This is a special type of application and is used only where works have been carried out but a Building Notice or a Full Plans application was not submitted.
Where work has been carried out over 12 months ago, it is unlikely that we will take enforcement action. In these cases, although you may not face prosecution, you will find it extremely difficult to sell the property, as the purchaser's solicitor will almost certainly wish to see proof of Building Regulation Approval. Regularisation is only applicable to work carried out since 1984.
Regularisation Certificates are a retrospective application and only suitable where paperwork was not submitted at the correct time. The Regularisation process can be expensive and a lengthy process. Issues with obtaining a Regularisation Certificate are:
- Charges are higher those for applications made at the right time
- You will almost certainly have to 'open up' works, which is expensive, causes damage to decoration and, at the very least, is highly inconvenient
- We cannot accept a Regularisation application for works carried out before November 1985 or for electrical work
- Even where the work is found to comply with the Building Regulations, it takes around a week to obtain a Regularisation Certificate
- Where problems are found, it can take considerably longer to fix. It is always more expensive to fix problems after the event than to avoid them in the first place.