Building notice and full plans applications

Building notice

For domestic alterations and extensions you can submit a building notice giving brief details of your proposals. These should be submitted before the work starts together with the fee. You can start work on site 48 hours after the notice is submitted as long as you have paid the correct fee. This should be paid online by credit or debit card.

Full plans

If you wish to obtain formal approval for domestic works before the work begins you can submit a full plans application. To do so you should enclose the appropriate fee together with two copies of the drawings and if appropriate, structural calculations, giving full details of your proposals.

We will aim to acknowledge your application within five days, and let you know if for any reason it is incomplete, and we will give you the name of the officer dealing with your project. Decisions can take up to five weeks but are usually given much sooner.

Once you have received full plans approval you can submit a commencement notice or phone your designated Building Control officer on the mobile number you have been given. This must be done 24 hours before the work starts. We then inspect the work on site.

Works to shops, offices, factories, hotels and boarding houses must be made by the full plans route so that we can consult the fire brigade to ensure that adequate fire precautions measures are provided.

Some special and temporary structures such as stands for special events, marquees, radio masts or certain freestanding boundary walls require building consent under Section 30 of the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939.

Depending on the amount of time the structure will be in existence you may need to renew the consent if the existing licence expires.