Skip to main content

User account menu

  • Log in
Home
Menu

Main navigation

  • Futures Board
  • News
  • About us
  • Advice
    • Applying for a Building Warrant
    • Owners and Developers Responsibilities
    • Starting your building project
    • Scottish Government Building Standards Division
    • For Homeowners
    • Starting your building project
    • Owner and devleoper responsibilities
    • COVID-19 Information
  • Publications
  • Certification
  • Careers

Main navigation

  • Futures Board
  • News
  • About us
  • Advice
  • Publications
  • Certification
  • Careers
  • Building Standards Hub Pilot
  • Working Groups
  • LABSS Executive and management board
  • LABSS Stakeholders
  • A Workforce Strategy for the Building Standards Verification Service
  • Advice on a Dispute Resolution Process
  • LABSS Organisational Structure
  • Memorandum of Understanding SFRS
  • Verification
  • Applying for a Building Warrant
  • Owners and Developers Responsibilities
  • Starting your building project
  • Scottish Government Building Standards Division
  • For Homeowners
  • Starting your building project
  • Owner and devleoper responsibilities
  • COVID-19 Information
  • LABC Registered Construction Details
  • LABSS Information Papers and Guidance
  • Local Authority Performance Report
  • Resource Search
  • Certifiers of Construction
  • Certifiers of Design
  • Verification of Certified and Non-Certified Routes for Compliance
  • LABSS Ambassadors
  • Building Standards Hub - Central Fire Hub
  • Verification Workforce Strategy
  • Enforcement
  • Other local authority services
  • LABSS Consortia
  • Ministerial Views and Relaxations
  • LA Performance Links
Browse

Main navigation

  • Futures Board
  • News
  • About us
  • Advice
  • Publications
  • Certification
  • Careers
  • Building Standards Hub Pilot
  • Working Groups
  • LABSS Executive and management board
  • LABSS Stakeholders
  • A Workforce Strategy for the Building Standards Verification Service
  • Advice on a Dispute Resolution Process
  • LABSS Organisational Structure
  • Memorandum of Understanding SFRS
  • Verification
  • Applying for a Building Warrant
  • Owners and Developers Responsibilities
  • Starting your building project
  • Scottish Government Building Standards Division
  • For Homeowners
  • Starting your building project
  • Owner and devleoper responsibilities
  • COVID-19 Information
  • LABC Registered Construction Details
  • LABSS Information Papers and Guidance
  • Local Authority Performance Report
  • Resource Search
  • Certifiers of Construction
  • Certifiers of Design
  • Verification of Certified and Non-Certified Routes for Compliance
  • LABSS Ambassadors
  • Building Standards Hub - Central Fire Hub
  • Verification Workforce Strategy
  • Enforcement
  • Other local authority services
  • LABSS Consortia
  • Ministerial Views and Relaxations
  • LA Performance Links
  1. Home
  2. Advice
  3. Starting your building project

Starting your building project

STARTING YOUR BUILDING PROJECT

Building Regulations set standards for how buildings are constructed and altered in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of people using the buildings and to ensure that the buildings are energy efficient.

Your responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a homeowner MUST complement the verifier role and are explained here.

Building standards surveyors cannot and are not required to supervise or monitor every activity on a building project nor can they be present at all times. The supervision of building work is the responsibility of the building owner or developer who should appoint a building professional to supervise the work to ensure the standard of workmanship is satisfactory and meets the building regulations.

The purpose of the building standards system is to protect the public interest. It is not intended to provide protection to a client in a contract with a builder. The system, therefore, does not so much control building as set out the essential standards to be met when building work or a conversion takes place, and only to the extent necessary to meet the building regulations. 

DO I NEED A BUILDING WARRANT?

Not all building work needs to comply with the Building Regulations. For further information see below:

Building (Scotland) Act 2003 - Schedule 1 Regulation 3

Not all building work requires a building warrant. For exemptions see below:-

Building (Scotland) Act 2003 - Schedule 3 Regulation 5

MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR BUILDING WARRANT

You will require to complete an application form, submit two sets of plans to an appropriate scale and include the relevant fee which is dependent on the cost of your project. This should be submitted to your Local Authority Building Standards Department.

If you are unsure of your Local Authority, please use the following postcode link.

Link to postcode

Application forms and scales of fees are available on your Local Authority website

 

NB YOU CANNOT COMMENCE WORK UNTIL A BUILDING WARRANT HAS BEEN OBTAINED

SITE INSPECTIONS

There are two statutory inspections for which you should notify your local Building Standards Department.

These are:-

  • Commencement
  • Completion.

In addition, a Construction Compliance Notification Plan (CCNP) is issued with your building warrant. This identifies critical stages in the build that your Building Standards department would like to be notified at with a view to carrying out further inspections.

This plan differs dependent on the type and complexity of your project.

DO I NEED A BUILDING WARRANT TO DEMOLISH A BUILDING?

A building warrant is required to demolish a building.

UNAUTHORISED WORK

If unauthorised work has been carried out on your property by yourself or a previous owner without a building warrant, then this is illegal and should be rectified.

Your Local Authority Building Standards can advise on the options available to you and the cost implications.

Please be aware that this can involve exposing parts of the structure and remedial work if required.

VIEWING PLANS/ARCHIVED RECORDS

You can view plans for current and past building warrant projects (if available), if you are the owner or their nominated agent only. There is a charge for viewing archived plans and you should contact your Local Authority Building Standards for fees and to book an appointment.

DANGEROUS BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES

You should contact your Local Authority Building Standards if you feel that a building/structure is imminently dangerous. This does not include buildings/structures in a state of disrepair.

USEFUL LINKS

Technical Handbook Domestic

Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Building (Scotland) Act 2003

Building (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004

The Building (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 as amended

The Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 as amended

Procedural Handbook 3rd Edition

 

Footer

  • Scottish Building Standards Hub - National Approvals - www.sbsh.scot
    • Scottish Type Approval Scheme
    • Dispute Resolution Process
  • About LABSS
    • LABSS Management
    • Verifier Workforce Strategy
  • News & blog
    • News
    • England and Wales
LABC logo © 2025 LABC Website by IE Digital

Contact

LABSS Business Contacts

31 Park Road, Brechin, DD9 7AE
E-mail: labss@labss.org

Russell Watson MCABE

LABSS Business Support and Communications Director
Email: labss@labss.org

Bob Renton FRICS

LABSS Finance Director
Email: labss@labss.org

Footer menu

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Notice

Connect with us

  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Futures Board
    • Building Standards Hub Pilot
      • Building Standards Hub - Central Fire Hub
      • Verification Workforce Strategy
  • News
  • About us
    • Working Groups
      • Enforcement
        • Recovery of Costs following Enforcement Action
        • Section 26 - Continuing Requirements
        • Section 27 - Building Warrant Enforcement Notices
        • Section 28 - Defective Building Notice
        • Section 29 - Dangerous Buildings
        • Section 30 - Dangerous Building Notice
      • Other local authority services
        • Emergency Planning
        • Property Enquiries
        • Safety at Sports Grounds
        • Street Naming and Numbering
    • LABSS Executive and management board
      • LABSS Consortia
    • LABSS Stakeholders
    • A Workforce Strategy for the Building Standards Verification Service
    • Advice on a Dispute Resolution Process
    • LABSS Organisational Structure
    • Memorandum of Understanding SFRS
    • Verification
  • Advice
    • Applying for a Building Warrant
    • Owners and Developers Responsibilities
    • Starting your building project
    • Scottish Government Building Standards Division
      • Ministerial Views and Relaxations
    • For Homeowners
    • Starting your building project
    • Owner and devleoper responsibilities
    • COVID-19 Information
  • Publications
    • LABC Registered Construction Details
    • LABSS Information Papers and Guidance
    • Local Authority Performance Report
      • LA Performance Links
    • Resource Search
  • Certification
    • Certifiers of Construction
    • Certifiers of Design
    • Verification of Certified and Non-Certified Routes for Compliance
  • Careers
    • LABSS Ambassadors