How does the building control process work?
- Booking an inspection
- What to look for in a builder and how to find a good one
- Help, we didn't get permission for our building work
- Case studies of conservatories
- Conservatories basic rules
- Building Regulations for kitchen and bathroom
- Building Regulations and loft conversions
- Alterations to the layout or sturcture of your home
- Case study of an extension
- Garage conversions