Charges and Information Sheet

The Building Act 1984
The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010

1 April 2021

1. Before you build, extend, or convert a building to which the building regulations apply, you or your agent must submit a building regulations application. The charge you must pay depends on the type of work, the number of separate properties, or the total floor area. You can use the following tables with the current charges regulations to work out the charges. If you have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact us

2. The charges are as follows.

The charge is as shown on the tables. VAT is not payable on regularisation applications.

If you a apply for a 'regularisation certificate' for any unauthorised building work that began on or after 11 November 1985, you must pay a regularisation charge to cover the cost of assessing your application and all inspections.

In certain cases, we may agree that you can pay charges in instalments. For further details contact us.

3. Table A: This shows the charges for small domestic buildings, for example, new houses and flats. You have to pay these if the total inside floor area of each building, except any garage or carport, is not more than 300m2 and the building is not more than three storeys (each basement level is counted as one storey).

4. Table B: If the work is more than one domestic extension, you may add the total inside floor areas of all storeys of all the extensions shown on the application to work out how much you have to pay.

5. Table C: Applicable for domestic extensions more than 200m2 floor area or three storeys in height. Also applies to any commercial (non-domestic) work and any other work which can not be placed in Tables A or B.

6. Estimated cost
This is the reasonable commercial cost that would be charged by a building contractor to carry out the work that is in your application. There is no reduction in the estimated cost for DIY projects to ensure fairness. The charge does not include VAT, any professional fees that are paid to an architect, engineer or surveyor, and the cost of buying any land.

7. Exemptions and reductions in charges.
a. If your plans have been approved or rejected, you won't have to pay again if you resubmit plans for the same work which has not started, provided you resubmit within 3 years of the original application date.
b. You don't have to pay charges if the work will provide access to a building or is an extension to store medical equipment or provide medical treatment facilities for a disabled person. In these regulations, a 'disabled person' is a person who is described under section 29(1) of the National Assistance Act 1948 (as extended by section 8(2) Mental Health Act 1959).
c. You do not have to pay charges for putting insulating material into an existing cavity wall, as long as it is certified to an approved standard and the work is carried out by an approved installer.
d. You do not have to pay charges for putting in an approved unvented hot-water system as long as the work is carried out by an approved installer or is part of a larger project.
e. If your application is for repetitive work, we may reduce the charges.

8. You have to pay VAT for all local authority Building Regulation charges, except for the regularisation charge.

9. Additional Charge: The standard charges make allowance for the charging of an "additional charge". This charge is payable at the time of application where the person undertaking a notifiable electrical installation or notifiable electrical alteration works, is not a person registered with an electrical self certification scheme prescribed in the Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations 2010.

10. BY POST - send your completed form and payment to South Worcestershire Building Control, The Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern, WR14 3AF